Unlike the nightmare-turned-film Snakes On A Plane starring Samuel L. Jackson, maggots on a plane really happened.
The terrifying occurrence apparently went down on a recent Delta Airlines flight scheduled to fly from Amsterdam to Detroit. According to an account from a passenger provided to Fox2Detroit, he saw about a dozen maggots, not snakes, fall from an overhead bin and land on a female passenger seated next to him.
It’s raining maggots on board a #Delta airline flight. Find out what the creepy, crawly insects were feasting on… pic.twitter.com/NCN75cpmzH
While maggots didn’t start spewing from every overhead and or cabin storage orifice in the plane like the movie, the source of the issue was nearly as unsettling. Apparently, flight attendants discovered the maggots were the result of a passenger’s carry-on bag, which contained “rotten fish” wrapped in newspaper.
Of course, the plane diverted back to Amsterdam and was taken out of service for cleaning. What happened to the woman you ask? Users on Twitter (X) are speculating Delta offered the woman compensation in the form of a $30 meal voucher and a measly 8,000 miles.
Y’all they said passengers get 8,000 miles, hotel accommodations and a $30 meal voucher.
a flight from Atlanta to Miami is 50,000 miles. EIGHT THOUSAND MILES AND $30!?!?! And maggots fell on me!? Square up. https://t.co/O4h3bDX74x
Both Sonny Digital and Mark Zuckerberg are not convinced Apple Vision Pro is a superior augmented, virtual reality device.
On Valentine’s Day, Digital shared his thoughts on the headset via Twitter (X) in which he criticized the price and influence of Apple products in comparison to other tech on the market. In particular, Digital appeared to advocate for the meta-backed oculus Quest 3 VR headset instead.
“Prime example of everyone being followers is the Apple Vision Pro,” Digital wrote in the tweet. “I’m not sure how everyone just came up with 3500$ to spend on a product that is essentially already out , the Oculus Quest 3 which is 650$. The Oculus has been out for years and people acting like the AVP is just something TOTALLY new. Only thing new is the extra 2800$ you have to spend.”
Prime example of everyone being followers is the Apple Vision Pro. I’m not sure how everyone just came up with 3500$ to spend on a product that is essentially already out , the Oculus Quest 3 which is 650$ . The Oculus has been out for years and people acting like the AVP is…
In another tweet, Digital continued to criticize the $3500 price point of the Apple Vision Pro, writing, “I hope y’all not out here putting Apple Vision Pro’s on y’all credit.”
Zuckerberg also appeared to rip Apple’s latest gadget in a lengthy video he shared on his personal Instagram page, which he shot with the Meta Quest 3 goggles. Like Digital, Zuck not only criticized the hefty price tag, he also determined that the Apple Vision Pro was essentially heavier and less capable than the Meta Quest 3.
Check out Zuckerberg’s for review of the Apple Vision Pro below.
Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s collaborative album, Vultures 1, has been pulled from Apple Music and iTunes. The move comes shortly after distribution company FUGA announced it was trying to have the project taken down due to a violation of its service agreement.
In a statement to Billboard, FUGA explained it had already refused to host the album, but a “longstanding” FUGA client went around the company’s back and uploaded it anyway.
Vultures 1 has already received hefty amounts of criticism and threats of legal action. West allegedly sampled several songs from multiple artists without permission. The track “Good (Don’t Die)” was removed from Spotify on Wednesday (February 14) after Donna Summer’s estate accused him of “copyright infringement” by sampling her 1977 track, “I Feel Love.”
On February 9, Ozzy Osbourne revealed West had used a sample of the 1983 Black Sabbath performance of “Iron Man” in the track “Carnival.” Both Osbourne and his wife Sharon, who cited West’s history of antisemitism, threatened legal action. It was ultimately scrubbed from the Spotify version of the song.
For now, Vultures 1 remains on Spotify. Despite the circus surrounding the release (let’s be honest, no one is surprised), it’s still expected to land at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 next week, according toHITS Daily Double. The album is projected to move around 140,000 total album-equivalent units in its opening week.
On Wednesday night, West addressed the controversy surrounding Taylor Swift and the rumor she had him removed from a Super Bowl suite via Instagram. At the same time, he chided the Swifties, Swift’s rabid fanbase, for encouraging them to stream Beyoncé’s new singles to keep him from the top spot.
He wrote: “WHEN I SAID THAT I’M THE NEW JESUS B#### I WASN’T EVEN THINKING ABOUT TAYLOR SWIFT. THAT WAS A WHOLE LINE BEFORE BUT I APPRECIATE THE FREE PROMO. LIL WAYNE ACTUALLY MENTIONS TRAVIS KELSEY ON VULTURES 2. THIS ALBUM IS ACTUALLY SUPER POSITIVE AND FUN IT’S ALL ABOUT TRIUMPHANT. LAST YEAR WAS INCREDIBLY CHALLENGING FOR ME, MY WIFE, MY CHILDREN, FRIENDS AND FAMILY. I’VE BEEN BANNED FROM HOTELS, KICKED OUT OF COMPANIES, AND EVEN NOT ALLOWED TO EAT IN SOME RESTAURANTS.
