The Queens rapper scored a major DoorDash partnership for their Super Bowl campaign. He’s turning years of online beef into actual business.
DoorDash picked 50 for their “Big Beef” commercial because he’s the king of Hip-Hop feuds. The company wanted someone who could sell their food delivery angle with real street credibility.
They got exactly that.
The 40-second spot shows 50 pulling items from a DoorDash bag. Each one references his famous beefs. He grabs an ABC book and jokes about Floyd Mayweather not being able to read.
Then comes cheese “Puffs” for Diddy. A clock represents Ja Rule’s “Always On Time” track.
“It’s come to my attention that everyone is calling me a troll,” 50 says in the ad. “First of all, I’m flattered, but I’m done with all that.”
The most clever dig comes with a bottle of Branson Cognac. 50 says it’s aged “4 years, 50 months” – a direct reference to Diddy’s recent prison sentence.
That level of detail shows DoorDash did its homework on Hip-Hop drama. 50 told the company he wanted the campaign to feel authentic.
“I’ve always been about keeping it real, so when DoorDash approached me about a social campaign around beef, it felt authentic from the start,” he said in a statement.
This deal proves 50’s business instincts. He’s not just throwing random insults anymore. He’s packaging his trolling reputation into corporate partnerships.
DoorDash confirmed the campaign will run through Super Bowl Sunday. They’re betting 50’s personality will drive app downloads and food orders.
Based on early social media reaction, that bet looks smart.
Hip hop began as backyard Bronx block parties, but these days? It’s the pulse behind your favourite video game rage moments and the secret sauce in mobile app soundtracks. You’ve probably felt it, that moment when a Kendrick verse drops during a Madden touchdown replay or when Snoop’s lazy flow hums through a roulette spin animation in an online game.
What started as street poetry now shapes how we experience digital worlds, especially in spaces you wouldn’t guess, like casino-style games or VR escape rooms. The genre just… fits. Like fresh kicks with no creases.
It’s all about that bass… and your adrenaline
Here’s the thing: hip hop doesn’t just play in games; it rewires how you feel while playing. That booming bassline in a racing game isn’t random. It syncs with your heartbeat when you’re dodging traffic. The chopped-up hi-hats in a puzzle app? They subconsciously speed up your tapping fingers. Even casino-style games lean into this. In online games that evoke the aesthetics of casinos, the choice of energetic hip-hop beats helps give rhythm, continuity, and visual identity to gaming sessions.
Within these experiences, collections such as the best online slots on BetMGM Casino show how sound design can interact with graphics, urban themes, and metropolitan atmospheres without affecting game dynamics or outcomes. Your brain links those rattling snares with winning streaks before you even realise it. Wild, right?
Playlists as powerful as power-ups
Gaming soundtracks aren’t afterthoughts now, they’re mood architects. Big titles like NBA 2K rotate tracks like a DJ reading the room, mixing Cardi B with underground Chicago drill. Smaller games? They’ll steal tricks from shazam-topping hits to craft original beats that stick in your skull.
Take those candy-colored slot games plastered with graffiti art; they’ll toss in trap-influenced loops so you associate their cha-ching effects with late-night club energy. It’s branding, but cooler. When Fortnite dropped that Ariana Grande concert, it wasn’t just a spectacle; it proved songs can be as vital to gameplay as headshots. Sound isn’t decoration anymore, it’s navigation.
Press play, press start: gen Z’s blended reality
For anyone under 30, gaming and music aren’t separate hobbies; they’re twin dialects. Blasting Future while grinding Valorant ranked? That’s Monday night. Hip hop strengthens this because it’s inherently communal; hearing the same sample pack in two different games creates weird solidarity. Brands exploit this hard. Roblox concerts aren’t gimmicks; they’re digital block parties where avatar teens vibe to Lil Baby. Esports orgs blast Metro Boomin tracks before tournaments because they know crowds shout every ad-lib. Even when you’re gaming solo, a shared soundtrack makes lonely screens feel like basement hangs with friends.
Viral sounds shape virtual worlds
Algorithms accelerated hip hop’s gaming takeover. TikTok dances birth Just Dance routines. Streamers’ lo-fi playlists bleed into indie game soundscapes. New York drill blowing up on music blogs? Next week, it’s scoring a Call of Duty menu screen. Games now chase music trends like they’re hunting Easter eggs, Ice Spice hits appear in racing games before her vinyl ships. It’s a loop: songs popular in games climb charts, charts influence new game soundtracks. You end up in a metaverse club hearing a beat you first encountered in an ad for sneaker-cleaning gel. Life’s weird now.
The beat goes on (and on)
Hip hop’s digital takeover isn’t about to fade, it’s composting into something new. Imagine AR games where neighbourhood landmarks trigger neighborhood-specific beats, or VR poker rooms with AI-generated freestyles roasting your bad bets. The culture’s always recycled itself, from sampler tapes to NFT drops. Now it’s just digitizing the playground. Those early Bronx DJs probably never imagined their breaks scoring digital blackjack shuffles… but hey, creativity wins. Always has.
Diddy got some good news in his legal fight. His appeal arguments are officially set for April 9, 2026.
U.S. Circuit Court Judge Beth Robinson approved their request to fast-track the appeal process. This means Diddy won’t have to wait years for his day in court.
Case calendaring is the process by which courts schedule dates for hearings and arguments. For appeals, this means setting a specific date for lawyers to argue their case before judges.
Diddy is fighting his conviction on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
He got a four-year sentence in October 2025 after a jury found him guilty on those charges. But they cleared him on the bigger charges – sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
Prosecutors tried to paint him as the leader of a criminal enterprise. They said he ran elaborate parties called “freak offs” where he forced people into sexual acts. The jury didn’t buy the government’s case on the most serious charges.
Federal prosecutors haven’t filed their response to Diddy’s appeal yet. But they will definitely fight back. In January, they told the court they “intend to file its brief on appeal on or before February 20, 2026.”
Diddy is currently serving his sentence at Fort Dix Federal Correctional Institution in New Jersey. He got transferred there from the harsh Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
Fort Dix is considered much more comfortable than MDC.
The 55-year-old mogul is set for release on May 8, 2028, under his current sentence. But his appeal could change everything. If he wins, he could be released much sooner or even have his conviction overturned.
