Joe Budden believes Drake didn’t resurrect his iconic “timestamp” series during his beef with Kendrick Lamar because he might have lost access to the writing team he created the songs with.
The series, which includes “4 PM in Calabasas” and “7 AM on Bridle Path,” is said to feature some of Drake’s best rapping. However, while K. Dot released a “6:16 in LA” diss, Drake didn’t drop a track from the series.
During the latest episode of his podcast, which arrived hot on the heels of the recent alleged reference track leaks, Joe Budden discussed how far back they go.
“I still think that I haven’t heard timestamp Drake in quite a long time. It does beg the question, why is that now?” Budden said.
His co-hosts suggested that Drake might have lost the writing team he worked with to create the series.
“If you looking at it through that lens, it looks like somebody that was important in them sessions is not there anymore and we not getting that. Why would you fail to get in that bag going against Kendrick? It just don’t make sense,” Budden continued.
“And now, he’s teasing his next project, he took a picture with Gordo,” he added. “So, that says we getting that same Honestly, Nevermind, feel maybe, right?”
Joe Budden really knows ball. He said Drake’s audience went from women to red pillers. I said the same thing a few years ago! pic.twitter.com/AfGcGf25nK
Drake has worked on multiple songs with producer and longtime friend Gordo. They teamed up for two tracks on For All The Dogs last year, following their six songs on Honestly Nevermind in 2022.
Travis Scott went viral last week after getting into a fight with Cher’s boyfriend and Tyga’s friend Alexander “AE” Edwards and producer Southside in Cannes.
Footage surfaced online showing Scott and Southside fighting Edwards at an afterparty on May 24, with Scott reportedly the aggressor. However, according to Edwards, the brawl was no big deal, describing the fight as a “healthy fade.”
New video of Travis Scott's altercation involving Tyga's camp, Alexander "AE" Edwards & Southside
TMZ reports that a fight broke out after Richie Akiva gave props to both Travis Scott and Tyga on stage. Travis seemed upset about being associated with Tyga, possibly due to their… pic.twitter.com/Uzw9sRmOvc
TMZ caught up with Edwards on Wednesday (May 29,) asking if he and Scott resolved their issues.
“It’s all good,” Edwards replied and joked about the fight. “He aint have to work that night,” he said of his bodyguard. “But shout out Southside, that’s my n####. I know he was just defending his boy and doing what he was supposed to be doing as his boy.”
Edwards said there’s “no hard feelings,” between them, adding, “It is what it is, it went how it went.”
He also insisted, “I don’t wann fight. I don’t initiate that s###,” and claimed he was defending himself. “I’m a protect myself and my people.” Edwards had no words for Scott following the fight, saying, “No message. They got the message.”
Describing the altercation as “just n##### being n#####, at the end of the day,” Edwards claimed, “It’s a healthy fade, that’s what it is.”
According to reports, the fight began after Travis Scott allegedly snatched the mic when party host Richie Akiva shouted out Tyga and Edwards at the event. Tyga is the ex-boyfriend of Kylie Jenner, the mother of Travis Scott’s children.
“Travis was the aggressor,” a source told Page Six. “He and his team were being neurotic, erratic and crazy. He was there looking for a fight with anyone to be honest.”
She posted clips from her set, walking out to perform her latest single, “Sunday Service.” However, while many fans raved about Latto and her looks, others were less kind.
“My bestie and I were just talking about how it’s rare that people look better with a BBL. Latto is not one of those people,” one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“Side of effects of bbl ladies take [note] not a good look,” added another. “Ladies please stop getting bbl it looks terrible,” stated a third user.
Latto caught wind of the criticism and clapped back with a carousel of images on Instagram.
Meanwhile, over on X, Latto addressed the haters, insisting that her mystery man has no complaints.
“F### what these hoes saying,” she wrote. “Cuz my n#### say I’m perfect ANYWAYS.”
Latto also shared an update about her new album after revealing she dislikes her existing catalog.
“I guess yall deserve new music [soon],” she wrote. Earlier this month, Latto responded to fans debating what style to expect from her third studio offering.
“All these songs suck,” she said. “Album otw & it will be washing these -big mama.”
Latto opened up about getting BBL and liposuction during an interview with Cosmopolitan last year.
“I got a BBL in 2020. I also got 360 lipo. That’s on my stomach, back, sides, and whole torso,” she explained “But then you’ve got to maintain it. So I just hired a trainer.”
Pam Grier has very fond memories of her Bones co-star Snoop Dogg!
The legendary actress took a walk down memory lane during her appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, revealing the Death Row Records boss was a great kisser. Hudson showed Grier a clip of Snoop recalling their first meeting on the Bones set in 2000.
