(AllHipHop Rumors) At this point nothing Ray J says or does surprises any of us. So check this out!
Word on the street is that Ray J
was paid close to 1 million or somewhere between $600-900K to appear on Celebrity Big Brother UK if he agreed to speak about Whitney Houston and Kim Kardashian.
Apparently the UK pays American celebrities 10x more than US reality shows such as The Real Housewives and Love & Hip Hop series. Plus, overseas people are obsessed with American pop c
ulture, so it seems totally believable.
Big Brother even stooped as low as to add Stacey Francis to the cast just so she could speak about what happened between her, Ray J, and Whitney Houston, the night before Whitney’s death.
Ray J was said to be allegedly running the late, great Whitney two types of “D” if you know what I mean. It’s also clear to everyone that Ray J is still not only obsessed with Kim K, but he’s also obsessed with his belief that he made her since her claim to fame is really their sex tape going global. LOL.
I mean it seems like Ray J is selling his soul to cash in on some bucks. It’s one thing if Ray is just speaking positively and briefly on both women, but knowing him, we aren’t so sure that it will go this way. Perhaps they will just be paying him to repeat stuff that he’s said in past interviews.
Remember this is the same network that wanted to pay Kim K’s friend Jonathan Cheban 100,000 a day to come on the show and dispute Ray-J’s claims about Kim Kardashian. I guess. Carry on.
(AllHipHop News) One of the suspects who tortured a mentally disabled white teen in a Facebook Live video is a rapper, who goes by the name of PBG Hothead, it turns out.
Tesfaye Cooper, 18, is one of the four suspects charged with the gruesome crime.
The harrowing incident started on Saturday (December 31, 2016), after the suspects picked up the unidentified teen, whom they knew through school.
The victim, who thought he was going to a sleepover, was instead driven around Chicago and was held and tortured for several days.
The suspects then broadcast portions of the assault on Facebook Live.
The PBG in Cooper’s name is a reference to the Pooh Bear Gang, which was associated with slain rapper Young Pappy, according to Chicago’s DNAInfo.
Young Pappy, who was gunned down in 2015, often threatened his rivals with YouTube videos.
(AllHipHop News) R&B and hip-hop star T-Pain fights off writer’s block by playing video games non-stop.
The “Bartender” hitmaker is a huge fan of online gaming service Twitch, which offers gamers around the world the opportunity to flex their skills and share tips with each other, and he uses it whenever he gets stuck with a lyric or melody.
“The gaming is therapeutic,” he tells Glixel. “While I’m playing, it’ll be a flash of a few lyrics and, ‘Oh s**t, I just came up with a smash (hit)’. I’m not concentrating on making a smash or making a hit or making any kind of music – I’m just sittin’ here living.
“If it’s like a GTA (Grand Theft Auto) V or like a Watch Dogs 2 (video game), you’re gonna think about these things… you’re gonna think about fking chicks and tasing the fk out of people, and you’re gonna make a song about it! There’s no writer’s block when you’re playing video games, man.”
T-Pain, real name Faheem Rashad Najm, confesses he is often dissed by his peers for his round-the-clock video game habit, but he doesn’t care about the critics, citing the hobby as a huge source of inspiration.
He is so fond of gaming, the star even brings his console into the studio with him, so he can play violent video games while he’s recording tracks with other artists.
“I have my laptop and my gaming sessions in the studio,” he laughs. “I use it to write. A lot of people don’t understand; they just feel like I’m in the studio ‘playing games’. But it’s kinda therapeutic. To be in the studio, have your mind free and playing games, not thinking about the song that you’re about to make.
“I’ll tell the producer, ‘Play this beat while I’m playing this game, and I’ll have a song in, like, 10 minutes’. Pause the game, get on the mic, full song, and then go back to the game. Every night!”
(AllHipHop Rumors) Bitterness, pettiness, and consistent L’s are all looking pretty bad on Meek Mill.
Just when it looked like the early first quarter L’s may have only gone to Soulja Boy and Chris Brown, Meek Mill had to catch one as Nicki Minaj apparently broke up with him.
Nicki confirmed that the relationship was over while simultaneously informing her followers that she’d be taking time out to focus on her music.
The relationship seemed contrived from the start. It also seemed like something for Nicki to do to pass time or have a little bit of girl “fun”, where you just mess around with a dude but you aren’t really taking him too serious.