“EVERYONE SAW VULTURES 1 GET TAKEN OFF OF PLATFORMS TO LIMIT OUR FIRST WEEK NUMBERS. THIS REMINDS ME OF THE MISTREATMENT OF MY PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF OUR SKIN. REMEMBER I WAS ON TAYLOR’S SIDE WHEN SCOOTER BOUGHT HER MASTERS BEHIND HER BACK. SHE AND BEYONCÉ ARE BIG INSPIRATIONS TO ALL MUSICIANS WE ALWAYS SAY HOW BOTH SELL OUT TOURS AND MOVIES ALSO, I’M SURE I’VE BEEN FAR MORE HELPFUL TO TAYLOR SWIFT’S CAREER THAN HARMFUL.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3WTZcfIQYZ/?hl=en
West continued: “TO ALL TAYLOR SWIFT FANS I AM NOT YOUR ENEMY UUUM IM NOT YOUR FRIEND EITHER THOUGH LOL. ALSO I DIDN’T GET KICKED OUT OF THE SUPER BOWL WE LEFT OUR SEATS TO GO TO YG’S BOX AND SEE DIFFERENT FRIENDS. MY WIFE HAD NEVER BEEN TO A SUPER BOWL SO I WANTED TO WALK AROUND AND HAVE A NICE TIME. WE HAD SUCH A FUN DAY.”
Democrats announced the creation of the Congressional Hip-Hop Power and Justice Task Force on Wednesday (February 14). Representatives Jamaal Bowman, Hank Johnson, André Carson and Delia Ramirez led the charge with support from the Black Music Action Coalition.
“Black Music Action Coalition’s mission is to work with business leaders and lawmakers to utilize the music industry’s influence to impact federal policies that address racial and social justice,” BMAC co-founder Willie “Prophet” Stiggers said. “The RAP Act is just one example of how aligning BMAC’s efforts in tandem with the Congressional Hip-Hop Task Force is a natural extension of Black Music Action Coalition’s work supporting solutions to mass incarceration, justice reform, and economic hardships disparately impacting marginalized communities … BMAC looks forward to centralizing our energy with the first-ever Hip-Hop Power and Justice Task Force to activate legislation that protects the Black community.”
Bowman said he would not be a congressman without Hip-Hop, which was why it meant so much to him to launch the task force. The task force aimed to work with members of the Hip-Hop community to enact meaningful legislation.
“Hip-Hop has ingrained itself in our culture and continuously called upon us to fight for civil and racial justice,” Bowman said. “Hip-Hop is why I support the movement for reparations, an end to discrimination and corporate greed in the housing industry, and access to healthcare and economic opportunity for everyone. That is why I am proud to stand with my colleagues in bringing the advocacy and ideology of Hip-Hop to Congress in this moment and continue our urgent calls for peace and justice across the world.”
The Hip-Hop Caucus backed the Congressional Hip-Hop Task Force in addition to BMAC. The nonprofit’s CEO Rev Yearwood Jr. believed the task force would help address issues disproportionately facing Black, Latino and Indigenous communities.
Russell Simmons was sued for the second time in a matter of days. According to Rolling Stone, former Def Jam executive Drew Dixon filed a defamation lawsuit against the label’s founder on Thursday (February 15).
Dixon, who previously accused Simmons of sexually assaulting her in 1995, claimed he defamed her by calling her a liar. Dixon’s lawsuit said Simmons engaged in a “malicious campaign to discredit” her.
“Ms. Dixon has taken enough abuse,” her lawyers told Rolling Stone. “Not only was she violently raped by Russell Simmons – profoundly disrupting her personal and professional life – but after she tried to move forward and heal, he then further abused her by publicly proclaiming that she lied about the rape in search of ‘fame.’ Mr. Simmons has used his public platform to re-traumatize and terrorize Ms. Dixon, and the time has now come to hold him accountable for his defamatory statements and to end this cycle of abuse.”
Dixon was one of the multiple women who accused Simmons of sexual abuse and harassment. She was notably featured in the HBO Max documentary On the Record, which focused on the allegations against Simmons.
Simmons denied the allegations. He claimed all his sexual relationships were consensual in a December 2023 interview with Graham Bensinger. Simmons suggested the meaning of the word “rape” changed over the years, downplaying multiple women’s accusations. Dixon cited the interview in her lawsuit.
Earlier this week, another former Def Jam executive sued Simmons for rape. The woman, who was identified as Jane Doe, said the sexual assault occurred in the ‘90s. She left her job at Def Jam after the alleged attack.
Dixon pursued legal action against Simmons a few months after suing L.A. Reid for sexual assault. Dixon claimed Reid sexually assaulted her twice while she worked at Arista Records in 2001.
Brent Faiyaz recruited an Oscar winner to appear in his latest music video. Lupita Nyong’o (Black Panther, Us) rides with the UnitedMasters-backed recording artist for the new “WY@” visuals.
“WY@” landed on Wednesday (February 14) which happened to be Valentine’s Day. Mark Peaced directed the clip which has already broken into the Top 30 of YouTube’s trending section for music.
Brent Faiyaz included “WY@” on his 2023 mixtape titled Larger than Life. That project featured guest appearances by Missy Elliott, Coco Jones, A$AP Rocky, Babyface Ray and other acts. Dpat produced several tracks on Larger than Life, including the “WY@” single.