“Oh my God, and he can smooch!” Pam Grier said of Snoop Dogg. “Let me tell ya, let me tell ya.”
While Snoop impressed Grier with his kissing skills, their initial encounter was memorable for very different reasons.
During his January appearance on Hudson’s show, Snoop Dogg admitted that he fainted after meeting Pam Grier for the first time.
“Pam Grier walked up and just sat right next to me and started talking. My heart beat fast,” Snoop Dogg recalled. So I’m like, ‘Okay, I hear what you’re saying. Pam, give me a minute.”
The Doggfather tried to collect himself with the visit to the men’s room, but it didn’t work.
“I go to the bathroom and faint,” he added. “I fainted, I’m laying on the ground. My security comes in there like, ‘Get off this nasty floor. Man, what are you doing?’ I looked up, and I said, ‘I just met Pam Grier.’”
Meanwhile, last month on Watch What Happens Live, Pam Grier shared her reaction to Snoop Dogg fainting.
“I was so upset that they cleaned him up and brought him back out and we sat together. I didn’t know I had that effect on him. He’s such a lovely person, I just couldn’t imagine him lying in urine,” she told Andy Cohen.
Future is getting a taste of what Drake has been going through recently as a result of multiple leaks of artist reference tracks for their fan-favorite records making their way to social media.
On the heels of Drake being exposed for working with both Vory, who recorded the reference for “Mob Ties,” and PARTYNEXTDOOR, who laid down “Ratche Happy Birthday” for his 2018 Scorpion album, Future is catching heat for receiving help on his 2019 EPSAVE ME.
In particular, fans have uncovered video corroborating theories that artist-producer Bobby Raps crafted the melodic and hazy masterpiece that turned out to be Future’s “XanaX Damage.”
Though it’s clear from the official video above there were a number of tweaks made to the track, the main components of the reference track Bobby Raps recorded appear to still be intact in the version Future released. And going a level deeper, a user on Twitter pulled up receipts of Bobby Raps’ work on Future and Metro Boomin’s WE DON’T TRUST YOU collab album in the form o co-writing and production credits for a number of records.
“we still don’t trust you out now thank you for believing in me Pluto… appreciate you always I helped with Drink N Dance, Luv Bad B######, Mile High Memories and Beat It,” Bobby Raps wrote in an Instagram post last month.
Does the fact that Future himself even “hired some help” to “get rid of you n###as” change the way you view him as an artist? Or is the Drake ghostwriter effect a double standard that doesn’t affect Pluto and only Drizzy?
Check out the reference track below.
Another reference track has SURFACED, this time we can see “Bobby Raps” in the studio making what we now know as “XANAX DAMAGE” by future from the “Save Me” EP pic.twitter.com/Dutl66lqc2
Drake’s pen is once again being scrutinized after a leaked reference track spilled over onto social media, linking him to former Kanye West and Meek Mill collaborator Vory.
At the top of this week, audio of an early version of Drake’s fan-favorite “Mob Ties” featuring Vory as the lead vocalist hit Twitter (X) and sent the timeline in shambles. A number of users who initially uncovered the leak remarked at how close the alleged reference sounds in comparison to the version that appeared on Drake’s Scorpion album.
Even though it’s an industry standard practice for up-and-coming artists and songwriters submit records to appear on major artists album releases, it’s kind of crazy that The 6 God only appears to have changed one or two bars and tweaked some cadences here and there. And given the fact Drake is tied with The Beatles for Billboard chart records, users on Twitter (X) thought the same and sounded off in droves about the leak.
“MAN WTF DRAKE DIDN’T EVEN WRITE MOB TIES,” one person wrote. “VORY’S REFERENCE TRACK JUST LEAKED. THIS GUY BEEN LYING HIS ENTIRE CAREER NOW. I’M OVER HERE QUESTIONING WHAT WAS EVER REALLY WRITTEN BY DRAKE NOW.”
— Pusha Thanos !!! (new acc) (@PushaThanos__) May 28, 2024
Another user replied with a double entendre of their own, quoting the tweet and writing, “He…. Hired some help,” while someone else highlighted Drake’s blatant history taking reference tracks from indie submissions to mainstream success over the years with numerous artists.
“??? You were there when Quentin Miller happen. You were there when he bought hold on we’re going home from Majid Jordan. What are you even talking about?? Weve know he’s bought songs straight up,” the user wrote.
At this rate, Drizzy might want to consider manufacturing a leak of his own and dump a couple hundred tracks from his vault on the internet like the hacker that just purged Gunna’s songs on social media. At least then, people are talking about some unreleased music rather than a release from nearly six years ago.
