Drake is used to making headlines. The For All the Dogs artist is now sharing his thoughts about the people covering the news. On Tuesday (January 16), Drake went on social media to address journalists, posting an Instagram Story directly calling out the media.
“Journalistic world cashing out on negativity and discouraging the youth from finding their way now more than ever,” the 37-year-old Canadian superstar wrote. “The noise is all calculated, keep pushing forward.”
His Instagram Story included a 2014 video of then-University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban, who says, “When somebody does something wrong, everybody wants to know how you’re gonna punish the guy. But there’s not enough for 19 and 20-year-old kids, people saying, ‘Why don’t you give them another chance?’
“I feel strong about this now, really strong about every criticism out there about every guy that’s 19 years old that makes a mistake and you all kill him.”
Earlier this week, Drake became a trending topic after Hip-Hop veteran Mos Def (aka Yasiin Bey) claimed the OVO Sound frontman makes pop music. The 5x-Grammy Award winner fired back at Mos Def on Instagram.
Blueface is having the time of his life behind bars and says he loves jail because everybody is ready to run the fade, unlike Soulja Boy.
The MILF Music founder is reportedly locked up after violating his probation. Despite being in jail, he’s still apparently up to his old tricks. He called the mother of his two oldest children, Jaidyn Alexis, with an update for his fans.
I love it here. It’s active, it’s cracking,” he said in a video Alexis shared in her Instagram Stories. Blue added that he’s in “the only place” where fighting won’t land him in jail because he’s already behind bars.
“Love you girl,” he said. “You know I’m going be home soon, way before the date. So let them know I said that.”
Blueface then turned his attention to his former nemesis, mocking him over their botched attempt to meet up and fight. “And ain’t no Soulja Boy n##### in here,” Blue continued. “Ain’t nobody in here talking about some ‘Oh no, the address please.”
Meanwhile, Chrisean Rock also received a call from the “Thotiana” hitmaker. She updated fans via Instagram Live from the set of her 20 vs. 1 dating game show before things went left, resulting in one of the contestants getting pistol-whipped.
According to Rock, Blueface is keeping tabs on her from jail.
“How the f### is you calling me from the jail with information? Who’s reporting back to you,” she questioned.
Furthermore, Chrisean claimed Blueface said he “was getting ready to ask me to be his girlfriend,” before he handed himself in to jail.
Despite Blue’s incarceration and their breakup, the toxic relationship continues.
“I still need my fades. You lucky you locked up,” she said. “I want to bust your head.”
Yung Miami stepped up her beef with Akademiks after he chimed in on an online spat between the City Girls rapper and media personality Armon Wiggins.
On Tuesday (January 16), Wiggins took a shot at Miami, commenting on a clip of Akadmiks saying she “failed at everything in life.” Wiggins and Miami went back and forth before the controversial podcaster intervened.
“Don’t let her talk that money talk wit u” Akademiks wrote. “N#### why she ain’t get on that wit me when I was violating. N#### only way on earth she got more bread than BIG AK is if she got it by selling that 30 year old P*SSY to PUFF DADDY. A whole billionaire.”
Yung Miami fired back at Akademiks, calling him a “b####” before calling attention to recently resurfaced audio of Akademiks talking about sex with minors.
“Get in the field or S### P#### N####!!!!” Miami replied. “You a b#### @Akademiks P####.”
She added,” Fat funky dirty a## b####!! You a loser!!!! We streaming KAI old washed b####”
Yung Miami then shared a report of Akademiks claiming “there’s not much difference between a 20 or a 17,” year old woman. She posted the clip multiple times and tagged Twitch, Spotify and YouTube, seemingly in an attempt to cancel Akademiks.
“As long as a chick got a college ID she’s getting f###ed,” he says in the recording. “I don’t care if she 17, I don’t care if she 17 and a half, I don’t care if she just turned 17, and I’m 21, she gon’ get this d###.”
The YouTuber also addressed Yung Miami’s shot at him on an unreleased song.
“Akademiks, you a b####, why you speaking on women?” she raps on the track.
“Dam … Shordy dissed me 3 months too late with a wack bar,” Akademiks said. “The blogs and ppl who use to jack her was roasting her. She don’t want no smoke wit me. Her rap career is done. We just wanna hear bout her getting peed on by Diddy. Has she been in dem freak offs or na??? I tried to give u rap advice u claimed I was hating. Babe I was right.”
YG and Saweetie were at the center of split rumors of the weekend as social media users speculated the pair ended their short-lived romance.
Some believed the Compton rapper was gearing up to spin the block on his ex-girlfriend Kehlani after he left a comment under one of her Instagram photos. However, YG says he’s only got one former lover in his sights, Saweetie.
On Tuesday (January 16), the Compton rapper confirmed their breakup. However, he admitted he’s not ready for the relationship to end and wants that old thing back.
He shared a loved-up throwback video of himself hugging and kissing the “Best Friend” hitmaker. The former couple looked happy together as they watched Beyoncé perform on the Renaissance tour. YG let Saweetie and the world know exactly how he feels about her while dispelling the rumor he wants to get back with Kehlani.