Diddy has maintained his innocence throughout the case. His lawyers say the relationships were consensual and that the government twisted the facts to fit its narrative. But the disgraced mogul admitted he was wrong for abusing the women in his life, including his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
“I want to personally apologize again to Cassie Ventura for any harm or hurt that I caused to her, emotionally or physically,” Diddy said. “My actions were disgusting, shameful and sick.”
If Combs wins his appeal, the government could ask for a rehearing or take the case to the Supreme Court. But that would take even more time and isn’t guaranteed.
The Bureau of Prisons has Combs scheduled for release in May 2028 based on his current sentence.
Kanye West’s Apology Wasn’t Random. The Money Got Funny. Allegedly.
Remember when Kanye West suddenly took out a public apology aimed at Jewish people after years of antisemitic rhetoric? It felt abrupt. Out of nowhere. Almost uncharacteristically quiet and measured for a man who usually doubles down. A lot of us wondered what caused such a sharp turn. Now, it looks like we are finally getting some clarity.
Before we get there, let’s recap.
Kanye West has a long history of courting controversy through racial symbolism and provocation. At one point, he used Confederate imagery that deeply offended Black audiences. Later, he escalated with Nazi language, antisemitic tropes, and visual symbolism aimed at Jewish people. That was not performance art. That was deliberate. And history shows that antisemitism carries consequences that do not fade quickly or conveniently.
You can offend a lot of communities in America and still find a path back. Jewish organizations, advocacy groups, and business networks do not tend to forget. When doors close, they close for a long time.
That reality appears to have finally landed.
As Kanye prepares to release his upcoming album Bully, longtime cultural commentator Touré has publicly stated that West is effectively blackballed as a live performer in the United States. The pattern backs it up. Kanye has leaned heavily on overseas performances in recent years, not because he prefers Europe or Asia, but because major American doors are no longer open.
According to industry reporting and widespread insider chatter, the two most powerful concert promotion companies in the country, AEG and Live Nation, are no longer willing to do business with him domestically, according to the former writer. If you understand the live-music economy, that is devastating. Those companies control arenas, festivals, routing, insurance, sponsorships, and logistical infrastructure. Without them, your touring options shrink to almost nothing.
That does not happen by accident.
This is likely the real reason for the apology tour. Not a sudden moral awakening, but a financial one. When the money starts acting funny, that is when advisors step in, narratives shift, and accountability suddenly becomes fashionable.
To be fair, many people genuinely want Kanye to be well. Mental health has always been part of the conversation around him. But after years of incendiary behavior, excuses wear thin. Sympathy has a shelf life. At some point, accountability shows up with receipts.
And let’s be clear. Kanye is not broke. He is still earning from international shows, merchandise, licensing, and a catalog that remains hugely influential. He is still iconic. What has changed is scale. The kind of dominance and leverage he once envisioned is no longer available to him because his disposition has made him radioactive in key American business circles.
Whether this apology is genuine remains to be seen. But one thing is clear. This is not random. This is the cost of years of unchecked transgressions finally coming due.
Now it’s your turn. Drop your thoughts in the comments. Is this growth, strategy, or survival?
50 Cent just pulled off one of his most creative trolling moves yet.
The Queens rapper posted a bizarre alien-style image of Jay-Z on Instagram that shows Jay-Z’s face morphed onto a Klingon-like sci-fi creature with reptilian skin and cable-like hair extensions.
50 Cent wrote in the caption: “I know your gonna say I’m a hater, but what do you say about what he’s saying fool? LOL get yo ass down.”
But here’s where it gets interesting. 50 Cent’s caption directly references Jay-Z’s lyrics from his 2006 track “Young Girl” with Pharrell Williams.
In that song, Jay-Z rapped: “Hov got a young girl/Still not quite 21/You’re 19?/No, you’re lightning in a bottle I give you a ring tomorrow/The scene that follows/screams of horror.”
The timing of 50 Cent’s post comes as Jay-Z’s name has been circulating in conversations tied to recently released Epstein-related documents.
These documents contain tips, contact lists and allegations collected during federal investigations.
An unverified 2019 FBI tip went viral, alleging that Weinstein sexually assaulted a woman at Jeffrey Epstein’s Florida mansion in 1996 with Jay-Z present.
Jay-Z has not faced criminal charges related to those records, and the public was able to submit unfounded allegations, which were later released after the government’s latest dump of 3 million files.
Jay-Z’s Young Girl collaboration with Pharrell Williams appeared on the producer’s 2006 album In My Mind. The track gained renewed attention recently as social media users discussed the lyrics in light of current events.
Kool G Rap is quietly working. Hip-Hop heads who value lyrics, legacy, and long memories might want to pull up a chair. The chefs are cooking. The Queens legend is reportedly back in album mode, and according to those in his orbit, the gears are already turning.
The spark came courtesy of Domingo, a trusted collaborator and longtime friend, who recently hinted that the Juice Crew general is deep into a new project. The word is that the album, Crook Audio Book, is being shaped and could drop sometime this year. If true, that fits perfectly into the big picture we are living in. The OGs are no longer waiting for permission. They are reclaiming space!
2025. Veterans were not just participating, they were steering the culture back towards the craft and substance in rap. Kool G Rap sliding back into the picture feels less like a comeback and more like unfinished business.
Remember his last album? Even AllHipHop’s own Jigsaw got on a track.
Details are scarce. You know how real Gz move. But one name did surface that should make heads snap. Cormega is reportedly on the project, and according to Domingo, the record is stellar. That is high praise coming from someone who has heard more than most of the universe. If you are Gen. Alpha or something, Cormega is the rap narrator who helped define a real era of Queensbridge realism. He’s adjacent to Nas.
Speaking of Nas, yes, the long-circulating rumors about a Kool G Rap and Nas collaboration are still floating in the ether. Nothing has been confirmed. We’ll see.
Kool G Rap working on a new album stands on its own. The foundation of Hip-Hop is still alive and sharp.
Luther Vandross just won the internet from beyond the grave. His Instagram team dropped the perfect response after Cher accidentally called his name at the 2026 Grammys.
The pop icon was presenting Record of the Year on Sunday night. She was supposed to announce Kendrick Lamar and SZA as winners for their track “luther.” Instead, Cher read “Luther Gandross” straight off the card.