Other rumors have swirled that their whole relationship was a publicity stunt to help both of them make money. If this is the case, it sure lasted way longer than we expected.
Anyway, Meek has been looking like a bitter betty on social media as he has been posting posts bashing some of Nicki Minaj’s favorite Giuseppe Zanetti sneakers, as well as alleging that she was once pregnant by him.
If Minaj was pregnant by him, this could mean one of two things, either she had a miscarriage or an abortion. Either way, she dodged a bullet.
Meek first fired off on dissing his former girlfriend’s taste in sneakers. Meek captioned a photo of a pair of Giuseppe Zanotti wedged sneakers that Nicki rocks often,
“If you walk out don’t wear these they wack…”
But he didn’t trash them when they were together. Hmmmmm. Feet Mill knows he wishes he was still sucking on Nicki’s toes. An this alleged pregnancy doe ………
(AllHipHop Features) The Washington, DC area is currently offering a breath of fresh air into Hip Hop. An able crop of young acts from the DMV is leading a new movement of creativity that is beginning to spread beyond the Beltway.
Andrew Smith is among that class of newcomers. Performing under the name OneTakeDrew, the DC-born rhymer is building a base of support that may soon force an even larger number of worldwide rap fans to pay attention to his music and his region.
“I think that we have a lot of talent here that gets overlooked,” says Drew about the DMV. “Can’t pinpoint exactly what it could be that’s holding us back from reaching a global scale, but the talent is definitely there. I’ve heard it with my own ears.”
Thousands of ears have already been exposed to Drew’s 2016 album Ventilation. The 13-track project includes the record “Soulful” which has collected over 20,000 plays on Soundcloud.
Ventilation also hosts “Fifty/Fifty.” The song received valuable recognition when it was picked as a “Sleeper Song” on Joe Budden’s “I’ll Name This Podcast Later Episode 90.” Co-host Mal introduced OneTakeDrew to the show’s 90,000 weekly SoundCloud listeners.
“I thought it was a great opportunity to be heard by a wider audience. I was really looking forward to hearing the feedback from a fellow spitta and someone who has had their feet in the game for some time now,” says OTD. “So I’d say I was excited, not only for being able to get a spot on the podcast, but for all of the other placements I could possibly get. Especially being that it had only been 24 hours since my tape dropped.”
Before dropping a project and getting a co-sign from an influential podcaster, Drew began writing rhymes as a teenager. Being brought up in a household with a single mother and a seriously ill older brother motivated the aspiring emcee to use his lyrics as a testimonial for his life.
His immediate surroundings played a part in the music that Andrew Smith would eventually craft as well. Prior to reaching school age, Drew and his immediate kin relocated to Alexandria, a Northern Virginia locale right outside DC.
“I think that by being raised in Virginia, but having most of my family reside in Washington, DC gave me a broader spectrum of things I was able to talk about and understand because both are so close but different in many ways,” the 24-year-old explains.
Family is a recurring theme on Ventilation. OneTakeDrew shows love to his mom throughout the collection, and going off the track “OTM,” it appears the woman that gave birth to Andrew is a loyal member of the OneTakeMob.
Drew also examines love, friendship, and personal growth in his art. In addition, the importance of connecting to a higher power plays out on the album through biblical references and unwavering appreciation for the Divine Being.
“My relationship with God holds the highest magnitude, and my family’s a close second. They’re everything to me,” proclaims Drew. “They’re who’ll reap the benefits of all my success, and without God, none of it would be possible. And I only put things in my music that mean or has meant something to me, so that’s how they find their way into almost every song.”
Ventilation was a clear labor of love. It took OTD over two years to finalize the album. He had to split time between working a 9-to-5 job and recording at Indie Media Lab in Falls Church. Temporary mental barricades were hurdles too.
“Writer’s block is something that I’ve struggled with the most. Sometimes I get locked in so deep that my thoughts start to kind of jumble up and bury me. This’ll then lead to having a hard time getting them out in a way that’ll satisfy my perfectionist mentality,” says Drew.
The daily grind and the unwanted blockage did not pressure the rhymer to abort his musical mission. That drive to succeed is laid out on his debut project’s title track.
Producer Inkompletebeatz opens “Ventilation” with a sample of “Wildflower” by The O’Jays where the legendary singing group laments about facing hard times. Drew then displays how his lyrical capabilities will get him to a better place, and he uses the song’s chorus to share his views on the corporate elements of the music business.