“The only block I’m tryna spin,” he wrote alongside the video.
Meanwhile, over the weekend, rumors began swirling that Saweetie had moved on from YG to Chris Brown. Fans speculated they were together after sitting next to each other courtside at a USC basketball game.
YG and Sweetie sparked new romance chatter in April 2023 when they were spotted together at Coachella. They were then seen a month later on vacation in Mexico before making several public appearances as a couple.
Chrisean Rock is regretting participating in a 20 vs. 1 dating game that ended in disaster after the shoot was raided by men with guns resulting in one of the contestants getting pistol-whipped leaving him bleeding profusely.
Rock explained that two of the men were fighting when one pulled a weapon out.
“First they was socking each other,” she explained. “Then the n##### that was losing he said, ‘F### this s###.’ He took the gun and then just pistol whipped the n#### in the face with it, like basically cheating ’cause the squabbling wasn’t enough.”
Footage from the shoot surfaced online Tuesday (January 16). One video shows blood stains all over a white floor, while another features an unnamed person pulling a gun out of his jacket as two people fight on the floor. “Y’all better record this s###,” Chrisean Rock yelled before the gun was pulled. She then began screaming when she caught sight of the firearm.
The rapper and reality TV star took to Instagram Live in the aftermath of the shoot.
“N##### came in here with guns bro. N#### almost died,” she explained. “I stopped four n##### from getting shot today.
Although her team encouraged her to stop live streaming, Chrisean Rock refused. “I’m staying on live ‘cause if n##### shoot, at least I’ve got the proof.”
Chrisean Rock escaped the shoot unharmed but vowed never to do another dating game.
Tyler, The Creator is among the dozens of artists booked for the annual Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, California this spring. He’ll headline alongside Doja Cat and Lana Del Rey as well as a surprise reunion from ’90s ska-influenced band No Doubt.
Other performers on the bill include Sublime (with the late Bradley Nowell’s son now taking over vocal duties), Lil Uzi Vert, Peso Pluma, Ice Spice, Kevin Abstract, J Balvin and Jhené Aiko. Goldenvoice unveiled the lineup on Tuesday afternoon (January 16), roughly three months before show time. As in the years prior, Coachella will take place at the Empire Polo Club on the weekends of April 12-14 and 19-21.
As for No Doubt, members Gwen Stefani, Adrian Young, Tony Kanal and Tom Dumont teased a reunion show with an Instagram video just a few hours before the official announcement was made. The clip included Stefani jumping on a Zoom with the other guys and talking about their desire to do a show. Fans are hoping this is just the beginning of a string of reunion shows for the band.
Tyler, The Creator has yet to speak on the announcement publicly. Last year’s desert gathering included sets by Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK, Frank Ocean and blink-182, although Ocean dropped out of the second weekend after a disastrous first appearance. Fans and critics alike slammed the former Odd Future member for his lackluster performance and tardiness.
Ocean’s agency shared a statement, explaining he’d suffered an injury to his leg on festival grounds in the week leading up to the event.
“Frank Ocean was unable to perform the intended show but was still intent on performing, and in 72 hours, the show was reworked out of necessity,” it read. “On doctor’s advice, Frank Ocean is not able to perform weekend 2 due to two fractures and a sprain in his left leg.”
Ocean also shared his own statement, saying at the time, “It was chaotic. There is some beauty in chaos. It isn’t what I intended to show but I did enjoy being out there and I’ll see you soon.”
Summer Walker is doing her part to help families welcoming newborn babies get the support and stability they need—and sharing her own journey in the process.
On Tuesday (January 16), Walker announced the details of a partnership with Bobbie in a heartfelt post on Instagram. Coupled with photos of her own pregnancies, Walker presented data building a case in support of a federal bill that would enact financial benefits for the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (FMLA).
“One in four women living in the US returns to work within two weeks of giving birth,” Walker wrote in part in the lengthy caption. “At two weeks I was just beginning to physically, mentally and emotionally heal from giving birth so to know that parents are going back to work in this fragile state is just devastating. It’s time for the government to pick up the slack.”
Walker added a call-to-action to her fans to share their stories as she partners with Bobbie to help offer supplemented benefits identical to some of the base services the federal act would offer.
“84% of all Americans support federal paid leave, and yet 73% of private sector employees don’t have it,” she continued. “This is why I’m proud to partner with @bobbie to help put money in the pockets of families who need it: $580, to be exact—the minimum monthly benefit under the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act, if passed. All you have to do is tell us your leave story and what $580 would mean to you. Link in our bio to apply. This is no way sponsored by Instagram. Applications are open until January 26, 2024. #parentspushharder#passpaidleave#bobbiepartner.”
Given the growing call for federal FMLA policy, the cause certainly hits home for Walker, who has given herself two years to produce three more babies.
“Hoping and praying I have twin boys again after tour,” she told her followers during a recent Instagram Live. “That would really make my life.”