The crowd laughed. Cher quickly corrected herself. But the damage was done – and Luther’s team was ready. Vandross’ official Instagram posted a mashup video that had everyone cracking up. They spliced Cher’s announcement with footage of Luther accepting a Grammy back in 1992.
The caption read: “If only we could turn back time, @cher ❤️.”
The video shows Cher saying, “the Grammy goes to Luther Vandross.” Then it cuts to the late R&B legend accepting his award for “Power of Love/Love Power.”
He’s grinning ear to ear in the old footage.
“I really appreciate this,” Luther says in the clip. “This is not taken lightly. I take this home, I put it on the front door, you have to lift it up before you can ring the bell.”
The track “luther” samples Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s 1982 version of “If This World Were Mine.” SZA called it “mooching off of what Luther already gave us.”
Kendrick honored Vandross in his acceptance speech. He called the late singer “one of my favorite artists of all time.” The rapper said getting sample clearance nearly brought tears to his eyes.
“They granted us the privilege to do our version of it,” Kendrick said. “It proved we were somewhat worthy to be just as great as them individuals.”
Grammy producers later said they briefed Cher beforehand. But the teleprompter confusion still happened.
At least it gave us one of the night’s best viral moments.
After his toupee flew off in a viral fight-night moment, Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller opens up about winning through the chaos, his conversations with 50 Cent, and why Jake Paul is still good for boxing.
Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller didn’t just go viral, he became a cultural touchpoint. Boxing is always unpredictable, but this was mid-fight, at Madison Square Garden in front of millions. His toupee got knocked loose by Kingsley Ibeh and the moment took over social media. bib Baby yanked it off and tossed it into the crowd, then won his match by split-decision. The moment nearly upstaged a night headlined by Teófimo López and Shakur Stevenson.
So when Big Baby tells AllHipHop’s Chuck Jigsaw Creekmur he “needed something crazy” after a year-and-a-half away…the universe heard him. He says God delivered it in a most humorous way. Big Baby turned the punchline into momentum, and he’s looking to ride it straight to a title shot and a second career in entertainment.
AllHipHop: First things first, you made Black history with something we never saw before in boxing.
Big Baby Miller: That’s dope. I think it’s great. They always say all publicity is good publicity. It wasn’t quite planned, but we had an idea it was going to happen. We ran with it.
AllHipHop: So you weren’t completely shocked when it went down?
Big Baby Miller: Not completely, but at that moment, the way it happened, I was like, “Yeah, I was shocked enough.”
AllHipHop: I’ve been following your career at least 10 years. I said to myself, this might be the best thing to happen, but you gotta win the fight. If you don’t win, it’s a problem.
Big Baby Miller: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
AllHipHop: You’ve been doing the rounds. You got a lot of new fans now. What are you feeling?
Big Baby Miller: It’s funny because I’m from New York, but when you’re a couple years out of the limelight in boxing, it dies down pretty quick. So in spite what happened in the past, we taking it to the moon this time. We want that title, get that belt, and then transition my comedic art and characteristic into something else. I love TV. I love entertaining people. And we can’t get punched in the head forever. Time is limited. I want to handle my goals and start the next chapter.
AllHipHop: People like you. Even outside the sport. Why is that?
Big Baby Miller: People like me… I’m wearing my heart on my sleeve. I’m a good-hearted person. I don’t gotta pump fake nobody. I’m a fighter, I’m an entertainer, I’m a human being like everybody else. I go through things like everybody else. Unlike social media, everybody likes to fake life. But I’ve always been real. Even when I make mistakes, I’m like, “Yo, this is what it is, bro. This is life.”
AllHipHop: What kind of roles?
Big Baby Miller: Anything. First I gotta play a crackhead role. I think I’ll be funny in that. Growing up in the hood and seeing crackheads, I want to play a giant big… I got the haircut right now. I could play a crazy crackhead in the hood.
AllHipHop: Last time I saw you, you were with 50 Cent. You think he could give you opportunities?
Big Baby Miller: Yeah, 100%. I ain’t know 50 be all over the damn place. I was supposed to get in contact with his people. I reached out, but 50 kind of disappeared again. If 50 see this, yo 50, holla at your young boy, your little brother. I’m ready.
AllHipHop: What do you think about Jake Paul coming into boxing the way he did?
Big Baby Miller: Jake Paul is good for boxing. He brought a lot of limelight. He took what Floyd was doing, exhibitions, and took it to another level. What he’s done for women’s boxing is amazing. He put my longtime friend on, [Amanda] Serrano, to the next level, made her a millionaire many times over. I can’t knock him. But he found a loophole to make money. At some point it becomes a gimmick. He gotta fight more serious fighters on his caliber to be taken serious. I’m a fan of Jake. He’s a hard worker. He can punch.
AllHipHop: Do you think he can come back after that type of knockout?
Big Baby Miller: 100%. He got heart. To still get in with AJ [Anthony Joshua] and get cracked on the chin like that takes heart. He ain’t no punk. He seen opportunity and said, “I might get my jaw broken, but let’s give it a shot.” I love that about him.
AllHipHop: How do you feel about trash talk in boxing, lines getting crossed? Teófimo López got really disrespectful, basically racist, towards Shakur.
Big Baby Miller: There’s an art to everything. You don’t want to trash talk to a point the media don’t like you, or you say stuff they can’t use. You gotta get to the line but not cross it. Some guys take it too far and make themselves look like a fool. Sometimes you gotta leave family out of it, unless it’s a funny throw joke. There’s ways of disrespecting you but not really disrespecting you. You don’t want to turn off networks, sponsors, fans. A lot of kids watch my interviews, mothers reach out like, “I love your confidence.” That means a lot.
AllHipHop: Thoughts on Hip-Hop and boxing coming together?
Big Baby Miller: It’s culture. Part of Black culture in America. Hip-Hop is another avenue to bring boxing to the forefront again. People love being around fighters. They live through us. Boxing been here before Hip-Hop, so sometimes cultures ride each other’s wave. If you’re not on to it, people jump on the bandwagon. Boxers are attractive, man. People love having a guy around that can knock somebody’s head off.
AllHipHop: Any boxer, dead or alive, who you’d want to get in the ring with?
Big Baby Miller: Jack Johnson, Mariano, and Mike Tyson.