Not to mention this isn’t a good look for him at the moment considering Meek cut ties with Vory last year amid abuse allegations from his ex-partner. Also, this is Ye’s man’s low-key so it’s kind of proving the narratives about Drizzy true in the moment.
It also doesn’t help that the Lil Yachty reference track leaked as well.
Donald Trump whined about his hush money trial as the jury began its deliberations on Wednesday (May 29). Trump mentioned Saint Teresa of Calcutta, better known as Mother Teresa, while discussing his criminal case outside a New York courtroom.
“Mother Teresa could not beat these charges,” Trump told reporters. “These charges are rigged. The whole thing is rigged. The whole country’s a mess between the borders and fake elections, and you have a trial like this where the judge is so conflicted he can’t breathe.”
He added, “It’s a disgrace. And I mean that. Mother Teresa could not beat those charges. But we’ll see. We’ll see how we do.”
Trump continued ranting about the trial on his Truth Social platform. He repeated his Mother Teresa line, reposted a bunch of Fox News clips and attacked President Joe Biden as well as actor Robert De Niro.
“Crooked Joe Biden just announced that he will speak, for a change, at the end of his trial against me,” Trump wrote. “Yesterday he sent his mentally challenged servant, former actor Robert De Niro, to create a little chaos in front of the Courthouse, and to influence the trial. Election Interference!!!”
Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection to a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Each count carries up to four years in prison, but he would likely serve them concurrently if convicted and sentenced to time behind bars.
The hush money case was Trump’s first criminal case to go to trial. He was indicted four times in 2023. Trump was charged with 91 felony counts in his four criminal cases.
Trump faced up to 20 years in prison for some of the charges. Trump pleaded not guilty to all the charges, which included allegations of election interference and mishandling classified documents.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams hasn’t decided whether to revoke Diddy’s key to the city. The mayor said he talked to his team during an interview with 94.7’s “Jonsey in the Morning” show on Wednesday (May 29), but that the matter remained unsettled.
“We’ll make a formal announcement once that’s determined,” Adams noted, per the New York Daily News.
Adams reiterated how disturbed he was by Diddy assaulting Cassie Ventura after a video of the incident surfaced on May 17. CNN obtained surveillance footage of Diddy attacking Cassie at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016, corroborating some of the allegations in her since-settled lawsuit against him.
“That video, as you saw, was really, really painful to watch,” Adams continued. “As a person who has two sisters, you know, I was really troubled by it.”
Diddy was awarded a key to the city in September 2023. Just a couple of months later, multiple women—including Cassie—sued the Hip-Hop mogul for sexual assault amid other claims.
Several New York City council members urged Adams to revoke Diddy’s key to the city after the assault video emerged. “Jonesy in the Morning” host Tarsha Jones joked, “If all else fails, just change the locks.” The mayor laughed at the suggestion.
Two morewomen sued Diddy for sexual assault after the Cassie Ventura video went public. The lawsuits added to Diddy’s legal woes as he was already the subject of a federal investigation.
According to CNN, federal investigators are preparing to bring some of Diddy’s accusers before a grand jury. The feds are likely seeking an indictment. Earlier this year, Homeland Security raided his homes to investigate sex trafficking allegations.
Diddy publicly denied the various allegations against him, but he issued an apology in response to proof of his assault on Ventura. He said his “behavior on that video is inexcusable” and claimed he sought help after the fact.
Diddy’s sprawling legal issues may force Jennifer Lopez to relive her past relationship with Hip-Hop mogul. Attorney Pete Gleason told In Touch the actress/singer faced potential subpoenas in at least two of Diddy’s lawsuits.
Lopez dated Diddy, whose real name is Sean Combs, from 1999 to 2001. She was with him on the night of an infamous shooting at a New York nightclub in 1999. The shooting left three people injured.
“Jennifer Lopez’s presence the night of the shooting incident and then departing in the same vehicle as Combs makes her a witness with firsthand knowledge and could subject her to being subpoenaed to testify under oath,” Gleason explained to In Touch. “If there are any criminal charges or civil claims not outside the statute of limitations, this would likely prove problematic for Lopez.”
Diddy, Lopez and bodyguard Anthony “Wolf” Jones were arrested in connection to the shooting. Lopez’s charges were dropped. Diddy and Jones were acquitted in 2001. Bad Boy Records artist Shyne was convicted of assault, reckless endangerment and gun possession for the shooting. Shyne was long believed to be a scapegoat.