Comparing herself to mom of 11, Keke Wyatt, Walker also revealed she wants to add three more sons to her brood of three before turning 30 in 2026.
Pusha Preme is here to put Tampa, Florida on the map. Being a first generation African from Sierra Leone, the rising star combines his profound love of Hip-Hop and R&B with Afrobeats, creating a sound that separates himself from the rest. Being the catchy hooks and melodies, it’s the substance in his lyrics that resonate with fans the most, inspired directly by real life experiences.
Pusha Preme is currently on a mini-tour, traveling with his band, The Wandering Assassins. While Preme may admit to being shy in person, any hint of that completely disappears on the stage. When he gets on the microphone, Preme immediately transforms into artist mode, giving fans an unforgettable experience for the books.
Pusha Preme recently opened for G-Eazy and Phony Ppl in front of thousands at Saint Pete Pier. You can’t miss Preme with his mask covering his face, which is directly inspired by the legendary MF DOOM. On the music tip, Pusha Preme just dropped the deluxe version of HEROES EVENTUALLY D!E.
AllHipHop spoke with Pusha Preme in downtown Los Angeles to discuss his background, name, MF DOOM, new music, opening for Young Thug and more.
AllHipHop: You’re first generation Sierra Leone. Where did you grow up in the States?
Pusha Preme: Born and raised in New York. I moved to Tampa further down in life. I went to high school there, then I left. Went to college, got hurt. Moved back to New York.
AllHipHop: How’d you get hurt?
Pusha Preme: Playing basketball. I got hurt in college. From there, I moved back to Tampa and had to start everything over. I was with a group and we split up, I didn’t want no bad blood so we moved and started over. I remember how it was being an artist in New York, you had to be artist 24/7. I really got no chance to be at ease or be regular. I’ve always been in the arts, always been into crafts. Always been making stuff: shoes, jackets, clothes, everything like that.
I started making these premes, after watching the MF DOOM interview. We had a similar story. His brother died, then my brother was in the group. He stopped doing music, then he became MF DOOM off that. That’s how I became Pusha Preme.
AllHipHop: So that’s the inspiration behind the mask?
Pusha Preme: Oh yeah, definitely. We have similar stories. Once his brother passed and he left the group, then he became MF DOOM from there. A lot of people don’t know that. For me, it was similar. My brother , we were in a group together for almost 10 years. When he stopped doing music when he went to Fiji, I had to be on my own.
AllHipHop: What’s your favorite MF DOOM song?
Pusha Preme: Ooh, I can’t say that I have a favorite. Because I got put onto him so late, that I’m still learning about him every day. I can tell you my favorite album is Mm..Food.
AllHipHop: What does the mask mean to you? It’s so pretty.
Pusha Preme: I appreciate it. We work on a new mask every album. I look at them as Preme’s (mask), an illustration of what I’ve been going through musically and going through my life. It dictates what the album is. Each one has a name, a character, things of that nature. I do it so I can separate being the artists, then being by myself and with my family. I’m really tight with my family. I tell people as a good example: if it was your birthday, I’m Preme and I pull up? Now it’s both our birthdays. I never want my artistry to take away from anybody else. I look at it no different than a firefighter or a doctor. When they put the uniform on, that’s what they do. When they don’t, they don’t.
AllHipHop: What’s the inspiration behind your name?
Pusha Preme: My brother gave me that name. The Pusha part was I’m always pushing something, because I used to make clothes, hats, shoes, all that stuff. The Preme is an acronym I had: Poetry and Rhythm Elevates Minds Effectively.
AllHipHop: What is it you want fans to get from your music?
Pusha Preme: It’s feel-good music that illustrates people being in a relationship and chasing their dreams.
AllHipHop: What was the moment you realized you could do music for a living?
Pusha Preme: When we started getting paid for shows. Oh okay, if I do a couple of these, do the math, I’ll be able to take care of bills.
AllHipHop: What was the first bag?
Pusha Preme: When we did our show for the billboard, that was the first time. We made three grand that show.
AllHipHop: That’s a lot! A lot of artists that aren’t making that much.
Pusha Preme: I just have a good support system. We net between 200 to 300 people per show, then after the expense paying the band… It starts off, but then the net goes down the more payout you have. We’ve been coming up with a system to get everything going.
AllHipHop: What’s the meaning behind your album, HEROES EVENTUALLY D!E?
Pusha Preme: The last album was the sequel to what we had going on called HATE TO SAY GOODBYE. When my grandmother passed, I dedicated that album to her. It was super difficult because all these great things were happening musically, then she passed. It f##### me up high key, not even low key. For me to get over that hump, I started creating more Afrobeat songs. Telling the story: I got this going on, my grandma passed and I still have to be a new father. I’m married, so I have to do all this s### and still be Preme. It was extremely, mentally difficult.
AllHipHop: And you’re still making music?
