Nicki Minaj is preparing to let loose her fifth studio album in the coming days. However, the Young Money rapper had some bad news for her fans in the Windy City.
“I won’t be able to perform [tomorrow] in #Chicago for Jingle Ball,” she tweeted on Sunday (December 3). “I was so excited to see you guys. [Please] accept my sincerest apologies. I’ll make it up to you on the Chicago stops of my tour early next year,” Nicki Minaj tweeted on December 3. “My beloved brother/boss stepped up for me so that I wouldn’t have to push my album back. His name is Lil Wayne AKA the GOAT. He will perform [tomorrow at] the Chicago show.”
Nicki Minaj went on to let her followers know that she still plans to perform at the Atlanta Jingle Ball on December 14 and the Miami Jingle Ball on December 16.
Hi guys,
I have to tell you something. One last thing. Hope it doesn’t make you sad.
I won’t be able to perform tmrw in #Chicago for Jingle Ball. I was so excited to see you guys. Pls accept my sincerest apologies. I’ll make it up to you on the Chicago stops of my tour early…
Pink Friday 2 is scheduled to arrive on Friday (December 8). The sequel to 2010’s Pink Friday will be the rap superstar’s first full-length album since 2018’s Queen.
The original Pink Friday hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album at the 54th annual ceremony in 2012. Queen peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
Beyoncé now has the No. 1 movie in America following the release of RENAISSANCE: A Film by Beyoncé. According to reports, the concert film led the domestic box office in its opening weekend with $21 million. RENAISSANCE edged out The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes ($14.5 million) and scored one of the best opening weekends for a concert film in history.
“This is an excellent domestic opening for a concert film,” David A. Gross told Variety. Gross heads up the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research.
Beyoncé is credited as a writer, director and producer of the RENAISSANCE documentary. The movie follows the global superstar during her 2023 RENAISSANCE World Tour.
The RENAISSANCE album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2022 with more than 332,000 first-week units. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified Bey’s seventh studio LP as platinum.
RENAISSANCE hosts the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “Break My Soul” as well as “Cuff It” and “Energy” featuring Beam. The project won Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.
Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders and Tracey Edmonds have decided to part ways after 12 years as a couple. Edmonds announced the amicable split via Instagram on Sunday (December 3). She released a personal statement from herself and Deion Sanders.
“We have mutually decided that it is best for us to move forward in life AS FRIENDS and have made this decision with love in our hearts, respect for each other, and appreciation for the time we’ve shared together,” Edmonds wrote. “Please keep us in your prayers as we go through this transition. Thank you for being there for us ALL THESE YEARS! We love you and appreciate you SO MUCH!”
https://www.instagram.com/p/C0aYCq7rnMo/?hl=en
Around an hour after Edmonds posted her message to her followers, Deion Sanders jumped into the Instagram comment section to address his now-ex-fiancée.
“Love [you] Tracey and you’ve been a true blessing to me,” he said. “I appreciate the times we’ve shared and [the] laughs we’ve had. You are an amazing woman and a tremendous mother. God bless [you] with every endeavor and every step u take. You are HER. Tracey-Mack!!!”
Deion Sanders Comments Under Tracey Edmonds’s IG Post
Edmonds is best known for producing films/television shows such as Soul Food, College Hill, Lil’ Kim: Countdown to Lockdown and DMX: Soul of a Man. She also produced the Deion’s Family Playbook reality show.
Sanders currently serves as the head coach of the Colorado football program after leaving Jackson State in 2022. The Pro Football Hall of Famer also played on several NFL teams. Sanders was a standout professional baseball player as well.
The Georgia-bred rapper caused a lot of condemnation at the time. Two years later, Lil Nas X still generates a lot of backlash from certain groups of people.
“Y’all mind if I enter my Christian era?” Lil Nas tweeted on November 29, along with a teaser clip for a new song. A follow-up tweet read, in part, “Making Christian music does not mean I can’t suck dick no more.”
making christian music does not mean i can’t suck dick no more. the two are not mutually exclusive. i am allowed to get on my knees for multiple reasons.
In response, John “Holy Gabbana” Hill blasted Lil Nas X on social media. The internet personality formerly known as Boonk Gang suggested that homosexual men cannot be followers of Jesus Christ.
“If Nas X wanna be gay, cool, do [you] lil bra,” Holy Gabbana wrote. “[Just] don’t title [yourself] a Christian and make others believe it’s okay for us to live in habitual/intentional sin. [People] deserve TRUTH and I stand on [the] word of God.”
The Montero album creator returned to Twitter (X) on Sunday (December 3) to react to Holy Gabbana. The 2x-Grammy Award winner expanded his response to also include other pious critics of his statements and his work.