Larger than Life became Faiyaz’s third Top 20 entry on the Billboard 200 chart. The Maryland native previously reached that region with 2022’s RIAA platinum-certified Wasteland studio LP and 2020’s RIAA platinum-certified F*ck the World EP.
Brent Faiyaz also found commercial success with “Wasting Time” featuring Drake. He scored his biggest hit as a feature on GoldLink’s six-platinum-certified “Crew” collaboration along with Shy Glizzy.
Lupita Nyong’o won an Academy Award for her role as Patsey in the 2013 biographical drama film 12 Years a Slave. The Mexico-born, Kenya-raised actress also voiced Maz Kanata in several Star Wars movies.
Star Brim mentioned her ties to Cardi B as the godmother of the 5-9 Brims gang sought a lenient sentence in a racketeering case. According to court documents obtained by AllHipHop, Star Brim asked a New York judge for no prison time on Wednesday (February 14).
“Although Star clearly has a long history of arrests, she is somewhat unique in that she has always worked at low-paying jobs and has always supported herself independent of gang activities,” her lawyer told the judge. “She has never succumbed to the expected trappings of gang life, she never used or sold drugs or consumed alcohol. Despite having virtually no formal education, she obtained a GED in 2012 and has worked at a series of low-paying jobs since 2007.”
Star Brim, who is known as Yonette Respass and Yonette Davis, hoped to avoid prison to continue taking care of her child. Her attorney detailed the child’s positive impact on Star Brim’s life.
“Since the birth of her child in early March 2020, Star has completely changed her life around,” her lawyer wrote. “ She has matured and grown into a wonderful, caring mother who is essentially the sole provider for her child. She is devoted and hard-working and like any parent, wants the best for her child. She recognizes the very real likelihood of separation from JS – something that would be devastating if the Court imposes a jail sentence. Her child will necessarily have to live with his father, which would be a huge adjustment and undoubtedly traumatic.”
The attorney continued, “Star works hard at a number of different endeavors, to provide her child with the life she wants for him. Despite the obstacles that people with criminal convictions face as they try to enter the workforce, Star has worked continually since her release from prison in 2019 … She is currently employed as a residential aide at a men’s shelter in Brooklyn.”
Star Brim accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit maiming and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering. Cardi B’s friend is scheduled to be sentenced on February 21. Star Brim’s attorney cited her friendship with Cardi B in the letter to the judge.
“Her Instagram presence grew tremendously because of her friendship with Belcalis Almanzar, better known as Cardi B,” Star Brim’s lawyer wrote. “Throughout the years, Star has developed skin care products, advertised other products and became an ‘influencer’ – which has allowed her to earn additional income.”
Star Brim’s lawyer claimed her client was a “productive, contributing member of society” and argued that incarceration would serve little purpose. The attorney believed probation was more appropriate as it would “satisfy the ends of justice.” Star Brim will learn if the judge agrees in less than a week.
Sean “Diddy” Combs hired attorney Bobbi Sternheim, who represented Jeffrey Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell, to defend him in a gang rape case. According to court documents obtained by AllHipHop, Sternheim informed a New York court she was Diddy’s lawyer on Thursday (February 15).
Last year, a woman identified as Jane Doe accused Diddy and others of gang-raping her when she was 17 years old. She sued the Hip-Hop mogul, former Bad Boy Records president Harve Pierre, the record label and Daddy’s House Recordings.
Jane Doe said Diddy, Pierre and a third man raped her at a New York studio in 2003. Her lawsuit also noted she was the victim of sex trafficking.
“While at the studio, Mr. Combs and his associates, including Mr. Pierre, plied Ms. Doe with drugs and alcohol,” the lawsuit alleged. “As the night wore on, the 17-year-old Ms. Doe became more and more inebriated, eventually to the point that she could not possibly have consented to having sex with anyone, much less someone twice her age. While at the studio, Ms. Doe was gang raped by Mr. Combs, the Third Assailant and Mr. Pierre, in that order.”
Jane Doe’s complaint revealed gruesome details of the rape.
“Mr. Combs then watched on as Third Assailant, who Ms. Doe had not even realized had begun to have sex with her, raped Ms. Doe as she told him to stop,” the lawsuit explained. “After Third Assailant was finished, Mr. Pierre took his turn at raping Ms. Doe and then violently forced her to give him oral sex, during which Ms. Doe was choking and struggling to breathe. When Mr. Pierre finished, he left Ms. Doe in the bathroom alone. Ms. Doe fell into the fetal position and lay on the floor.”
It continued, “Finally, after a period of time, Ms. Doe regained her bearings. However, she could barely stand up following the gang rape and had to be helped to walk out of the building and back into a car. She was taken back to an airport and flown back to Michigan. However, she has very limited recollection of her transport home and only remembers being in her car sometime early in the morning.”
Jane Doe was one of the women who sued Diddy for sexual assault after he settled a rape lawsuit filed by his ex-girlfriend Cassie. He denied the allegations and claimed his accusers were “individuals looking for a quick payday.”
Israeli duo Ness Ve Stilla’s “Harbu Darbu” rap song has generated controversy around the world. The war anthem reportedly calls for the death of Mia Khalifa and two other Western celebrities.