Pusha Preme: Exactly. Independently. I’m running a new label, so I have staff now. I gotta do payroll and make sure people are getting gigs. Meet people like Javo in L.A., it’s been so much. For me to be able to let that happen, I had to understand that heroes eventually die. We all have heroes in our life that we look up to, but they eventually have to pass. That’s why we made that album.
AllHipHop: What can we expect from the deluxe?
Pusha Preme: More of the sound that people liked before, before we started doing more Afrobeats. We do more that Cactus Jack sound, real trap and Hip Hop. That’s what we normally do. But because of the way Hip Hop is moving, where we’ll get more of a global fanbase, we want to go to what makes sense. We always get those calls and emails like “Yo, can you do this song? Can you do that song?”
And it shows. On the 23 of December, we got a Spotify plaque for hitting a million streams. The song “Outsiiide,” it’s trap. People still want that sound from us. The music business, you have to cater to who you gotta cater to.
AllHipHop: If fans are new to Pusha Preme, what’s one song they need to listen to?
Pusha Preme: “Adam & Eve.” “Adam & Eve (Can’t Let It Go)” because there’s always something that we all can’t let go. Whether it’s a relationship, whether it’s a toxic thing that’s hurting your life or whether it’s something you’re really passionate about.
AllHipHop: How was it opening for Young Thug?
Pusha Preme: That was interesting, because Gunna was there. In retrospect… yo. It was cool though, he showed love. He said “keep doing your thing.” It was in Orlando at The Beacham. It was cool. Because we came, there were a whole two cars full of people [laughs]. It was dope. I can’t remember too much of it, just from the footage. We threw a lot of shirts. We started doing the whole water thing before that became popular. We met Thug, Thug is surprisingly very tall.
AllHipHop: What about Jadakiss?
Pusha Preme: Jadakiss is dope. That was a milestone for us. We had booked him, so it was in the reverse. We booked him to be there when we opened for him. Chilled with him in the Airbnb, chilled with him in the studio. It lets me know he really cares about this, it’s not about the money for him.
AllHipHop: Any goals for yourself as an artist at this point of your career?
Pusha Preme: I want to be able to set myself apart from everybody and motivate others. Someone can see my story and think, “I can do it too.” They don’t necessarily have to make a mask but really believe in something. Have an artistic integrity about yourself and things will come together.
Snoop Dogg‘s claim he was “giving up smoke” went viral last year, with many assuming he meant he was quitting marijuana. But those who could read between the lines knew it had to be something else and, sure enough, it wound up being a marketing strategy for a smokeless fire pit. The company behind it, Solo Brands, was counting on the campaign to equate to sales—but it didn’t. Now, Solo Brands CEO/President John Merris, who approved the campaign, has been fired.
According to an Instagram post from Now This, interim CFO Andrea Tarbox said in the press release, “While our unique marketing campaigns raised brand awareness of Solo Stove to an expanded and new audience of consumers, it did not lead to the sales lift that we had planned.”
They expounded in the caption, “Solo Brands had to adjust its financial expectations for fiscal year 2023, predicting lower revenue […] Former Vista Outdoor CEO Christopher Metz has been announced as Solo Brands’ new president, CEO, and director of the board, effective as of January 15.”
Snoop Dogg made his ridiculous claim in November 2023, saying, “After much consideration & conversation with my family, I’ve decided to give up smoke. Please respect my privacy at this time.” But most people had their doubts. A few days later, Snoop Dogg made his debut in a commercial for Solo Stove and shared the clip on Instagram.
As Snoop roasts marshmallows by the fire, he says, “I have an announcement. I’m giving up smoke. I know what you’re thinking. Snoop smoke is kinda your thing. But I’m done with it. Done with the coughing and my clothes smelling all sticky icky, I’m going smokeless. Solo Stove fixed fire…they took out the smoke. Clever.”
The caption reads: “I’m done with smoke. I’m going smokeless with @SoloStove.”
André 3000 teamed up with IMAX to give fans a unique way to experience his New Blue Sun album. Select movie theaters will present “an album listening cinematic experience” and live Q&A with the Outkast rapper for one night only on January 23.
“Directed by Terence Nance, witness André’s fusion of improv creativity and musical exploration in vivid detail and unparalleled sound quality through the IMAX Live Experience, blending captivating visuals and instrumentation,” IMAX noted in its synopsis.
André 3000’s New Blue Sun IMAX Live Experience will only be shown at 25 theaters in the U.S. Ticket prices vary at each venue.
The IMAX event was announced a few weeks after André 3000’s fellow Dungeon Family member Big Gipp envisioned fans paying significant prices to see 3 Stacks play the flute. The IMAX tickets are much cheaper than what Big Gipp pictured.
“He can go out here in theaters, people gonna charge $100, $500, $1000 to see him play his flute,” Big Gipp said in an interview with Atlanta’s B High. “Right? He’s showing you another way to take music and grow gracefully as a man and an MC. I ain’t got to depend on rap for the rest of my career.”
André 3000 dropped New Blue Sun in November 2023. It was his debut solo album and first batch of new music since 2006.
View the theaters showing his IMAX event below.