Renewed scrutiny of the shooting began when producer Lil Rod sued Diddy in February. Lil Rod claimed Diddy bragged about bribing witnesses and jurors in the 1999 shooting case. One of the three victims insisted it was Diddy, not Shyne, who shot her after the lawsuit was filed. Shyne spoke out in April.
“I’ve been saying this all along,” Shyne told Channel 5 Belize. “Everyone knew all along that I was the fall guy … I maintained my innocence all this time. I said I was defending myself. I didn’t get into who did what.”
Lopez also faced the threat of a subpoena in April Lampros’ lawsuit against Diddy. Lampros sued Diddy for sexual assault in May. Lampros said she suffered “four terrifying sexual encounters” with him while he was dating Lopez.
Multiple women have sued Diddy for sexual assault since November 2023. The feds advanced their probe into his alleged crimes, opening the door for a possible indictment by a grand jury.
Camila Cabello recruited Drake for a guest appearance on her new album C,XOXO, which led to him creating a solo track for her. Cabello told Billboard how an Instagram DM resulted in him contributing to her upcoming project, which drops on June 28.
“He’s the f###### GOAT, so it felt like shooting for the stars,” Cabello said of messaging Drake on social media. “I showed him the album when I felt comfortable enough and he really liked it. [The feature] came out of a nontransactional place. He had this idea of a song called ‘Hot Uptown,’ and it just felt like I was in the city. I was in Miami.”
Cabello and Drake sparked dating rumors in 2023. The two were spotted together in Turks and Caicos. According to Cabello, they linked up to finish “Hot Uptown.” She previously referred to the trip as a “vacation plus some work.”
“I love him so much and I really listened to him a lot during my writing process for my album,” she said on the Call Her Daddy podcast. “And I really felt like he would like my album.”
Drake wasn’t content with recording one track for Cabello’s project. Her collaborator Jasper Harris said the Canadian star “wanted to do one more thing for the album.” The result was an interlude titled “Uuugly,” which will appear right after “Hot Uptown” on C,XOXO.
“Why does he have his own song? Because selfishly, I just want to hear Drake on my own album,” Cabello explained. “I love that for me — it’s like that rebellious mood. Who says I can’t do that? It’s Drake talking his s###.”
Drake, who’s trying to move on from his battle against Kendrick Lamar, won’t be the only Hip-Hop artist on Cabello’s album. Additional guests include Playboi Carti, Lil Nas X and the City Girls.
The Kendrick Lamar versus Drake feud had Hip-Hop culture in a chokehold in 2024. In 2001, JAY-Z versus Nas was the most-talked-about rap battle of that era.
Damon “Dame” Dash had a firsthand viewpoint of his Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder JAY-Z’s rivalry with Nas. According to Dash, the tense back-and-forth between the two legendary MCs did not generate concern of the situation turning violent.
“There was no fear of us getting hurt when it came to Nas. Not at all. Or anybody else we were battling,” Dame Dash declared on a recent episode of the Moguls In the Making podcast.
He continued, “There was no fear of any violence when it came to that. There was no fear when it came to us. Of any battle that we had, when it came to violence, we were never worried about that.”
JAY-Z included the Nas-directed “Takeover” on his 2001 album The Blueprint. Nas fired back with the Stillmatic track “Ether.” Many rap followers consider “Takeover” and “Ether” two of the greatest diss records in Hip-Hop history.
While JAY-Z and Nas both avoided bloodshed during their lyrical conflict, other rappers did lose their lives amid tension between their respective crews. The tragic 1990s deaths of The Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac serve as the most famous example of that possible violent outcome.
“Now, Pac and Biggie, n##### got killed,” Dame Dash stated. “But n##### get killed in Hip-Hop now. They be battling, they be banging on the thing, and then they end up dead. It’s a little more serious now.”
Federal investigators are reportedly advancing their probe into Diddy, indicating a potential indictment by preparing to bring accusers before a federal grand jury in New York City. According to CNN, the process involves notifying possible witnesses, including those who have filed the eight civil lawsuits against Diddy, of their potential testimonies.
The move to involve a grand jury, which has the power to subpoena documents and witnesses and decide on criminal charges, suggests the investigation has progressed beyond preliminary stages.
The investigation has been extensive, with federal agents interviewing multiple accusers and gathering evidence, including video footage from Diddy’s residences. These efforts have been part of a broader inquiry not only into the sexual assault allegations highlighted in civil lawsuits but also encompassing potential sex trafficking, money laundering and illegal drug activities. The thorough approach aims to build a robust case, ensuring any potential indictment is well-supported.