AllHipHop: Final words. I’m happy for you, bro. I love how you’re embracing the hilarity.
Big Baby Miller: We needed something crazy to get the nonchalant fans back on the Big Baby wagon. We didn’t have the greatest performance after a year and a half off, but the toupee did it. I’m not gonna say it’s me. It’s divine from God. I told God, “I’ve been out the ring a year and a half, just get me through this weekend, get me back in the gym, and I need something crazy.” I kid you not. And God did it. I didn’t know it’d happen like this, but God is the man. I give all the glory to him. Take it as a positive and keep pushing.
Mural Arts Philadelphia wants artists to honor Boyz II Men with a new street mural. The organization launched a contest offering $20,000 to the winning artist or team.
The selected artist gets paid to design the mural celebrating the R&B group’s music and cultural impact. They can also lead the painting process with extra funding for assistants, equipment and materials.
Applications close February 13. The mural will go up on South Broad Street, with a planned dedication in June.
Boyz II Men formed in Philadelphia in 1985. Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockman and Michael McCary became one of the biggest R&B acts of the 1990s. McCary left the group in 2003, but the remaining trio continues performing.
The timing connects to Philadelphia, celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. Mural Arts Philadelphia runs the nation’s most extensive public art program.
Philadelphia earned the title “Mural Capital of the World” with over 4,300 murals created since 1984. The program started as an anti-graffiti initiative and transformed into a cultural movement.
Other famous Philadelphia musicians already have murals across the city. Jill Scott got honored with “Luminaries: The Coronation” at Philadelphia High School for Girls in 2024.
Will Smith has a 65-foot mural in West Philadelphia near his childhood neighborhood. British artist Richard Wilson painted the Fresh Prince sitting in a wooden chair wearing a suit and Air Jordans.
The city also renamed part of 59th Street as Will Smith Way near his alma mater, Overbrook High School.
Artists interested in the Boyz II Men mural must submit applications through Mural Arts Philadelphia’s official website by February 13.
Chicago drill rapper Aspen Kartier can’t catch a break. Her career keeps taking hits as the fallout from her animal abuse arrest grows worse.
Brookhaven Police just won a Compassionate Police Department Award from PETA. The animal rights group honored cops for rescuing the three-month-old puppy Kartier abused on her Twitch stream.
PETA is sending a framed certificate and vegan chocolates to the Brookhaven Police to honor their efforts. The organization reminds the public that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way.”
PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk made it clear why police deserved recognition.
“If someone is willing to repeatedly hit a crying puppy on the global stage of a livestream, there’s no telling what might happen when the cameras are off,” Newkirk said in a statement.
Police arrested Kartier the next day at her home on Town Boulevard. Officers found the puppy, which appeared healthy. DeKalb County Animal Services took custody of the dog anyway.
Kartier’s real name is Aspen Easterling. She was building momentum in Chicago’s drill scene with tracks like “I Do” and “LA PERCS.” Her YouTube channel had over 105,000 subscribers before the scandal broke.
Twitch banned her account immediately after the abuse video went viral. The platform suspended her for violating community guidelines. They haven’t announced how long the ban will last.
The streaming giant is conducting an internal investigation. Kartier had thousands of followers on Twitch before losing access to the platform.
PETA jumped on the story fast. They shared clips of the abuse video across social media and demanded criminal charges. The organization has been pushing for stricter penalties in animal cruelty cases.
The internet never forgets these moments. Social media users continue sharing the abuse video and calling for justice. Brookhaven Police expect to file additional charges as their investigation continues.
Kylie Jenner pulled double duty with boobs and booty on full display while stepping into her first real acting gig.
The Kylie Jenner we all know for her beauty empire and thirst traps is now adding “actress” to her résumé. She showed up to promote her new flick The Moment and damn near broke the internet with a tank top so low it could’ve been a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen.
She dropped a bunch of steamy pics on IG Tuesday, posing in front of a neon-lit set with “The Moment” flashing behind her. Her long hair was flowing, the tank was clinging, and the whole vibe screamed “look at me.” And trust, people did.
If you’re not familiar with it, The Moment is a mockumentary-style film that follows a rising pop star dealing with fame, stress, and the chaos of preparing for a major tour.
Kylie plays a version of herself, and it’s her first real acting role. The movie hit theaters on January 30 after debuting at Sundance.
Charli XCX, who co-wrote and starred in the film, had high praise for Kylie’s performance. She told Deadline: “Kylie was just phenomenal. She totally got the assignment. She is a really great actress.”
NBC just dropped the official trailer for Tracy Morgan’s new comedy series and Megan Thee Stallion’s fans got a welcome surprise.
Meg is guest-starring in The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins. The Houston rapper plays Denise, a recently divorced mom who gets flirty with Daniel Radcliffe’s character Arthur Tobin.
Megan’s been steadily building her acting resume. She appeared in Marvel’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, where she twerked with the green superhero. The Grammy winner also guest-starred on STARZ’s P-Valley as her alter ego Tina Snow in season two.
Her film credits include the 2024 remake of Mean Girls and D####: The Musical in 2023. She hosted Saturday Night Live in 2022 and guest-starred on Netflix’s Big Mouth animated series.
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins also stars Erika Alexander, Bobby Moynihan, Precious Way and Jalyn Hall. The comedy follows Morgan’s character as he makes amends with family and friends while filming his comeback documentary.
Radcliffe plays the award-winning filmmaker documenting Morgan’s journey. The show explores themes of redemption and second chances in the entertainment industry.
Megan’s guest appearance happens in episode five titled “You May Hug Your Hero.” The trailer shows her character connecting with Radcliffe’s Arthur during the documentary process.
The rapper’s acting career continues to expand beyond music. She’s rumored to be working on an untitled Adam Sandler project with the Safdie Brothers. That film is currently in post-production.
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins premieres with a one-hour event on Monday, February 23, at 8 P.M. ET on NBC. Regular episodes air Mondays at 8:30 p.m. starting March 2.
LaMonte McLemore, founding member of the 5th Dimension, passed away from natural causes after having a stroke.
He died Tuesday at his Las Vegas home. The 90-year-old was surrounded by his family and friends during his final moments. The St. Louis native helped create some of the most sampled music in Hip-Hop history.