AMC The Grove & IMAX – Los Angeles, CA AMC Burbank 16 & IMAX – Burbank, CA Regal Edwards Irvine Spectrum & IMAX – Irvine, CA AMC Bay Street 16 & IMAX – Emeryville, CA AMC Metreon 16 & IMAX – San Francisco, CA AMC Westminster Promenade 24 & IMAX – Westminster, CO AMC Orange Park 24 & IMAX – Orange Park, FL Regal South Beach & IMAX – Miami Beach, FL Regal Atlantic Station & IMAX – Atlanta, GA AMC Southlake Pavilion 24 & IMAX – Atlanta, GA IMAX, Indiana State Museum – Indianapolis, IN Regal City North & IMAX – Chicago, IL Regal Crocker Park & IMAX – Westlake, OH Regal UA King of Prussia & IMAX – King of Prussia, PA AMC Livonia 20 & IMAX – Livonia, MI AMC Southdale 16 & IMAX – Edina, MN AMC White Marsh 16 – Baltimore, MD AMC Boston Common 19 – Boston, MA Regal Stonecrest At Piper Glen & IMAX – Charlotte, NC AMC Empire 25 & IMAX – New York, NY AMC Lincoln Square 13 & IMAX – New York, NY AMC Northpark 15 & IMAX – Dallas, TX Santikos Palladium IMAX – San Antonio, TX Regal Edwards Houston Marq*E & IMAX – Houston, TX AMC Tysons Corner 16 & IMAX – McLean, VA
Dee-1 sat down with The Art of Dialogue for a recent interview, where he was asked about Special Ed’s previous comments on Drink Champs. During the conversation, Special Ed insisted N.W.A ushered in the “age of destruction.” The openly Christian rapper appeared to side with Ed’s argument, albeit cautiously. After explaining he wasn’t old enough to witness first-hand how N.W.A changed the Hip-Hop landscape, he acknowledged they are credited for helping pioneer gangsta rap. But, at the same time, he suggested the group’s legend status should be stripped for the greater good.
“What do we do with that?” he asked. “Once we acknowledge what you have contributed to the genre, your whole career, and if we acknowledge that you’ve contributed a bunch of negativity, a bunch of violence, a bunch of disrespect of women, what do we do? Do we call you a legend or is it like, ‘Wait, we don’t need to call you no legend.’ I think that calling people legends in Hip-Hop is also a force of what helps to perpetuate negativity and that’s a trick of the enemy. That’s the devil’s work at his finest.
“We’re going to make it to where y’all start to call people legends and immortalize people inside of Hip-Hop, and the main thing they’ve contributed is the glorification of violence, the disrespect of women, the glorification of drug dealing and drug use. Like that’s crazy. We need to take the legend status off of a lot of the people who we call legends in Hip-Hop and that’s going to hurt their ego, but that’s going to help our community.”
When pressed to expound on the topic, Dee-1 concluded “any rapper who has glorified drug dealing and drug use” should sacrifice legend status. He continued, “If you are glorifying the trap, what it means to be in the trap and to make the type of music that is all about the dope that you sold and everything that came along with that and you glorified all that, you’re not a legend. So you could put it together.
“It’s multiple artists who it’s like, ‘Man, all y’all did was…’ Nah, just because I see that a lot of Hip-Hop artists can’t take any level of accountability, man. To the point where it’s like, ‘Yo, I am ready to just get mad at the messenger regardless of if the message is true or not.”
He concluded, “So all of the rappers who have glorified trap music should not be considered legends. I’m going to say it again. All the rappers who have glorified trap music should not be considered legends. That’s just a fact.”
Special Ed appeared on Drink Champs last September and inadvertently sparked an online debate. Kurupt reached out to Ed for clarification on his comments. He offered: “[Media] put their own headlines like ‘Did N.W.A. ruin Hip-Hop?’ That’s not what I said. My point basically was that N.W.A. was used for the era that we are in now. We are in the era of destruction, we are destroying ourselves as a Hip-Hop community period. We got teenagers in every state killin’ each other over Hip-Hop music, tweets, and social media, and none of this existed before the FBI got involved.”
R. Kelly is attempting to absolve himself from the multimillion-dollar settlement linked to victims who participated in the Surviving R. Kelly docu-series.
As reported by TMZ, legal documents obtained on Monday (January 15) Kelly is claiming he didn’t have the opportunity to defend himself in the lawsuit because he wasn’t even aware of it. The lawsuit the convicted singer is referring concerns he and his ex-manager, Donnell Russell, who were accused of devising a plan to stop a New York City screening of “Surviving R. Kelly” in December 2018 by implementing an intimidating campaign. The ruling against Kelly and Russell entails compensation ranging from $1.1 million to $2.25 million for each of the six women—totaling a sum of $10.5 million.
Kelly cites a combination of mounting criminal and civil cases in addition to changes in his legal representation as factors leading to his inaction in the case.