Diddy has consistently denied the allegations, describing them as attempts at a cash grab. However, the federal probe continues to intensify, with investigators actively gathering and verifying evidence from accusers and other sources. Their dig includes corroborating witness testimonies and physical evidence that may substantiate the claims made in both the civil suits and the broader criminal investigation.
CNN reports claim “DOJ Potentially Seeking Sean “Diddy” Combs Indictment”
“Federal investigators have been contacting individuals that they have seen on video footage taken in his residence 1 person in addition to the accusers is a male sex worker”#Diddy#Cassie#SeanCombs#CNNpic.twitter.com/egtReBtcSZ
Diddy’s ex Cassie Ventura got the proverbial ball rolling in November 2023, when she filed a civil suit against the Bad Boy Records mogul. Her lawsuit alleged he physically and sexually abused her during their time together. It also claimed he had Kid Cudi’s car blown up in his driveway for briefly dating Ventura in 2011.
Last week, CNN released old surveillance footage of Diddy brutally assaulting Ventura in a hotel hallway, proving Ventura wasn’t lying about the abuse she suffered. She later released a statement addressing the clip that read: “Thank you for all of the love and support from my family, friends, strangers, and those I have yet to meet. The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now.
“But this is only the beginning. Domestic violence is THE issue. It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become. With a lot of hard work, I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past. Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to take this matter seriously.”
On Tuesday (May 28), Rolling Stone ran a story from its six-month investigation into Diddy that included interviews with more than 50 people from the embattled rapper’s past. They all described Diddy as a driven but violent and angry person who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.
Diddy apologized for his actions caught on tape in an Instagram video earlier this month. He said in part, “I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
“Iron” Mike Tyson is set to face Jake “El Gallo” Paul at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. According to Cam’ron, the July 20 boxing match could have featured an appearance by the rapper-turned-podcaster and his co-host, Ma$e.
“They offered us the walkout with Mike Tyson, possibly. I ain’t want to put this out there,” Cam’ron revealed on his It Is What It Is show. “This was before this incident. I’m like, ‘I’m not sure if I want to do that.’ Now, I’m probably not going to do it.”
There have been concerns about whether the fight will still take place. Recent reports claimed Mike Tyson, 57, became “nauseous and dizzy” during a Monday (May 26) flight from Miami to Los Angeles. The Baddest Man on the Planet apparently received treatment after the plane landed.
Cam’ron also said, “I don’t want n##### blaming me for nothing when n##### don’t win. Like when [Devin Haney] lost to [Ryan Garcia], n##### said, ‘Why’s he wearing Balenciaga sneakers?’” The Purple Haze album creator added, “If we walk Mike out and Mike don’t win… I don’t really know if I need that type of pressure if s### don’t go right.”
Netflix plans to livestream the Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson bout. In addition, the highly publicized event will present undercard matchups such as Katie Taylor versus Amanda Serran and Julio César Chávez Jr. versus Darren Till.
“I want Mike to win, I hope he wins. I hope it’s really an awesome situation,” Cam’ron stated. He continued, “I would say, if you’re not feeling right, Mike, don’t fight because if the fight comes, and you don’t perform well, and then you try to use this excuse, nobody’s gonna want to hear that.”
Jeffery “Young Thug” Williams faces multiple charges in his ongoing criminal trial in Fulton County, Georgia. Fellow Atlanta-bred rapper T.I. thinks Thug will beat the case.
T.I. appeared on a morning radio show on Tuesday (May 28). At one point, the trap music legend spoke about Young Thug’s current legal troubles.
“He’s coming home,” the self-proclaimed King of the South told The Breakfast Club’s Charlamagne tha God about his presently incarcerated “About The Money” collaborator.
T.I. also said, “I don’t think that the prosecution has successfully proven a case of him knowingly and willingly participating in an active street gang. I just don’t see it.”
Fulton County prosecutors, led by District Attorney Fani Willis, accused Young Thug of several gang-related crimes. One of the YSL Records founder’s charges includes conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
“I don’t think that the witnesses they’ve called thus far have proven what they said they would prove,” T.I. added. “I just don’t think that the grounds of their case have been presented properly.”
Young Thug was among more than two dozen defendants indicted in the RICO case. YSL recording artist Sergio “Gunna” Kitchens pleaded guilty in December 2022 to a single charge of racketeering.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Alfonso Ribeiro does not seem to be a fan of Tyler Perry. The current Dancing with the Stars host let a social media user know not to expect to see him in any Perry productions.
“@tylerperry needs to revamp @alfonso_ribeiro career, I just know he could,” the @TRUlydgaf X account posted on Monday (May 27). Alfonso Ribeiro responded to that tweet about Tyler Perry.