“I say ‘f-ck a deal’ so emphatically because getting a deal isn’t really on my agenda,” says Drew. “I wouldn’t say I’m against signing with a major label, but it’s just not a top priority. So ‘we gon’ get there, when we get there.’”
Even though OneTakeDrew is not focusing on signing a contract with a record company at the moment, that does not mean he is not aware of the history of the industry or the present-day moves taking place. The up-and-coming entertainer is a student of the art form he has embraced.
R&B is actually Drew’s favorite genre. Maxwell, Tyrese, and Usher are among the celebrated vocalists that were played regularly during his youth. On the rap side, he enjoyed vibing to tunes by Eminem, The Game, J. Cole, Lupe Fiasco, and fellow DMV representative Wale.
In fact, it was a freestyle over Wale’s “Ambition” that served as one of the earliest OneTakeDrew releases three years ago. More recently, Drew presented bars over Jay Z’s “Dead Presidents” and Lil Uzi Vert’s “Ps & Qs.”
While Lil Uzi admits he comes off as a hater on the song, Drew insists mentioning DJ Premier on his version of “Ps & Qs” was not meant to be seen as a subliminal shot aimed at the Philadelphian. Earlier this year, Uzi faced backlash from some Hip Hop followers for refusing to rhyme over Premier production during a radio interview.
“I actually first heard Uzi’s ‘P’s & Q’s’ on a video of him performing it live,” recalls Drew. “I thought the whole scene was dumb-lit with crazy energy! So then I pulled up the song and really got to hear how much the beat cranked.”
He adds, “As far as the DJ Premier reference, it wasn’t directed at Uzi, but it was more-so me talking to the Uzi fans who heard his interview on Hot 97 and somehow get their ears on my version. I wanted to let them know the type of beats I’m used to rapping on and what lane I’m in – so to speak – but in the same breath show them my versatility.
Ventilation is a nice example of OneTakeDrew’s varied skills. More of his abilities will come to light as he keeps developing his soulful sound through future projects. As more people become familiar with his work, the damaging bright lights of celebrity could become a concern. Like Jay Z addressed on “Hollywood” – fame can blind a person’s eyes and turn loved ones into strangers.
Just in the last few months, the public has seen prominent Hip Hop figures battle depression, drug abuse, and divorce. These are issues that can affect anyone, but mainstream media and social media focuses more intense attention on the rich and famous. Online negativity also comes along with the spotlight.
OneTakeDrew approached the topic of fame on the Ventilation cut “Fantasy.” Even if A-list stardom is not the declared end goal, Drew is already preparing for the possibility he could one day be the subject of a TMZ article or Baller Alert post.
“I really have little to no interest in fame in the sense of people going crazy when they see me in person,” states Drew. “It would be ideal if my music itself could receive all of those emotions/reactions.”
The VA native continues, “I know it all goes hand in hand though, so when the fame comes I think I’ll avoid the pitfalls by surrounding myself with people who would still be by my side if I quit rap tomorrow. Those are the people I believe truly have my best interests at heart. It’s easier said than done, but time will reveal.”
(AllHipHop News) The Soulja Boy/Chris Brown saga is continuing as the two former child performers seem to be moving forward with their face off.
The legendary boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. has jumped into the situation by suggesting he will be promoting the SB versus CB event.
At one point, fellow boxer Adrien Broner appeared to be involved in the celebrity face-off as well.
Soulja posted an Instagram video where Mayweather is discussing why he does not want his mentee Broner to promote the fight.
“AB has a fight coming up soon. I want Adrien Broner to do right now is focus on the task that’s in front of him that’s coming up,” said Mayweather. “While he focuses on his task, I’ll handle this.”
Over the last few days, Broner has been posting about the potential bout on his social media accounts, and there have been reports he is training Brown for the upcoming competition.
Lupe Fiasco announces the release of sixth official album, Drogas Light.
The Grammy Award-winning rapper’s new album is the first album released entirely through his own 1st & 15th/Thirty Tigers imprint.
Three new songs from the album, including Lupe’s new single “Wild Child” went on sale today (January 6), along with pre-sales for Drogas Light, which is due out on February 10.
Check out the full tracklisting and artwork below:
(AllHipHop News) Just days after Vivica A. Fox expressed the feud with ex-boyfriend 50 Cent was over, the actress/reality TV star felt the need to clear up some things about their one-time relationship.