According to the court documents, Kelly claims “cannot read or understand words beyond that of a grade schooler,” and relies on his legal team to help him understand lawsuits. Additionally, he claims Russell was never his manager and had no knowledge of his actions because “he did that for his own reasons.”
Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison for crimes including sex trafficking and racketeering in New York.
Shaquille O’Neal explained how he ended up on the remix of Rick Ross and Meek Mill’s “Shaq & Kobe” song in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Shaq revealed he wasn’t aware of the duo’s plans to make it a collaboration with his friendly rival Dame Lillard.
“Rick sent it to me first, so I didn’t even have his permission,” Shaq said. “So, I just looped it and I went in and I was like, ‘I hope you like it.’ And I sent it to him. He said, ‘Man, you did that fast.’ So, then he hit me back, ‘Can I use it?’ And I was like, ‘Sure.’ And then he got really too professional on me — he started sending paperwork. I said, ‘Bro, you don’t need to. I don’t want no money.’ I’m like, ‘Rick, I don’t want nothing, bro.’ I’m just thankful for the opportunity to be on the song. And then when I heard Dame on it, I was like, ‘Mother effer, mother effer.’”
Shaq and Dame famously traded diss tracks years ago as they battled for the title of best rapper/athlete. Shaq told THR he still viewed Dame as his competition.
“In the rap game, I take it personal when they say somebody else is better than me and [you know] the name I’m talking about,” Shaq said. “So listen, I love him, good friend of mine, but I have to make sure they say, ‘Shaq is the best rapper/athlete ever.’ Ain’t no ‘Shaq and…’ Look, it’s just all fun. I don’t want to be a rapper. I tried it and the money, it was cool, but I was making more money doing other things. It’s just to drop something, go viral, read the comments.”
The Hall of Famer continued, “And then I’m the type that when I get criticized, I don’t get sensitive, it just motivates me. So, you can say whatever you want to say about me — you can’t hurt my feelings. I’ll see something [like] ‘but Dame is better.’ Oh, he is? I just start writing again. So, I got about 10 that I’m just lining up. I even shot videos, too.”
Listen to Shaq and Dame spit bars with Rozay and Meek below.
When you think of hip hop stars, the first images that come to mind are probably glamorous parties, flashy cars, and chart-topping hits. But did you know that some of your favourite hip hop artists have a surprising passion for a much quieter and more traditional pastime? That’s right, bingo has found its way into the hearts of a few prominent figures in the hip hop world according to data released by the online bingo portal BingoSites.co.uk. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some hip hop stars who love bingo.
1. Snoop Dogg
One of the most iconic names in the hip hop industry, Snoop Dogg, is known for his laid-back persona and love for various recreational activities. In addition to his music career and cannabis business, Snoop Dogg has a soft spot for bingo. He has been spotted attending bingo events and even hosted his own bingo nights. Snoop’s enthusiasm for the game has endeared him to a diverse audience, and he’s often seen enjoying a game or two during his downtime.
2. Nelly
The Grammy-winning rapper Nelly, famous for hits like “Hot in Herre” and “Dilemma,” has also shown his affection for bingo. Nelly has been involved in charity bingo events, using his fame to raise money for worthy causes. His participation has brought a new level of excitement to bingo, drawing in fans who may not have otherwise considered playing the game.
3. Flavor Flav
Flavor Flav, a founding member of the legendary hip hop group Public Enemy, is not only known for his eccentric personality but also for his love of bingo. He’s been spotted at various bingo halls and events across the United States, often joining in on the fun and interacting with fellow players. Flavor Flav’s passion for bingo highlights the game’s universal appeal, transcending age and social status.
4. Lil Jon
Lil Jon, the rapper and producer responsible for hits like “Turn Down for What” and “Get Low,” has made no secret of his interest in bingo. He has been seen promoting bingo events and even DJing at bingo parties. His energetic and infectious personality adds an exciting twist to traditional bingo, attracting a younger crowd to the game.
5. Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri, the music mogul and producer behind stars like Usher and Mariah Carey, is another hip hop figure with a soft spot for bingo. Dupri has been known to host charity bingo events, using his influence to raise funds for important causes. His involvement in the bingo world showcases the game’s versatility as both entertainment and a means to support philanthropic efforts.
Hip hop stars may seem worlds apart from the stereotypical bingo enthusiasts, but their love for the game serves as a reminder that hobbies can unite people from all walks of life. These artists have not only embraced bingo as a source of entertainment but have also used their platforms to give back to their communities through charity events and fundraisers. So, the next time you’re at a bingo night, don’t be too surprised if you spot a famous hip hop face in the crowd, enjoying the excitement of this age-old game.
Pooh Shiesty refuted claims of dissing Young Thug and Mariah the Scientist on Instagram. The incarcerated rapper clarified his remarks and blamed DJ Akademiks for the misinterpretation of his words.
“I’ll never diss my n#### or wish jail on nun other than snitches and chomos that damn girl ain’t report me she said some real s### so that ain’t for ha so the S### dead quit the clout,” Pooh Shiesty wrote in an Instagram comment.