The 5th Dimension won six Grammy Awards during their peak years. Their 1967 hit “Up, Up and Away” earned them four Grammys, including Record of the Year.
“Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” spent six weeks at number one in 1969. The song became their second Record of the Year Grammy winner.
Hip-Hop producers discovered gold in The 5th Dimension’s catalog decades later. Kanye West sampled “The Rainmaker” for his 2004 track “Two Words,” featuring Mos Def and Freeway.
The Notorious B.I.G. used the same song for “You’re Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You)” in 1997. The haunting melody provided the perfect backdrop for Biggie’s prophetic rap song.
Eminem, Dr. Dre and 50 Cent flipped “The Rainmaker” again for their 2009 collaboration “Crack a Bottle.” The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Lauryn Hill sampled “Together Let’s Find Love” for her classic “Doo Wop (That Thing)” in 1998. The track won two Grammy Awards and topped the charts for two weeks.
Mac Miller and 1982 used “Dimension 5ive” for their 2010 track “82 92.” The sample showcased how The 5th Dimension’s music transcended generations.
A$AP Rocky sampled “High on Sunshine” for “Houston Old Head” on his 2011 mixtape. The Harlem rapper’s use of the track introduced younger fans to McLemore’s work.
De La Soul, Group Home, and Little Brother also built hits around 5th Dimension samples. The group’s rich harmonies and lush arrangements provided endless inspiration for Hip-Hop beatmakers.
McLemore’s second career as a photographer brought him a different kind of fame. He freelanced for Jet magazine for over four decades, primarily shooting their “Beauty of the Week” feature.
His camera captured thousands of Black women celebrating their beauty and style. The weekly feature became a cultural institution in African American households nationwide.
McLemore’s photography work appeared in a 2024 book titled Black Is Beautiful: JET Beauties of the Week. The collection featured never-before-seen outtakes from his decades of shoots.
His dual careers in music and photography made him a Renaissance man of Black culture. He documented beauty while creating the soundtrack that Hip-Hop would later reimagine.
McLemore served in the U.S. Navy as an aerial photographer before his entertainment career. He played baseball in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ farm system but chose music over sports.
He formed The 5th Dimension in 1965 with Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis Jr., Ronald Townson and Florence LaRue. Johnny Rivers signed them to his Soul City Records label.
Rivers suggested they change their name from The Versatiles to something more current. Townson came up with The 5th Dimension, reflecting the psychedelic era they embraced.
Their breakthrough came with The Mamas & The Papas’ “Go Where You Wanna Go” in 1967. The cover version established their smooth pop-soul sound that would influence generations.
McLemore left The 5th Dimension in 2006 after four decades with the group. He continued his photography work and remained active in Las Vegas entertainment circles.
He’s survived by his wife of 30 years, Mieko McLemore, daughter Ciara, son Darin, sister Joan and three grandchildren.
Snoop Dogg stepped into his Team USA Olympic ambassador role with the heart of a true champion. The Hip-Hop legend delivered a message that shows exactly why he’s become such an inspiring force for American athletes.
The rap icon’s words to Lindsey Vonn came at the perfect moment. Vonn just announced she’ll compete at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics despite tearing her ACL in a World Cup crash.
That’s the kind of decision that separates champions from everyone else.
“Lindsay, let me say this to you, baby girl. You are a true champion,” Snoop told Access Hollywood. “This is what it’s all about. Standing up for something and fighting for what you believe in.”
The Long Beach native has been making waves in sports circles lately. His presence at Olympic events brings a different energy. Athletes respond to his authentic support and genuine enthusiasm for their success.
“And there’s so much inspiration and motivation that somebody’s going to get from this,” Snoop continued. “Somebody’s going to be inspired. Somebody’s going to become the next great.”
That’s the power of real leadership. Snoop sees beyond the immediate situation. He knows Vonn’s decision to compete with a torn ACL will inspire countless other athletes facing their own challenges.
Vonn’s injury happened during a World Cup crash in Switzerland. Most athletes would call it quits. But she’s not most athletes. Four days after the crash, she confirmed her Olympic plans through medical consultations and on-snow testing.
“After extensive consultations with doctors, intense therapy, physical tests, as well as skiing today, I have determined I am capable of competing in the Olympic Downhill on Sunday,” Vonn shared on Instagram on February 3.
The skiing legend acknowledged her situation honestly. “I know what my chances in these Olympics were before this crash, and even though my chances aren’t the same now, there is still a chance.”
Snoop’s response shows why Team USA chose him as an ambassador. He doesn’t just show up for photo ops. He delivers real encouragement when athletes face their toughest moments.
“So, thank you, Lindsay, for being you,” Snoop concluded his message.
“I do not have swelling and my muscles are firing and reacting as they should,” she explained. “I will obviously be continuing to evaluate with my medical team on a daily basis to make sure we are making smart decisions.”
Vonn needs to complete one training run before Sunday’s Olympic Downhill. She’s confident in her body’s ability to perform despite the recent injury. Her determination matches the championship mindset Snoop recognized in his message.
“As long as I have a chance, I will not lose hope. I will not give up! It’s not over yet!” Vonn wrote.
All seven justices voted against rehearing his case. They said C-Murder had already used up his appeals.
“Applicant has previously exhausted his right to state collateral review and fails to show that any exception permits his successive filing,” the court wrote.
C-Murder is Master P‘s younger brother. He’s 54 years old now. He was convicted in 2009 after prosecutors said he shot Thomas during a fight at the Platinum Club.
Two key witnesses changed their stories in 2018. Kenneth Jordan and Darnell Jordan both said cops forced them to lie. They originally pointed to C-Murder as the shooter.
Kenneth Jordan told lawyers that detectives threatened him. He said they made him pick C-Murder out of a lineup even though he didn’t see who fired the gun.
The witnesses said police told them they’d go to jail if they didn’t cooperate. Both men now say the rapper wasn’t the shooter.
C-Murder’s legal team also claims DNA evidence was mishandled. They say the investigation had major problems from the start.
Courts have rejected these arguments multiple times. An appellate court upheld the conviction in 2011. The state Supreme Court did the same thing in 2012.
The rapper tried again with post-conviction appeals. Those got shot down, too. Tuesday’s ruling was his latest attempt to get the courts to listen.
The rapper has been fighting more than just his case. He’s battled prison conditions at Angola for years.