The 52-year-old entertainment industry veteran replied, “I don’t need or ever want that man to do anything for me.” Ribeiro’s post collected 63,000 likes and 8.8 million views.
Tyler Perry has become a polarizing figure. Many of his supporters praise the billionaire filmmaker/playwright for employing Black talent who may get overlooked or rejected by the Hollywood establishment.
In contrast, critics complain about Perry’s characterization of the Black community in his projects, particularly Black men. He also faces critiques for the overall quality of his television shows and movies.
Alfonso Ribeiro did not specify why he has no interest in working with Tyler Perry. In a recent interview, Ribeiro expressed that portraying Carlton Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air hurt his standing as an actor.
“I used to always say doing Carlton was the greatest and worst thing that ever happened to me. It was one of the greatest roles that I ever was fortunate enough to play,” Ribeiro stated.
In addition, he said, “But it was also the role that stopped me from acting again because people couldn’t see me as anything else. The sacrifice was not having an acting career anymore.”
After scoring a decisive victory in his battle with Drake, Kendrick Lamar has remained mostly silent in public. However, one of the pgLang founder’s private conversations came to light.
Photos of Kendrick Lamar posing for a Chanel campaign hit the internet. Terrence “Punch” Henderson, president of Lamar’s former label home Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), had some jokes about the images for the French luxury fashion house.
Punch shared a text exchange he had with K. Dot on social media. During the conversation, the A Room Full of Mirrors member asked Lamar, “What you doing dawg?”
Kendrick Lamar responded, “I think I’m cute on there man. Couldn’t resist.” Punch then texted back, “What are you doing with them dreamy eyes n####??” Lamar replied, “I’m crying dawg.”
Punch addressed Lamar’s departure in September 2022, saying at the time, “Even if they fall on their head, they gotta fall on their head, get up, learn from that, and keep moving. You’re concerned always. But it’s still like, ‘I’m proud of you, bro. Do what you do.’ If you need something, the phone is open,”
Eminem has revealed what his last cryptic social media post meant—the first single from his forthcoming album, The Death of Slim Shady, is coming this week. Slim Shady and magician David Blaine broke the news on Tuesday night (May 28) with a video post that included a FaceTime call between the two celebrities.
In the clip, Eminem asks Blaine to do him a favor: “How far can we go with this magic? Can we do a stunt or something? Blaine replies, “Like this?” and proceeds to bite into a wine glass. Shady retorts, “For my last trick, I’m going to make my career disappear.” Blaine, confused, asks, “Wait, what?”
From there, Eminem reveals the name and release date of the single with, “Houdini. 5.31.2024.”
Eminem announced The Death of Slim Shady in April shortly after Eminem opened the 2024 NFL Draft in his hometown of Detroit. The announcement, which arrived via the NFR Podcast, included a teaser for the project starring 50 Cent. The concept revolved around an investigation into the murder of Slim Shady, Eminem’s longtime alter ego. The caption read simply, “EMINEM-THE DEATH OF SLIM SHADY. NEW ALBUM. SUMMER 2024.”
“Through his complex and oft-criticized, tongue-twisting rhymes, the anti-hero known as Slim Shady has had no shortage of enemies,” the reporter says in the clip. “The same rude lyrics and controversial antics may have ultimately led to his demise. Join me as we recreate the events that led to the murder of Slim Shady.”
50 Cent offered, “He’s not a friend, he’s a psychopath.”
The project is expected to arrive sometime this summer. Until then, check out the announcement above.
It looks like Eminem fans will have something to look forward to on May 31. The diamond-selling MC continued the rollout out for his upcoming studio album, The Death of Slim Shady, on Monday (May 20) with a cryptic tweet.
The post included a photo of a text message with the vanishing effect revealing the words, “…and for my last trick!” The date on the message was May 31, 2024 at 12 a.m. (presumably Eastern).
Considering that’s a Friday, it’s not hard to conclude what he’s suggesting. After all, he did say the album was arriving this summer—not spring. Now, Stans are eagerly expecting the first single from the album to arrive that day.
Eminem announced The Death of Slim Shady in April shortly after Eminem opened the 2024 NFL Draft in his hometown of Detroit. The announcement, which arrived via the NFR Podcast, included a teaser for the project starring 50 Cent. The concept revolved around an investigation into the murder of Slim Shady, Eminem’s longtime alter ego. The caption read simply, “EMINEM-THE DEATH OF SLIM SHADY. NEW ALBUM. SUMMER 2024.”