He added, “@akademiks Cuh stop being so damn dumb and you know damn well youn wanna get on a n#### bad side.”
Pooh called out Akademiks for sharing a screenshot of a since-deleted Instagram Stories post of Pooh venting his frustrations. Pooh was upset with Instagram for removing his content, but Akademiks seemingly believed the post was a diss aimed at Mariah and her boyfriend Young Thug.
“Sensitive black feet dic eating ass hoes mane f### out my dm,” Pooh wrote in response to Instagram taking down his post. “F### you and yo n#### in jail hope they run his ass up, f### everybody I’m otw back.”
The original post featured a clip of Mariah talking about maintaining her relationship with Young Thug while he’s in jail. Pooh approved of her loyalty to Thugger.
“S### simple hoe,” Pooh wrote. “It get all bad in that pen it ain’t promised we talk every day mf locked down 6 months straight. Move around if this ain’t for you this what come with it!”
Young Thug is one of six defendants on trial for RICO charges in Georgia. Thugger remains in jail without bond.
Pooh is also stuck behind bars. He pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence and drug trafficking in 2022. A judge sentenced him to more than five years in prison.
Charlamagne Tha God declined an offer to visit NBA YoungBoy at the rapper’s Grave Digger Mountain home in Utah. The Breakfast Club host responded to YoungBoy’s invite and diss track during the show’s Rumor Report on Tuesday (January 16).
“I ain’t going to no place called Grave Digger Mountain,” Charlamagne said. “[What] the hell I’m doing on Grave Digger Mountain if it ain’t Halloween?”
YoungBoy dropped his diss track “Act a Donkey” after Charlamagne criticized the 24-year-old artist’s comments on fatherhood. Charlamagne seemed unfazed by the song.
“The young brother said he’s not big on fatherhood,” he said. “We all should be big on fatherhood. But he’s 24 years old, so his prefrontal cortex hasn’t even fully developed yet. He’ll start thinking rationally once he turns 25, maybe.”
YoungBoy admitted he was “not really big on” fatherhood in an interview with Bootleg Kev. Last week, Charlamagne named YoungBoy the Breakfast Club’s “Donkey of the Day” for the remarks.
“He has 11 kids, but he’s not really big on fatherhood,” Charlamagne said. “I didn’t know I had to say this, but my brothers, that is wack. What bothers me about statements like this is that NBA YoungBoy talks that gangsta talk in his records. Not only does he talk that gangsta talk, he talks that big-money talk. In the words of Jay-Z, ‘A man that don’t take care of his family can’t be rich.’”
NBA YoungBoy released his song “Act a Donkey” on Friday (January 12). He labeled it “Charlamagne Diss” on YouTube.
“Tell Charlamange he invited to Grave Digger Mountain/All he gotta do is pull up on me, n####, and talk to me face to face/So I could bat you in your s### and hit you with this Drac,” YoungBoy rapped.
YoungBoy remains on house arrest as awaits trial in a federal gun case. His trial is scheduled to begin on July 15.
21 Savage is set to command the Top 10 of the upcoming Billboard chart, leading artists such as Kid Cudi and Kali Uchis in first week sales numbers.
According to HitsDailyDouble, 21’s American Dream album is projected to secure Hip-Hop’s first No. 1 of 2024 upon debuting at the top of the Billboard 200 Chart as projections estimate units somewhere between 130,000 to 150,000. Additionally, all 15 tracks from the project appeared in the Apple Music’s Top 20 chart upon release. On the other hand, Uchis’ album Oriquedas is fielding projections for a Top Five debut after moving between 58,000 and 63,000 units while projections for Cudi’s INSANO place him in the Top 10 with 40,000-45,000 units.
21 Savage’s third studio album, which features from artists such of Young Thug, Lil Durk, Doja Cat, Burna Boy, Summer Walker and Metro Boomin, serves as the soundtrack for American Dream: The 21 Savage Story, the upcoming biopic about his life. The movie stars both Donald Glover and Stranger Things actor Caleb McLaughlin as 21 Savage at different stages of his life.
Sean “Diddy” Combs has one less legal problem to worry about now that he’s settled a high profile lawsuit with liquor giant Diageo. Reps for Diageo confirmed the news in a statement to AllHipHop on Tuesday (January 16).
“Sean Combs and Diageo have now agreed to resolve all disputes between them,” Diageo and Mr. Combs said in a joint statement. “Mr. Combs has withdrawn all of his allegations about Diageo and will voluntarily dismiss his lawsuits against Diageo with prejudice.”
The dispute between Combs and Diageo, a leading spirits company, escalated into a complex legal battle marked by racial discrimination, contract breaches and retaliation allegations.
The relationship between Diddy and Diageo began in 2007 with a marketing agreement for Ciroc Vodka. In 2013, the partnership expanded when Combs’ company, Combs Wines And Spirits (CWS), and Diageo formed a joint venture to purchase the DeLeón Tequila brand. Combs was instrumental in the marketing and promotion of Ciroc, contributing significantly to its success and earning over $1 billion for his efforts.