According to English translations, “Harbu Darbu” targets British-Albanian singer Dua Lipa, Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid, and Lebanese-American pornographic film actress Mia Khalifa.
Ness Ve Stilla called out Dua Lipa, Bella Hadid and Mia Khalifa in the song. The three women expressed public support for the Palestinians in the past. Following Hamas orchestrating a terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, Israel waged war against the Islamist group in the Palestinian-filled territory of Gaza.
“Harbu Darbu” condemns the Hamas attack on Israel with lines that also press for violence against Israel’s enemies. Additionally, the drill song shows support for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Mia Khalifa responded to “Harbu Darbu” after its release in November 2023. She tweeted, “Y’all that song calling for the IDF to kill me, Bella, and Dua is over a DRILL beat, they can’t even call for genocide in their own culture, they had to colonize something to get it to #1.”
Y’all that song calling for the IDF to kill me, Bella, and Dua is over a DRILL beat, they can’t even call for genocide in their own culture, they had to colonize something to get it to #1
In October 2023, Playboy ended its relationship with Mia Khalifa because she made comments viewed as supporting Hamas. A statement from the Hugh Hefner-foundedcompany read, “We encourage free expression and constructive political debate, but we have a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech. We expect Mia to understand that her words and actions have consequences.”
The official music video for Ness Ve Stilla’s “Harbu Darbu” has crossed the 18 million-view mark on YouTube since its premiere last year. “Harbu Darbu” also collected over 5 million streams on Spotify. Plus, the song peaked at No. 1 on Israel’s Mako Hit Lis chart.
USHER has revealed he always hoped to make music with Justin Timberlake.
In an interview with People magazine, the Super Bowl Halftime Show performer shrugged off old comparisons to the former NSYNC star, revealing that he always wanted them to team up for a song.
“I’ve always wanted to do a record with Justin and have reached out many times, but we’ve never managed to make it happen,” he said. “I think that he’s an amazing performer.”
USHER insisted that he never felt like he and Justin were in competition with each other when they were at the height of their success in the 2000s.
“I’m in competition with no one other than myself, and I’ve always tried to beat my own record. Beat my own expectations and try and better myself. And if anything, I’ve been motivated by people like Justin,” USHER stated. “I think that he has a legacy that should be respected and not compared to anybody else.
“I’m confident enough to celebrate any and every artist and can stand on the stage with any of them, and we entertain and have a great time because music is a place of celebration.”
The pop stars are both releasing new music this year. USHER dropped his album Coming Home two days before his Super Bowl performance on Sunday, and Justin is gearing up to release his album Everything I Thought It Was in March.
At the same time Grandmaster Flash and The 3 Emcees, (Keith Cowboy, Mele Mel and The Kidd Creole) were putting it down at park jams in the South Bronx, Harlem’s own DJ Hollywood had already begun making a name all over the city.
He is New York’s first DJ who could rap simultaneously to the Disco tunes he spun. He has garnered a huge following with a clientele that allowed him to do as many as three appearances in one night. Many will tell you it is Hollywood that they heard first not only to rhyme, but also sing to the records he would spin.
Now, to ensure that the party started popping as soon as Hollywood walked into the establishment, the man traveled with his own entourage of around eight people. Enter The Corporation.
Kareem was Hollywood’s personal OJ driver who rode around blasting these Hollywood tapes in his fabulous White on White Oldsmobile 98 that had this blaring sound system. This group soon began to take on its own persona. The Corporation complimented everything that Hollywood did. They were his own personal party starters.
Captain Jack, LTD (Loves To Dance) Mommaship and the rest of The Corporation knew Hollywood’s call and response routine almost better than Wood. For example, LTD would be dancing and just scream outta no where:
Holly!!!
Hollywood- What
The Whole 371 Club- “Shake Yo Wood”
Hollywood- What You Say!
Repeat. Holly!!! What, Shake yo Wood!!!!
All it took was one time and the whole club would be doing it next. When I tell you that the floor in 371 would be bouncing up and down along with the crowd, that is no exaggeration. The line to get in stretched around the building. There were easily 200 people in the club, all worked into a disco rap frenzy, courtesy of Hollywood.
The man knew he could work that room.
Meanwhile, at the Legendary Charles Gallery on 125th Street, another Rapping DJ was also making the room shake. Eddie Cheba was duplicating Hollywood’s success.
My idol. Mr. Eddie Cheba.
You’d be remiss without mentioning this man when you talk about the greats of the formative era. Eddie Cheba rose to prominence in a very crowded field at a time when your name meant something.
Hollywood, Luv Bug Starski and Reggie Wells. These Cats called their own shots because they knew just by telling an audience or if people knew that they were going to be there, it was going to be a packed house.
Mind you, this was all word of mouth.
By 1976, Eddie Cheba had moved across the bridge from Harlem to The Bronx as well. Witnessing Eddie Cheba at Club 371 on a Saturday night can best be described as a sweatfest. I’m talkin’ bout workin’ it out.
Eddie Cheba, too, could master the room.
Eddie Cheba- Who does it sweeter?
Club 371- Cheba Cheba Cheba
I would literally stand at the door of the DJ booth and marvel. He even had his own flashlight guy, Bobby Bob Malone, positioned on top of the club’s speakers going off.