“Although, the actual person that fired the gun that night sits in a prison in Georgia and has signed an affidavit with an audio confessing to a separate attorney whom knew nothing of [C-Murder’s] case, stating that he, not [C-Murder], is the one that is responsible for the killing and is not associated with [C-Murder],” his publicist Tammy Page told AllHipHop in 2018.
C-Murder claimed guards handcuffed him for nearly 24 hours in solitary confinement. His hands swelled so badly that they had to cut the cuffs off.
He hired civil rights lawyer Ben Crump to help with prison conditions. The NAACP also got involved in his case.
Celebrity supporters like Kim Kardashian and Monica have called for his release. They believe he’s innocent and deserves a new trial.
But the courts keep saying no. C-Murder has appealed his case through every level of Louisiana’s justice system.
His conviction came after a second trial. The first one ended with a hung jury in 2003. Prosecutors tried him again and got a guilty verdict six years later.
C-Murder was part of No Limit Records in the 1990s. He released several albums and had a successful rap career before his arrest.
The Supreme Court’s decision means the rap star will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars. His legal options are running out after 15 years of appeals.
Snoop Dogg and Edible Arrangements are taking their ice cream fight to the negotiation table. A federal judge ordered both sides into settlement talks over the “Swizzle” trademark war that’s been heating up for months.
Judge Sarah F. Russell put the brakes on almost everything in the Connecticut case. She’s keeping discovery on hold and giving Edible Arrangements and Bosslady Foods time to work things out without going the full distance.
Edible built up a whole family of “Swizzle” trademarks over 10 years.
They’ve got SWIZZLE, SWIZZLE BERRIES, SWIZZLE APPLES and more. Those marks include fruit cut into shapes and arranged like flowers, as well as fresh fruit with chocolate coatings.
Snoop Dogg’s company, Bosslady Foods, makes “Tropical Sherbet Swizzle” ice cream under his Happi Co. brand. Almost everyone in the world knows Hip-Hop culture and Snoop Dogg made the word “swizzle” famous.
Bosslady filed their federal case after a long back-and-forth with the USPTO over their “Tropical Sherbet Swizzle” trademark. The mark covers frozen desserts, ice cream bars and related products.
But a trademark attorneyflagged potential confusion with Edible’s “Swizzle” registrations twice. The application was briefly abandoned, and Snoop’s name was approved in early 2025.
That’s when Edible ramped up its attacks, arguing that both companies’ dessert products reach the same customers and use the same “Swizzle” term.
Edible also sent demand letters in April and June 2025. They wanted Bosslady to drop the application, stop using the mark and phase out all Happi-branded “Swizzle” products within 90 days of any deal.
They say Edible has a pattern of bad-faith trademark enforcement designed to freeze out competition in the frozen-dessert market.
Both sides now see settlement potential. In a joint report, they asked for mediation before a magistrate judge and a stay of the case deadlines while they explore a deal.
Judge Russell ordered both parties to file a joint status report by April 3, 2026.
Cam’ron broke his silence about his legal battle with J. Cole during a recent episode of Talk With Flee. The Harlem rapper made it clear the lawsuit was never about money.
“It was never really about the money, just about keeping your word as a man,” Cam’ron said on his Revolt podcast. He explained that his frustration stemmed from J. Cole backing out of their original agreement.
The dispute centers on Cole’s track “Ready ’24” from his 2024 project, Might Delete Later. Cam’ron recorded vocals for the song in June 2022 under specific conditions that Cole later ignored.
According to court documents, Cole initially agreed to either collaborate on a future track or appear on Cam’ron’s sports show, It Is What It Is.
Neither happened.
Cole then released “Ready ’24” in April 2024 without fulfilling the collaboration agreement. Cam’ron was credited only as a co-composer, not as a performer, despite his vocals appearing on the track.
Frankel’s firm brings serious firepower to Cole’s defense. The commercial litigation specialist is based in the firm’s New York office and focuses on complex entertainment disputes.
Cam’ron originally sued Cole and Universal Music Group, seeking at least $500,000 in royalties. He recently dismissed his claims against Universal without prejudice, meaning he could refile those claims later.
However, Cam continued his legal battle against Cole and his company, Cole World Inc. The timing comes as Cole gears up for major career moves.
The North Carolina rapper will drop his highly anticipated album, The Fall Off, on February 6.
The project is rumored to be his final studio album before retirement. But Cam’ron faces his own legal complications that could delay any potential payout.
A federal lien filed by photographer Djamilla Rosa Cochran has legally frozen any potential earnings Cam’ron might receive from his lawsuit against Cole. The lien stems from a $51,221.50 judgment Cochran secured in February 2024.
Cochran successfully sued Cam’ron for copyright infringement over her iconic 2003 photo of him in a pink fur coat and matching hat during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.
The lien may delay Cam’ron’s potential payday, but it doesn’t reflect a financial crisis.
New York rap has always been a shape-shifter, but the last few years have been especially wild, The post-pandemic momentum, TikTok-driven discovery, and a citywide hunger for something that feels good again. That’s where “sexy drill” slid in, taking drill’s toxic edge, then flipped the mood. Now, there is more dancing, and party energy. One of the records that helped push the sound into the mainstream conversation was Ice Spice, Cash Cobain and Bay Swag’s “Fisherrr,” which took off online and caught fire with a dance.
Bay Swag, a Queens rapper who’s become closely associated with the movement, has kept building with projects like Damaged Thoughts and the Swiggity EP, balancing slick flexes with more personal shadows. And while sexy drill has been pegged as a vibe shift, it’s also become a lane that bigger artists have studied, borrowed from, and tried to bottle for themselves. He checks in with SlopsShotYa at WonWorld Studio.
AllHipHop: I think with your sound, you go a lot of different places with it. One minute… I think the first single off of the last joint with 42 Dugg shocked the hell out of me because it was heavy, heavy trap. But of course everybody was reminded of a sexy drill wave and stuff like that. How do you even formulate your sound? What’s the ingredients? How you know what works for you?
Bay Swag: Honestly, I’m real versatile. So last year I dropped a bunch of different songs. Like I went Jamaican, I went Spanish, I went trap, sexy drill. Last year was just a year to like… because a lot of people were saying, “Oh, y’all can only do this” or “y’all sound like this.” So last year was just… show versatility, you feel me?