However, Combs alleged that Diageo systematically neglected his business and treated the liquors as “Black brands” while marketing them primarily to urban consumers.
He claimed that Diageo should have provided Cîroc and DeLeon the same resources and opportunities as other brands in their portfolio.
Combs accused Diageo of racial bias, citing incidents where Diageo’s leadership allegedly resented him for making too much money, with his race being a factor in limiting the distribution of Cîroc and DeLeon.
Additionally, Combs claimed that Diageo developed a watermelon-flavored DeLeon Tequila without his approval, despite his warnings about the racial implications of associating “watermelon” with a brand often labeled as an “urban African American brand.
Diageo refuted Combs’ accusations and labeled them as opportunistic attempts for media attention.
In response, Diageo terminated its business relationship with Ciroc and DeLeón, delivering what would ultimately be the first significant blow to the mogul’s business empire.
Diageo confirmed that they no longer have any business with Combs regarding Ciroc or DeLeón tequila, which is now part of Diageo’s portfolio.
“Diageo and Mr. Combs have no ongoing business relationship, either with respect to Cîroc vodka or DeLeón tequila, which Diageo now solely owns,” Diageo and Mr. Combs said in the joint statement.
Combs still faces multiple sexual assault lawsuits, with significant allegations against him, which started when his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura alleged he raped and physically assaulted her. They settled quickly out of court.
A second woman named Joi Dickerson-Neal accused Combs of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 1991, a third woman claimed she was raped by Combs and singer Aaron Hall, while a Jane Doe accused Diddy of gang rape and sex trafficking in 2003 when she was 17.
Combs has vehemently denied all allegations, dismissing them as opportunistic “money grabs” exploiting the Adult Survivors Act, which allows adults to file sexual abuse claims regardless of when the abuse occurred.
The lawsuits have substantially affected Combs’ professional life. He stepped down from his company REVOLT, a Hulu reality show was canceled and he recently bowed out of an appearance at the 2024 Grammys.
Cam’ron and Melyssa Ford ended 2023 with an unexpected feud between the rapper-turned-podcaster and the model-turned-podcaster. Some internet users suspected the Dipset leader carried that rivalry into 2024 with another dig at Ford.
Jermaine Dupri recently shared an Instagram video featuring Cam’ron on the set of the It Is What It Is sports talk show. The clip showed Cam wearing a pair of jeans with a woman’s face on the crotch.
Social media users recognized Melyssa Ford’s likeness on Cam’ron’s pants. However, the “Oh Boy” hitmaker is denying the ex-video vixen is the person featured on his outfit.
“Thx @jermainedupri @nelly for joining the show. @itiswhatitis_talk please come back soon!! Also, I’ve been seeing a lot of blogs. Y’all have the wrong idea. The person on my pants is not who y’all think it is. This lady’s name is Carol. [man Shrugging emoji, shushing face emoji],” Cam wrote on Instagram.
The public animosity between Cam’ron and Melyssa Ford began last year. During an episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, Ford questioned if Cam and his It Is What It Is co-host Ma$e slept with underage girls. That insinuation of criminal activities came after the “Horse & Carriage” collaborators told a story about “gang-banging” sex workers in the 1990s.
Ford apologized to Cam’ron but that did not stop the Harlem-bred MC from firing back at the former Blood, Sweat & Heels reality show star. Cam responded, “I told the b#### ‘don’t touch me’ when we took this pic. F### you and ya apology!!”
He also threatened to file a lawsuit against Melyssa Ford and The Joe Budden Podcast. The Crime Pays album creator stated, “Now if I sue y’all n##### for defamation of character, I’m a sucker. Well, I might be a sucker, I just might be. I don’t know yet. I’m thinking about it, pause.”
The United States celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday (January 15). Aubrey O’Day used the occasion to direct social media users to check out her OnlyFans content.
“‘Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.’ – Martin Luther King Jr.,” O’Day wrote on her Instagram page. She used the quote as the caption for a photo/video carousel.
Aubrey O’Day’s post included six images of her, some of which featured seductive poses. She also used several slides to directly promote her OnlyFans subscription page. In one clip, O’Day twerked to the camera and slapped her bare behind.
The MLK Day promotion for the former Danity Kane member’s OnlyFans generated mixed reactions online. Some Aubrey O’Day supporters praised the pictures. However, critics slammed her for incorporating the late Civil Rights icon’s legacy with her sexually suggestive advertising.
“When I look at these pics, Martin Luther King’s moving speeches from 1964 are exactly what I think of,” one person sarcastically typed in O’Day’s Instagram comment section. Another person commented, “This is NOT it, sis. Show some respect.”
As social media users slammed her MLK caption, Aubrey O’Day reposted a pop culture podcaster’s Instagram Story post applauding her “Hitchhiker” single to her own Instagram Story. Peter Panos claimed, “@aubreyoday’s solo music was so good and ahead of [its] time!” O’Day added a heart hand emoji and a kiss mark emoji.