Eddie Cheba was a Kool M#### f####. His whole playboy aura persona demands respect. The whole gang and the fine women that accompanied him. His control over a crowd. He made the whole s### seem easy.
Out of all the great personalities who rhymed and manned the decks at the same time, Eddie Cheba was hands down one of the premier party rockers of that era.
So why aren’t two of the first people to invent rapping, crowd participation, remixing a whole song, and singing their own lyrics (for example, Ain’t No Stopping Us Now) are not considered the precursors to Hip-Hop?
They made money hand over fist at least a year before the Hip-Hop “Emcee” even moved from park jams to indoors. They have flyers that predate the majority of Hip-Hop pioneers.
Yet when it comes to getting credit for the art form they helped to create, these two are primarily ignored and referred to as “The Disco guys” as if early Hip-Hop pioneers didn’t play Disco at their park Jams.
Because they did. So what’s the difference?
I’ll try and explain the difference. In the early stages of Hip-Hop there was a DJ and there was an Emcee – two separate entities.
Flash didn’t rap. The Furious 5 didn’t DJ. The Emcee is there to compliment the DJ and display superior rhyme skills while practicing crowd participation.
Hollywood and Eddie Cheba can retort: “we didn’t need the Emcee because we did all that simultaneously.”
Next, you have to consider the cadence.
Hollywood and Eddie Cheba would pause after a rhyme, while there is no break in Mele Mel’s pattern – it is rapid fire. There is a clear difference. The Disco rappers’ cadence doesn’t work well on top of Hip-Hop beats.
It sounded corny – trust me – some tried. There’s a reason that cadence didn’t survive and Mele Mel’s is still used to this day.
Next, Hip-Hop scholars will point out that Hollywood and Cheba didn’t play or rhyme to Hip-Hop beats, but instead played Disco. Thus the term “The Disco Guys.”
Hollywood and Cheba were older and played to a more mature crowd that honestly turned their noses up to Hip-Hop. It was something that “kids” did.
I clearly remember Hollywood and Eddie Cheba frowning on Hip-Hop and didn’t want to be compared to that. There most certainly was no Breakdancing at Club 371 and definitely no sneakers.
I surmise that the clear answer here is a generation gap.
In 1976 Disco was still ruling the clubs, radio and the charts, but it was on its way out. You had our older brothers and sisters still going to 371 to hear the latest tunes from The Trammps and Donna Summer.
Where as the kid brother was in the parks with a linoleum mat practicing B-Boy moves to a new kind of music that was just beginning to bubble, because Hip-Hop was still new. It was a fad they said.
So Hollywood and Eddie Cheba wanted nothing to do with it – at first. Eventually the two would come around, but it was after the fact.
When Sylvia Robinson was forming The Sugarhill Gang she originally wanted Hollywood, Eddie Cheba and Luv Bug Starski, but she was rebuffed by both Hollywood and Starski.
They didn’t see the vision.
So I believe that is why two of the greatest pioneers of the formative era are greatly under appreciated and overlooked for their contributions. Guys like Kid Capri, Ron G, Brucie B and all the mixtape DJ’s that came after owe that style to Hollywood and Eddie Cheba.
To celebrate 50 years and still not recognize Hollywood and Eddie Cheba is not a celebration. It’s a miscarriage of our history.
Dr. Clarence B. Jones, a seminal figure in the American civil rights movement, is largely regarded as a hidden figure in the broader context. But, during the recent Super Bowl extravaganza, his likeness was transmitted to millions and millions in the largest television broadcast ever. Dr. Jones assisted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in crafting the iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. He continues to fight hate and advocates for civil rights. His leadership has also fostered a partnership between the Black and Jewish communities in America is a testament to the power of unity in the face of discrimination and prejudice.
This groundbreaking Super Bowl ad not only marks an innovative approach by the FCAS to combat antisemitism but also serves as a potent reminder of the enduring legacy of Dr. King’s message of unity and equality. At a time when our nation grapples with rising hate and division, this ad stands as a beacon of hope, urging Americans from all backgrounds to stand together against intolerance.
USHER’s Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show set had a lot of people talking. One particular on-stage moment with Alicia Keys went viral following the NFL’s mid-game spectacle on Sunday (February 11).
While performing their chart-topping “My Boo” duet at the Super Bowl, USHER hugged Alicia Keys from behind. That embrace led to social media users and other celebrities suggesting the R&B icon went too far with Swizz Beatz’s wife.
Alicia Keys took to Instagram on Valentine’s Day to express her affection for Swizz Beatz with a heartfelt message on the app. She wrote, “I love u sooo deeply. Beyond words. Beyond lifetimes. Beyond skies and universes. We soar!!!!”
Additionally, Alicia Keys shared a second Valentine’s Day-themed Instagram photo carousel. The 16-time Grammy Award winner captioned that post, “You mesmerize me… I can’t wait to spend the rest of forever loving you.”
Despite the online backlash aimed at USHER, the Coming Home album creator did not receive any public heat from Swizz Beatz. In fact, the Verzuz co-creator praised USHER and Alicia Keys for their record-breaking performance.
“Y’all talking about the wrong damn thing!!! Y’all don’t see that amazing dress covering the entire stadium,” Swizz Beatz wrote on Instagram. He also added, “Congrats @usher and my love @aliciakeys that song is a classic. We don’t do negative vibes on this side, we make history.”