AllHipHop: Oh, wow.
Bay Swag: And how I do it is… I’m versatile. So when I go in the studio, I don’t just say, “Oh, I’m going to make this kind of music.” It just flows.
AllHipHop: So it just flows. But you also said you wanted to show people it’s different aspects. Were you nervous trying to do that?
Bay Swag: I was. Because I knew a lot of the fans was more like sexy drill. So I was definitely nervous about it. But you know, got to take risks.
AllHipHop: Yeah, man. Without taking risks.
Bay Swag: You feel me?
AllHipHop: So I remember when there was a little decline in drill and stuff like that, me and my friends were like, “It’s got to be dancing next,” right? We thinking it’s got to be dance next. Then you came through with, nah, it’s going to be about the girls. We gonna get back to the girls and things like that.
Bay Swag: It’s crazy how it happened because obviously nothing’s planned. Things just happen. So it’s just like you said, drill was like… not saying it was going to decline, but it’s like you spreading bad energy. You telling kids to go do this, go do that, and guns and this and that.
Bay Swag: Sexy drill just happened and we just brought good energy back. Made people want to dance. I always say this, we used to have parties and a lot of the drill artists that was beefing with each other was there with us, all together, partying. We just brought the energy back, made it feel good again.
AllHipHop: Did you see it going global? Hip-Hop-wise, everybody now got to have one of these songs on their album. Somebody got to work with you. Somebody got to work with Slizzy.
Bay Swag: Honestly, nah. ’Cause it was just trying something. Like I said, it wasn’t planned. It’s just the things that you think work… it never work. It’ll always be some joint you don’t like, or something you think that’s not even… you know. That’s how that happened. We ain’t think it was going to go so crazy. We was just having fun. Dropping music.
AllHipHop: So you didn’t see “Fisherrr” going where it went?
Bay Swag: Honestly… I didn’t. At first I knew it was a good song, but I didn’t think it was going to change the world the way it did.
Bay Swag: When we posted on TikTok, that’s when I seen it, before it dropped. It went viral on TikTok before it dropped. When I made the first video and I seen it, and I kept making videos and it kept going, every video going, I’m like, “Oh yeah.” This is before the “From the Block” performance.
AllHipHop: Somebody recorded it on a phone?
Bay Swag: Yeah. That went viral, then we started making videos to the sound and then it just went crazy.
AllHipHop: You started garnering buzz around pandemic time. What about being stuck inside got you the buzz? Was it a new sound or you was just promoting?
Bay Swag: I was just learning, man. Learning my sound and just getting better and better. It wasn’t like an in-the-house thing. Things just happened. God, you feel me? Everything started coming together. Things started making sense.
AllHipHop: How your life changed since that moment?
Bay Swag: Tremendously. God is good. God is great, man.
AllHipHop: A lot of people was surprised about the album last year. Not just the versatility, but it was consistently good. Sometimes people try new things and it sound forced. Yours sounded… right. And you had a lot of features. How did you know that was the route? Getting people to send verses is different.
Bay Swag: When it come down to the features, we go back to the drawing board. You have your team with you, everybody listen to the songs. And not only the team, like myself as an artist. When I’m making these songs, I’ll be like, “All right, I hear this person on it.” I go back, ask my bros, ask the team, and they like, “Oh yeah, that sound good.” I hit them up. That’s basically how it went.
Bay Swag: Everybody on there is family.
AllHipHop: What’s your favorite song?
Bay Swag: I can’t. They all my babies, man. I can’t do that.
AllHipHop: You came back with the EP. Was it songs that didn’t make the album?
Bay Swag: It was like both. Half and half.
AllHipHop: Your face is very visible, but you also show up for kids. I seen you in schools. What gives you that philanthropic spirit?
Bay Swag: Just showing them that we… like I was once y’all before, and it’s possible. A lot of us come from the same place. A lot of us come from the hood. When they see young guys like them, or was once them, and they coming and showing love, make them feel good, give them hope.
Bay Swag: Another reason, the kids is everything. They the ones streaming. They matter the most. So around holiday time, make sure I give back. Christmas, back to school, toy drop, everything. I try to make sure I do it every year.
AllHipHop: What’s the goals for you and the Slizzy camp this year?
Bay Swag: Drop. Everybody dropping, man. Everybody dropping. Just consistency.
AllHipHop: We expecting another two-project year?
Bay Swag: More, more, more.
AllHipHop: You had like 6,700 in the phone?
Bay Swag: That’s a fact.
AllHipHop: How you determine the difference between an EP and an album?
Bay Swag: You got to treat them all the same because you got to always market. But albums, when people hear albums, think, “Oh my god, an album.” Like you got rollout and this and that. So it is a difference a little bit.
AllHipHop: The mixtape days… DatPiff, blog days, that used to warm up the album. Now you can’t really rap on anybody beat unless you just drop it on YouTube. Everybody want to make money.
Bay Swag: Come on with it, man.
AllHipHop: Take me back to your childhood. What was Queens like? What part you from?
Bay Swag: I’m kind of like from the south and the north. My pops from north side, my mom from south side. So really both, South Jamaica and the north side like Hollis, Cambria.
Bay Swag: Growing up, it was cool. I ain’t have to worry about none. My pops making sure everything was good. I had everything. I wasn’t struggling.
Bay Swag: Once I got older and the person that gave everything got taken away from me by the system… my dad got locked up. That made me a man. Because I’m just always given, given, given. So now that’s taken away, now what you going to do? And this is who I am today.
AllHipHop: Did it ever affect your music, with blogs and narratives?
Bay Swag: No, ’cause I know what’s really going on. Can’t listen to blogs. He about to come home and everything that was said going to get taken back.
AllHipHop: How do you deal with lies and slander? Internet is a lot.
Bay Swag: You got to be built for it. You can’t let it affect you. It be a lot of people in your comments saying, “Oh this sucks,” but this paying. Somebody like it. So I can’t reflect on you saying this. You got to be strong. It get crazy sometimes, but you got to deal with it. This what it come with.
AllHipHop: Is it worth it?
Bay Swag: To me, yeah. When people talk bad around me, it makes me feel good. Now I’ma show you.
AllHipHop: Was you making music when your dad was out?