“Through his complex and oft-criticized, tongue-twisting rhymes, the anti-hero known as Slim Shady has had no shortage of enemies,” the reporter says in the clip. “The same rude lyrics and controversial antics may have ultimately led to his demise. Join me as we recreate the events that led to the murder of Slim Shady.”
50 Cent offered, “He’s not a friend, he’s a psychopath.”
Eminem also took out an ad in the Detroit Free Press that doubled as a fake obituary for his longtime alter ego. It read in part, “That audience was soon exposed to the extreme darkness of the muse/rapper, as he led millions of music fans down a road that glorified a demonstrably nihilistic worldview.
“Ultimately, the very things that seemed to be the tools he used became calling cards that defined an existence that could only come to a sudden and horrific end. His complex and tortured existence has come to a close, and the legacy he leaves behind is no closer to resolution than the manner in which this character departed this world.”
The latest Twitter (X) post comes on the heels of the wedding of Eminem’s daughter Hailie Jade Scott. The 28-year-old podcaster wed Evan McClintock in a lavish ceremony at the Greencrest Manor in Battle Creek, Michigan over the weekend. Photos of Eminem dancing with Scott were posted online.
As for The Death of Slim Shady, the project serves as the follow-up to 2020’s Music to Be Murdered By (Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, Interscope Records).
Diddy‘s downfall continued on Tuesday night (May 28), when Rolling Stone published its six-month investigation into the horrific allegations levied against the embattled mogul (real name Sean Combs).
The publication said it interviewed roughly 50 people from Diddy’s past, including ex-friends, former classmates at Howard University and old co-workers. Almost all of them remembered a diabolic and “volatile” yet driven man, who would often break into fits of rage. Others recalled his blatant greed and desperation for success following the 1997 murder of The Notorious B.I.G.
Photographer Monqiue Bunn suggested Biggie’s death could have been more sinister than initially thought. Numerous reports allege Biggie had been planning to leave Bad Boy Records shortly before his death at the same time Diddy had been fighting with the “Big Poppa” rapper’s attorneys over publishing rights.
“[Biggie] was absolutely about to leave Puff,” Bunn said. “I know for a fact [because] he told me that.” Another source adds, “Everybody wanted to leave Puffy. Everybody leaves him.”
The article continued, “Combs capitalized on the shock and sorrow over Wallace’s death. Brookshire — who had been traveling in the same SUV as Wallace during press events the day before he died — says Combs denied her request for time off to process her grief. Instead, just two weeks after the slaying, she says, Combs ordered her to focus all efforts on Wallace’s upcoming album, Life After Death. Combs demanded it be “Number one, number one, number one, number one, number one. Top 10, top 10, top 10.”
Sources tell Rolling Stone that Sean “Diddy” Combs allegedly beat a music executive bloody over the man’s relationship with Combs’ ex, Kim Porter.
“He left him bleeding on a hotel floor in Italy,” the victim’s mother tells Rolling Stone.
Diddy was also accused by a fellow former Howard University student of beating an ex-girlfriend with a belt. As the story explained, “’Puff is out here acting crazy. He’s beating her,’ the fellow students said, according to the classmate. He screamed and hollered and acted a stone fool until she came downstairs, another Howard student who witnessed the alleged attack said.
“She says Combs used what appeared to be a belt to strike the young woman ‘all over the place.’ Speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the incident, the witness said Combs appeared ‘super angry’ and was ‘screaming at the top of his lungs.’ She says he ‘whupped her butt — like really whupped her butt.’ The witness says the woman was clearly terrorized: ‘She was trying to defend herself a little bit. She was crying. And we were telling him, ‘Get off of her.’ We were screaming for her.’ A third source also recalled the alleged assault to Rolling Stone. (The woman at the center of the alleged attack declined comment.)”
That wasn’t all. Diddy also supposedly paraded his sexual exploits around a teenage USHER, who told Rolling Stone in 2004, “Puff introduced me to a totally different set of s### — sex, specifically,” Usher recalled to Rolling Stone in 2004. “There was always girls around. You’d open a door and see somebody doing it, or several people in a room having an orgy. You never knew what was going to happen.”
Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who’s been at the center of the controversy since suing him November 2023 for rape, physical assault and more, alleged in lawsuit Diddy was a functioning drug addict.
“Drugs were a consistent part of Combs’ life, Ventura alleges in her lawsuit, claiming he was ‘addicted to prescription painkillers and took ecstasy frequently’ She claims he had pills and other drugs out in the open ‘like candy’ and that he would supply alcohol, ecstasy, cocaine, the sedative GHB, ketamine, and marijuana during ‘freak-offs,'” the story continued. “But far from enhancing a party vibe, Ventura and others say these substances only darkened his mood.