New Jersey emcee Albee Al sat down with AllHipHop.com’s Nikki Duncan-Smith to talk about his new project, Albee For President.
In the interview, he breaks down a few things that distinguish him from other emcees trying to get the culture’s vote to be a “Voice of the Voiceless.”
The first thing he says that should earn your vote is that he understands Jersey girls better than anyone else, offering insights into their distinct qualities based on where they are from.
Albee Al then talks about what makes him a representative for those with no voice, and why this project will resonate with them. He also talks about how dope emcees from the Garden State are and how he wants to continue representing the spitkickers that have paved the way for him.
AllHipHop: It’s 2024, an election year. And y’all worried about Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Well, we got Albee for president. What’s going on, Albee? What’s going on?
Albee Al: How are you doing? Albee for President. What’s up? What’s up? What’s up?
AllHipHop: You’re dropping a new project, and you got a bunch of people on there. Talk to me a little bit about these collaborations that you have.
Albee Al: I got a few big features on there that, you know what I mean, I build a lot of relationships in the industry or whatever. So I got my boy, Money Man, on there. Shout out to Money Man. We got a big song going out right now, a million views on YouTube. It’s called El Presidente. Yeah. We shot the video in San Francisco. It’s fire, man. It is just a vibe. It’s a nice little bounce. You know what I’m saying? Everybody rocking with it. I got another feature with Mozzy on the West Coast.
AllHipHop: Oh, we love Mozzy over here. We love Mozzy.
Albee Al: So I’m connecting the dots all over the nation. You feel me? Because it’s the presidential run campaigns. I got a feature back at home base, my boy Rowdy. My boy Rowdy Rebel from GS9. Me and him got a big feature going on, and I just was working with a lot of new producers, LilC4 out in Jersey.
AllHipHop: That’s what I was wondering. So I can tell that there are some new things there. It sounds a little different from some of your previous works. What is it like working with new producers?
Albee Al: I like it. I like it because the best part about working with a new producer me is if I’m in the studio, nine times out of 10, I got my producer that’s already there. I love working with new producers. I just love it because they hear new sounds and I like a challenge to myself.
AllHipHop: Serious question. What’s your beef with Faith? Why you got issues with Faith Evans?
Albee Al: Oh man.
AllHipHop: Yeah, don’t act like you don’t. Don’t act like you don’t. I listen to lyrics.
Albee Al: Oh, you did your homework. You did your homework. Look, it ain’t no beef. It is just that coming from where I’m from, I’m from Jersey or whatever, I know Newark females. That’s a city. That’s another city. I’m from Jersey City. You got to know Jersey to know a Newark female, A Newark female is always going up the score.
AllHipHop: All right. So I need you to explain the difference. I’m going to give you some cities, and you got to tell me what these girls are like. Okay? What are the girls from Teaneck like?
Albee Al: Teaneck Girls are like uppity. But a prime example of a Teaneck girl was like… You seen ATL? See like Nunu. She is hood, but she ain’t really hood. You know what I’m saying? She’s from the nice part…but when she finds some hood dudes, she like the thrill, but they ain’t really for her though.
AllHipHop: Okay. So what’s the Jersey City girls? What are they like?
Albee Al: Jersey City girls…they like gangsters, man. They don’t even like the nine-to-fivers. You feel me? That’s cool. If she rock over to nine-to-fivers, I’m pretty sure she cheating on him with a gangster somewhere down the line. Jersey City girls is vicious.
AllHipHop: All right. So, what about Montclair?
Albee Al: Montclair is sort of like Teaneck. But they don’t really rock with the hood, period, though. You got to find a Montclair shorty. They ain’t really popping up in the hood.
AllHipHop: All right. What about Trenton girls? Trenton girls. What are Trenton girls like?
Albee Al: Trenton is the ghetto. You know what I’m saying? It’s really the ghetto. It’s like, “Come on.” It’s crazy. It’s vicious out there. I’m telling you.
AllHipHop: All right. Then did we get to Camden? What’s Camden like?
Albee Al: Camden is the same way man. Camden is like Trenton.
AllHipHop: Jersey got a lot of MCs. And how do you distinguish yourself with all of the great… Like people sleep on Jersey, but y’all like the eighth borough of New York.
Albee Al: Nah, nah. We jersey. We jersey. We ain’t no borough of New York. No, we not. No, we not.
AllHipHop: But if you were to compare the boroughs and you compare Philly and the places where they say the MCs are, Jersey as a state… How do you distinguish yourself? Let’s start there. How do you distinguish yourself from the MCs that are in your state?
Albee Al: I just try to stay original. I got my own sound. I come from the era where we stand on the block with the camera rolling, and you play an instrumental, and we just go. I’ve always got that MC, that Hip-Hop in me that I could just go with a beat on. It’s my feel. I come from that. You know what I mean? Any beat. It could be the same beat. Keep it on for 20 minutes, we going to rap on that beat. You know what I’m saying? Bring it back. I got my own lane, and everybody rocking with it. So I don’t try to do nothing else but me. Everybody got their own style, got their own…I’m a household name in Jersey.