Bay Swag: I made my first song when I was like 12 and I played it for him. I wasn’t really on it, just playing around. But I really started for real… he was bringing me to the studio and having songs already written. He come pick me up from school, make me read it and remember it. So when we go to the studio… when he did get locked up, I just put it to use.
AllHipHop: Biggest lesson you took from him?
Bay Swag: Just being myself. Staying true. Sucker-free.
AllHipHop: Tour going on right now.
Bay Swag: Yeah, I just had a show in Boston. We left Boston two days ago. It was lit.
AllHipHop: Seeing faces, headlining, touching the people, how it feel?
Bay Swag: Good, bro. Boston was only girls.
AllHipHop: Congratulations.
Bay Swag: Literally only women. It was fire. It’s a blessing. Got to keep going. Everything going to get greater. God is good. You got to stay patient. Nobody has patience. Everybody got the same 24. You got to wait your turn.
AllHipHop: A lot of people used your sound. Pressure to duplicate 2023?
Bay Swag: When that happens, we switch it up. People still on the beginning stages, we advanced it. It’s the same feel, but people can’t make it though.
AllHipHop: When you hear other artists do it, you impressed?
Bay Swag: Definitely impressed. It feel good. That means you doing something good in life. A lot of big artists, they songs going crazy with the same feel. Drake did it. Chris Brown, Kehlani… more and more. We really started a genre, a new genre.
AllHipHop: Aspirations outside music?
Bay Swag: Yeah, of course. My label, businesses, real estate. I’m trying to get into crypto. I was doing stock. It start with the music, but it’s about taking that money and turning it up.
AllHipHop: Y’all ever think about doing a Slizzy movie? House Party vibes, 13-and-up, streaming era.
Bay Swag: That’s definitely a great idea. I appreciate that.
AllHipHop: Any dates on projects?
Bay Swag: No dates yet. But show this weekend on Saturday. Philly is the 25th. A lot of consistency, a lot of music, level up, more structure. Putting the big-boy suits on and going crazy. This year… it’s up.
AllHipHop: Before I get you out of here, top five that are alive.
Bay Swag: I’ma give you my top five of my generation. Meek. Future. Thug. Drake. Lil Baby.
AllHipHop: Clean one. You can hear the influence in the sound. Let them know visuals and socials.
Bay Swag:Damaged Thoughts album out now. Swiggity the EP out now. This the year, man. We going crazy. Go tune in. Go tap in. Queens get the money. Free my pops. Feel the vibes.
AllHipHop: One behind the camera as usual. We out.
Disc 29 opens with “29 Intro” and includes tracks like “Two Six,” “SAFETY,” and “Run A Train.” The first half closes with “Lonely At The Top” as a bonus cut.
Disc 39 opens with “39 Intro” and features songs such as “Inevitable,” “The Villest,” and “Old Dog.” The second disc ends with “Ocean Way” after 11 main tracks plus a bonus.
J. Cole explained the concept behind both discs in a lengthy Instagram post. He connected the project back to his 2007 mixtape The Come Up.
“Some of the very first verses for The Come Up were written when I was just 19 years old,” J. Cole wrote. “The title of that project, the first one that I would ever release, had a double meaning.”
The rapper described his teenage dreams of making it in Hip-Hop. He was “a delusional teenager from Fayetteville, North Carolina who had decided to leave home and ‘come up’ to New York City on a dream-chasing mission.”
Cole painted a picture of his younger self driving home from college. He would call his mom first, then hit up his friends, asking, “where the party at?”
“The Fall-Off, a double album made with intentions to be my last, brings the concept of my first project full circle,” J. Cole explained.
The 41-year-old broke down the meaning of each disc.
“Disc 29 tells a story of me returning to my hometown at age 29. A decade after moving to New York, accomplishing what would have seemed impossible to most, I was at a crossroads with the 3 loves of my life; my woman, my craft, and my city.”
“Disc 39 gives insight into my mindset during a similar trip home, this time as a 39 year old man. Older and a little closer to peace.”
Cole shot all the album artwork himself. The front and back covers use photos he took at age 15. The back cover showing the tracklist captures his teenage bedroom walls.
“I woke up every morning as a teenager quite literally looking up to yall,” J. Cole wrote to the artists whose posters filled his room. “When this album releases please know that you, in some deeper metaphysical type way, are in the music too.”
Executive producers include Ibrahim “IB” Hamad, T-Minus, and Dreamville Records. The album will be released through Dreamville and Interscope Records.
Cole already dropped the lead single “Disc 2 Track 2” last month. The track features him rapping his life story in reverse chronological order.
The Fayetteville native also released Birthday Blizzard ’26 EP on his 41st birthday, January 28. The four-track project featured freestyles hosted by DJ Clue.
J. Cole has talked about retirement for years. He first mentioned stepping back from music around 2014’s 2014 Forest Hills Drive era.
The rapper said his 2024 Kendrick Lamar situation reinspired him creatively. He initially responded to Kendrick’s “Like That” verse but later apologized and removed his diss track “7 Minute Drill.”
The Fall Off marks Cole’s seventh studio album following 2021’s The Off-Season.
Fresh off the announcement of his official partnership with Steve Stoute’s UnitedMasters, Cincy’s own Aaron Staccato (@aaron.staccato) has turned it up a notch with the release of his newest visual, “Prove It,” featuring rising star Siri Imani. The new mini-movie showcases the two collaborators partying at a dope club in their hometown, celebrating success and future wins with the whole venue. While some clubs have people staring at each other from their own sections, it seems that when Aaron Staccato hits the club, everybody hits the dance floor to get active when his upbeat smashes play.
Cincinnati, Ohio, is known for the Bengals and the Reds, but many people are learning that the exciting Midwest city has been building a bubbling music scene that is looking to push out some dope creatives in the near future. While melodic emcee Dono made waves after holding her own on Netflix’s popular show “Rhythm & Flow,” other artists like Aaron Staccato, Siri Imani, and countless others have been setting the foundation for the new regime from Ohio.
Staccato is not new to the game, but he is focused on creating moments that last. With his faith in God standing strong and his charisma on full display, the rising emcee is poised for the best year of his career in 2026. There’s no limit to where he can take it, and he feels more confident than ever following his connection with the revolutionary distribution company, UnitedMasters.
Press play and get ready to party to “Prove It” via YouTube today!