Fox stopped by The Breakfast Club to promote her new Black Magic Lifetime series, and Charlamagne Tha God took the opportunity to ask Vivica about 50’s claim she used to perform oral-a### sex on him.
“Thank you Charlamagne. I knew that was coming,” replied Fox.
The 52-year-old entertainer went on to say, “There was no ass eating that went on. That was a story that he came up with… No, it wasn’t true.”
In 2015, 50 publicly stated Fox was a fan of a######## after his former girlfriend suggested the G-Unit leader was gay.
The Oxnard, California native first gained a lot of attention for his contributions to Dr. Dre’s 2015 LP Compton.
It was later announced that Paak signed with the West Coast legend’s Aftermath Entertainment.
In an upcoming interview with Pharrell Williams’ OTHERtone Beats 1 show airing on January 8, Paak talked about working with his mentor.
He also discussed teaming with Q-Tip for A Tribe Called Quest’s “Movin Backwards” off We Got It from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service as well as more tracks.
“We got some joints man. We be on the wave for sure when we go over there,” stated Paak about his work with Tip.
Swizz Beatz was recently a guest on DJ Whoo Kid’s “The Whoolywood Shuffle” radio show on Sirius.
They talked about a variety of subjects, including Swizz’ work with DMX, his upbringing in the Bronx and a cool untold story about how Swizz’ pops lived in the apartment above Kool Herc.
But the most interesting part of the interview came when Whoo Kid brought up one of Ruff Ryders’ best known artist, The LOX and their new deal with Jay Z’s Roc Nation.
(AllHipHop News) All the parties involved are still going forward with the idea that Chris Brown and Soulja Boy will face off in the ring.
Brown’s recent Instagram post suggests the “Party” singer is predicting a clear knockout against his opponent.
A photoshopped picture of him standing over a laid out Soulja on the canvas is now on CB’s Instagram page.
The image is a reimagining of the famous 1965 photograph of Muhammad Ali towering over Sonny Liston after scoring a first round knockdown in the WBC heavyweight championship bout.
How do you see the fight ending? Take our poll below.
On the newest episode of GGN, Nick Diaz and legendary rapper Snoop talk about testing positive, weed in sports, and his controversial stance as a marijuana supporter fighting in the UFC.
Diaz has been suspended three times and he’s been hit with fines from the NSAC after testing positive for weed.
(AllHipHop News) Taraji P. Henson was reluctant to take on the role of Cookie Lyon on TV drama “Empire” because she didn’t want to become a Hollywood stereotype.
The actress has received much praise for her portrayal of the tough music business executive in the highly-popular drama series, but when she was first approached about the role she wasn’t sure if she wanted to play Cookie, because she thought she was too similar to other characters.
“I’ve been deemed as the edgy one in Hollywood sometimes,” she told U.S. chat show The Talk on Wednesday (January 4). “In your career, when you’re building, you’re trying not to pigeonhole yourself and so I’ve been the girl in the hood, I’ve been the pregnant prostitute, I’ve done the woman that could be stereotypical and so Cookie scared me.
“But the beauty in studying the craft is you don’t judge those characters. You find a way to make people empathize. Now, if I played her loud and sassy all the time people will go, ‘She’s a stereotype’. You don’t connect, but if you play the why the person is the way that she is then the character is not a stereotype. Then you are allowed to identify with her choices because you see her as a real person.”
Taraji jumped at the opportunity to play one of the African-American mathematicians who helped launch the first U.S. space mission in “Hidden Figures,” and the 46-year-old explains she wanted to show young girls and women they can take on careers in math and science if they choose to.
“I was hurt (when I read the script) because growing up as a young girl, there was an understanding that math and science was for boys,” she continued. “So immediately I felt like a dream had been stolen from me. After I got the script I thought, ‘That’s horrible, because what if I was allowed to dream to be a rocket scientist?’ Who knows where my life would be…
“I can think back in class when you have to pick your seats all through my educational life I chose to sit in the back of the classroom when it came to math and science because it was like, ‘Well it’s not for me’,” she added. “So I was upset and I made it my mission to be a part of this film because I didn’t want another girl to ever believe that her brain cannot understand numbers and rocket science. If boys can do it, you can do it too. A brilliant mind doesn’t have a color or a gender.”
(AllHipHop Rumors) Bitterness, pettiness, and consistent L’s are all looking pretty bad on Meek Mill.