AllHipHop: I like that. So, as we look at Albee for President and what you have going on, what makes this project outside of your features outside of the new producers, what is significant about this project that’s different from the other things you’ve given?
Albee Al: What’s different about it is I usually talk about the jails or whatever in my music because I come from that. But I really touch on being locked up and the situations that happen when you are locked up. Because I got a lot of core fans that’s incarcerated. So I just wanted to tap in with that because Albee for President is also a metaphor for me. It’s saying I’m the President for the streets…I’m the voice of the streets. You could come to me for anything, when you going through something that is involved in hardship and pain and jail s### and real s###, period. So that’s what I’m trying to represent.
So this album alone is I tapped in so much on… It ain’t for everybody, but people going to rock with it. But I really went hard for the jails. Because that’s where I got my main source of income in there. I’m number one on J-Pay right now. I ain’t dropping albums since May. You know what I mean? I don’t care who dropped. I’m number one on JPay. CorrLinks. I’m number one on CorrLinks. I’m really big in there. So I got tired of getting caught up in what’s going on out here. Everybody is chasing this type of record. I’m like, no I’m going to tap in with my core fans and just give them what they want.
Lil Jon has revealed Justin Bieber turned down an appearance during Usher’s Super Bowl Halftime Show because he “wasn’t ready” for the undertaking.
Fans had widely expected Justin to make an appearance alongside his friend and former mentor during the sporting extravaganza on Sunday, but he ended up watching the performance from his seat at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Lil Jon, who performed Yeah! with USHER and Ludacris during the set, revealed to TMZ on Wednesday that Justin was asked to be in the show but he ultimately turned it down.
“We wanted to put Justin in the show, so we had the idea of doing a version of the show with Justin in it,” he said. “But I think Justin just wasn’t really ready. It’s a lot of rehearsal, a lot of responsibility, a lot of time and a lot of eyeballs (on him). I don’t know if he was ready to do all of that, you know what I mean?”
Lil Jon clarified that Justin said no before rehearsals got underway.
“He was thinking about it but I think all of the work that goes into it and then all of the eyeballs and everything else, I don’t know if he was ready to have that undertaking,” he continued. “It’s a lot of time you have to dedicate to being in a show like this. It’s not just, ‘Okay, let’s go do one rehearsal then you get on stage.’ A lot of time’s dedicated – so I don’t know if he was ready to do all of that.”
Lil Jon added that Justin and USHER are still “really good friends” and the 29-year-old wanted to support Usher in person at the game.
Justin Bieber performed live in public for the first time in two years at the NHL All-Star Weekend earlier this month.
He previously canceled his world tour after being diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which caused partial facial paralysis.
In addition to Lil Jon and Ludacris, USHER was joined on stage by Alicia Keys, Will.i.am, H.E.R. and Jermaine Dupri during the Super Bowl, which was viewed by an average of 123.4 million people, making it the most-watched U.S. TV broadcast since the 1969 moon landing.
Killer Mike upset some Grammy watchers when he won three trophies in the rap categories at this year’s ceremony. For example, the Atlanta MC’s Best Rap Album victory for Michael sparked a negative response from popular Twitch streamer Kai Cenat.
“I don’t know who this is,” Kai Cenat said about Killer Mike after the 2024 Grammy show. “Hey brother, God bless you. Congratulations. Who decided this m###########? Who the f### decided this m###########?!”
Killer Mike responded to what Kai Cenat had to say about his “Grammy sweep” over his rap peers during a GQ interview. The 48-year-old rapper/entrepreneur also addressed the AMP crew member again on The Breakfast Club.
“I know my man Kai was upset. Shouts out to Kai Cenat,” the Run The Jewels representative said on the radio program. “Hey man, I didn’t know who the f### you was either. But listen, now that I know, my n####, let me bring a broom through your room, player.”
Killer Mike continued, “You know my partner, Offset. He f#### with me. See if we can put it together. ‘Cause I ain’t hating on none of y’all little n#####. I ain’t hating on no old n#####. I’m not hating on no n#####. I wanna see you win.”
Ice Spice scored several mainstream hits with songs produced by RiotUSA. The duo crafted the Bronx-bred rapper’s breakout hit “Munch (Feelin’ U)” which arrived on DSPs in August 2022.
This week saw Ice Spice commenting on RiotUSA’s sexuality. An X user posted a screenshot of an unanswered DM sent to Riot. The @ISLANDBARBZZ account tagged Spice with a request for her to connect him with her in-house producer.
“He don’t like boys,” the openly bisexual rapper wrote on X in response to @ISLANDBARBZZ. Spice’s tweet surpassed 4 million views and 50,000 likes. It also triggered more speculation about RiotUSA.
Celebrity news blogger KenBarbie claimed Ice Spice and RiotUSA are an official couple. KenBarbie tweeted, “I’m actually more surprised that y’all haven’t figured out that’s her man yet.”
In addition to “Munch (Feelin’ U),” RiotUSA worked with Ice Spice on other Billboard Hot 100-charting singles such as “In Ha Mood” and “Think U the S### (Fart).” He produced two Nicki Minaj-assisted tracks as well.
Spice’s “Princess Diana” with Nicki Minaj peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100 rankings. Their “Barbie World” collaboration made it to No. 7. The song off the Barbie soundtrack also earned two Grammy Award nominations, including Best Rap Song.