“Once Combs got drunk or high enough, says one frequent party guest in the early 2000s, ‘he would turn violent [and] loud. He would take his anger out on people.’ At several points when Combs was extremely intoxicated, Ventura alleges, he beat her.”
Evidence of Diddy’s abuse became public on Friday (May 24), when CNN released surveillance footage of Diddy brutally assaulting Ventura inside the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. It gave credit to many of the claims Ventura made in her lawsuit.
For now, it doesn’t appear Diddy will find respite anytime soon. 50 Cent just sold his Diddy Do It? documentary to Netflix, he has several other pending sexual assault lawsuits. two of his homes have been raided by Homeland Security and the pressure is mounting. His former bodyguard Gene Deal even suggested he could be arrested for involvement in Tupac Shakur’s murder.
Hit-Boy is finally beginning to come around to the idea that his father Big Hit’s forbidden twin is none other than the late Mobb Deep lyricist, Prodigy.
It all started after a Prodigy fan page on Twitter (X) replied to a tweet in which Hit-Boy was actually promoting his upcoming Black & Whites collaborative album with The Alchemist, which Big Hit is also a part of via the LP’s lead single, “Foreclosure.”
so far me big hit and alc dropped 4 videos off the Black & Whites album. what’s been your favorite ? whole project 5/30/24 pic.twitter.com/35r6C2qmrf
In a reply within the original thread shared, the fan page shared a pair of photos of P’s frequent collaborator side-by-side with Prodigy, in comparison with Big Hit, to which the West Coast producer couldn’t help but see the resemblance.
“Is Big Hit secretly Prodigy,” the fan page wrote in the tweet.
Hit-Boy replied, revealing it wasn’t the first time he’s fielded theories from his fans comparing his father to the East Coast rap legend.
“This picture makes me see what y’all be saying when y’all tell me Big Hit looks like Prodigy,” Hit-Boy wrote.
He also retweeted a remark from another user, who went a step further than just comparing Big Hit and P’s likeness by breaking down how their shared backgrounds also signaled an otherworldly connection between the pair.
“Even deeper than that Hit, Pops/Prodigy… South Central Cartel… Havoc/Prodeje,” the user wrote. “Even though Pops look like the West Coast Havoc too…but you get where I’m going with it.”
Even deeper than that Hit, Pops/Prodigy… South Central Cartel… Havoc/Prodeje. Even though Pops look like the West Coast Havoc too…but you get where I'm going with it.
Through The Alchemist’s collaborative history with Prodigy in the early 2000s, his connection with Big Hit via Hit-Boy certainly harkens back moments of déjà vu due to how prolific both lyricists are. Even still, Alchemist’s work producing tracks for Mobb Deep’s 2001 album, Infamy, will forever go down in Hip-Hop history. In a sense, Big Hit has a large void to fill in Prodigy’s absence when it comes to recreating the combination of authentic, dark, introspective lyricism and the haunting production that cemented P and Alchemist’s status as a formidable duo.
Snoop Dogg wasn’t exaggerating when he promised to “bring the juice” to college football with his own bowl game. The newly renamed Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl will be the first bowl game to give NIL deals to every player on the participating teams.
“I’m happy to announce the Snoop Dogg AZ Bowl is partnering with brands that will help us be the first bowl — you hear me, the first bowl — to offer NIL money to student-athletes,” Snoop Dogg said in a clip sent to Action Network. “We will be the first bowl to do that. Let’s go, AZ. Let’s go, NCAA. Let’s go, players.”
NCAA student-athletes received permission to make money off their name, image and likeness in 2021. Some bowl games offered NIL deals to select players, but Snoop raised the bar by vowing to compensate every member of the two teams in his game.
“This was 100 percent Snoop Dogg’s idea,” Arizona Bowl executive director Kym Adair said.
Snoop agreed to a multi-year sponsorship deal with the Arizona Bowl. His bowl game will feature teams from the Mid-American and Mountain West conferences.
“Adding NIL opportunities for the student-athletes of the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop is the next evolution in college sports, and we wanted to lead by example,” he said. “We can’t wait to give our players the opportunity to serve the community of Tucson during bowl week while at the same time using their name, image and likeness to rightfully earn money for themselves and their families.”
Adair added, “When Snoop approached us with this idea, it was obvious that he has a deep respect and appreciation for the new opportunities afforded by student-athletes through NIL, and he wanted to show support for them by [being] the first bowl to make this type of commitment. We can’t wait to make his vision a reality.”
The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl will be held in Tucson on December 28.