RiotUSA will likely play a major role in Ice Spice’s upcoming debut studio album. The son of New York City radio personality DJ Enuff should have numerous production credits on the Y2K project scheduled for release in 2024.
Vince Staples’s new Netflix limited series premiered today (February 15). The 30-year-old rapper/actor took the reigns of the comedy for the global streaming giant.
“Who’s Vince Staples? Well, that’s a tricky question,” reads Netflix’s synopsis. “He’s kind of famous, but he’s not. He’s kind of rich, but he’s not. He’s also kind of a criminal. But he’s… not? Follow him on his daily adventures, where anything that can go wrong usually does.”
The Vince Staples Show also stars Vanessa Bell Calloway and Andrea Ellsworth. Guest appearances from Naté Jones, Arturo Castro, Scott MacArthur, Bryan Greenberg and Myles Bullock make up the cast too.
Kenya Barris, Ian Edelman, Maurice Williams, Corey Smyth, and William Stefan Smith executive-produced the show. Staples is credited as a co-creator.
“I am excited to partner with Netflix and Kenya Barris on The Vince Staples Show,” the West Coaster stated about his eponymous series in 2022. “This has been something I have been developing for some time and I am happy it’s coming to fruition.”
In addition to leading his five-episode program on Netflix, Vince Staples released several albums, including 2022’s Ramona Park Broke My Heart, throughout his entertainment career.
Staples also acted in motion pictures such as Dope and White Men Can’t Jump. The Motown Records-signed artist had a recurring role on the ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary as well.
Killer Mike revealed Jay-Z wanted to share the limelight on Grammys night until an unfortunate incident with an “overzealous” security guard messed up his plans.
On Wednesday (February 14), during an interview with The Breakfast Club Mike opened up about his nightmare arrest after sweeping the Grammys.
While much has been said on the topic, Killer Mike shared a little-known tidbit about Jay-Z, who planned to honor him before cops hauled him off to jail. Hov had reached out to Mike to share the stage with him while he accepted the Dr. Dre Impact Award.
“What’s crazy is Jay was hitting me,” Killer Mike recalled. “I didn’t realize as I was going through my thing Jay was hitting me like ‘Hold on stick around I want to toast you.’ And then he hit me later and was like ‘I was going to concede my time to you for the speech.’ So shout out to Hov!”
Jay-Z wanted to celebrate Killer Mike, who had just won Grammys for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap Performance. Although he only found out about the plan once it was too late, Mike and Hov saw the funny side of it.
“It’s love though,” Mike shared. “Me and him laughed. He said ‘You wanted to go and get locked up during the biggest moment. I was laughing. It was hilarious.”
Killer Mike On The Grammys Arrest Conspiracies
He also addressed the conspiracy theories surrounding his arrest, refusing to dismiss them but insisting any attempt to take him down is futile.
“It could be,” he replied when Charlamagne asked if he believed the conspiracies. But look. It didn’t work against Martin [Luther King Jr.], it didn’t work against Malcolm [X], didn’t work against Mandela. didn’t work against Method. Whatever the devil give you … God, if you stay in tune, man. He’ll multiply the good over the bad.”
Ultimately, Killer Mike said he’s grateful for the experience.
“I’m thankful for the Grammys, I’m thankful for the b#######. B####### is the best fertilizer on the farm. I got a chance to sit by myself for three hours and thank God and invoke praise and be grateful for the things that I received.”
Thankfully, good news awaited Mike the following day. “I woke up the next morning to one of the best phone calls I got in my life,” he said. Mike had received word of a kidney donor for his youngest son.
Bow Wow has opened up about the lean addiction that left him “losing my mind” and hospitalized before eventually quitting the drug.
According to Bow Wow, he was at the height of his lean addiction while recording Face Off in 2007, his collab album with Omarion.
“I was sipping lean,” he said during his recent appearance on The Art of Dialogue. “I was sipping so much syrup.”
The Fast and Furious star admitted he “was drinking that s### like crazy and “I was losing my f###### mind. That lean s### had me f##### up. I was just always irritated.”
Bow Wow reveals Lean addiction led to hospitalization and collapsing after getting off stage while on tour with Chris Brown.
Bow Wow explained that the lean made him fly off the handle, and he would feel a constant itch, one of the side-effects of the drug. His addiction got so bad that he was drinking the substance at all times. At one point, he was consuming so much that Lil Wayne gave him a “baby bottle” full of lean while shooting a video.
However, Bow Wow eventually realized the severity of his lean addiction when he collapsed while on tour with Chris Brown.
“The opening night was in Cincinnati and when I got off stage, I collapsed,” Bow Wow recalled. “I went straight to Cincinnati University Hospital. My stomach was so f##### up that I ended up going back home to Atlanta after the first show.”
Things only worsened once Bow Wow returned home and his body began withdrawing from lean.
“I’m throwing up, I’m shivering in the bed, I’m sweating, I’m going through it…I didn’t know I was having withdrawals. That’s how much lean I was consuming,” he explained.
Bow Wow was too sick to return to the tour and credits his publicist, the late Pattie Webster, with keeping the news a secret. She issued a statement informing the press that the rapper was unable to return due to dehydration.