“It’s really insane how y’all pretend some of our pastors aren’t getting piped down before the Sunday service,” Lil Nas X wrote. “Y’all do not know Jesus personally, stop trying to gatekeep him.”
it’s really insane how yall pretend some of our pastors aren’t getting piped down before the sunday service. yall do not know jesus personally stop trying to gatekeep him https://t.co/qKFFUzA5bp
Fat Joe is speaking out after catching heat for saying he lied in “95 percent of my songs” as he discussed Young Thug and YSL’s ongoing RICO trial. He made the remarks during a recent interview with Gayle King while defending Young Thug’s free speech as an artist.
“I’ve been rapping professionally for 30 years, and I’ve lied in almost 95 percent of my songs,” Fat Joe said. “I write what I feel that day. I’m just being creative.”
While his comments caused some controversy, Fat Joe defended himself, claiming he had to make it clear that rappers embellish their lyrics because prosecutors are using them as evidence.
During an Instagram Live Sunday (December 3), he claimed that as an “elder statesman of Hip-Hop,” he put himself “in the hot seat” for the benefit of up-and-coming artists.
“I had to say 95% of what I say is a lie so that they could understand that it’s unfair to try some kids for the rest of their life with s### they might have not done,” Fat Joe explained. “None of this s### is true. It’s creativity. It’s imagination. Those who know, know.”
Despite admitting he exaggerates in his raps, Fat Joe said his street cred remains intact.
“If I say I use my creativity, my imagination in my music, don’t mean I ain’t lived a real f###ing life in the streets,” he added.
Usher was barely able to contain his emotion during the dramatic finale of his Las Vegas residency over the weekend. The iconic singer’s “My Show” appearances came to an end on Saturday (December 2), after a whopping 100 shows since July 2022. He was visibly emotional as he performed the final song of his set. Before the track ended, he dropped to his knees in front of the applauding crowd.
He turned away from the audience momentarily as his backup dancers cheered loudly in support. Tears streamed down his face as Usher turned to face his fans again, gathering himself before finishing the song.
Aww, Usher got emotional at the 100th and final sold out show of his Las Vegas Residency 🥹 pic.twitter.com/2PMdZWMXKS
Following his last performance, Usher took to social media to share a throwback clip from a 2004 interview. British journalist Trevor Nelson jokingly asked Usher to promise he wouldn’t be doing a Las Vegas residency in 20 years.
“I am such a theatrical artist,” he said in the video. “If I did decide to go to Las Vegas, it would be the most phenomenal thing you’ve ever seen in your life. It wouldn’t be like, ‘Oh God, he’s washed up, and this is just his opportunity to just, you know, collect as many checks as he wants to.’ No. It will be a phenomenal show.”
Usher followed up in the caption, saying, “I saw it then…look at me now.”
Although Usher’s Las Vegas Residency has ended, he returns to Sin City next year for one of the biggest gigs of his career. The “Confessions” hitmaker is gearing up to perform at the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show on February 11.
DaBaby revealed he’s quit drinking after embarrassing himself in front of his daughter following a wild night out. The “Shake Sumn” hitmaker took to Instagram Sunday (December 3) to announce he’s on “bed rest,” but he’s sober now. He also promised to fight anybody who offers him a drink.
“I don’t drink no more,” he told his followers. “Don’t try to give me no bottles, don’t try to offer me no shot, don’t do none of that. You offer me a drink from this point forward, I’m stealing the f### out. It’s a simple as that. We gone get to hitting immediately, so you better not be drunk ‘cause I’m going to be sober. I’m stealing off sober.”
DaBaby went explain that he decided to quit drinking after an embarrassing situation with his daughter.
“Throwing up in my Maybach, getting out the car with my pants halfway down. The f### wrong with me?” he said. However, the rapper was not alone in the car. His baby daughter was with him and offered her father some words of encouragement.
“I’m throwing up she beside me in her car seat talking ’bout some ‘Good job,’” DaBaby recalled. “I’m fighting for my life in that back seat and my baby talking about ‘good job.’ Man, it’s embarrassing, in front of my baby. I don’t drink no more.”
DaBaby also doubled down on his promise to fight anybody offering him a drink now he’s quit drinking.
“I’m stealing off, I dare you,” he added. “I’m going to be outside tonight, offer me a drink. If you want to fight, offer me a drink. I don’t give a f### who it is, I don’t. I don’t give a damn who it is.”
Joe Budden is fighting back against claims that he’s talking about NBA YoungBoy for clout after he trashed the younger rapper’s skills on a recent episode of his podcast.
His comments sparked an expletive-laced rant from YoungBoy, prompting Budden to respond. He took to a Twitter Spaces Sunday night (December 3) to rebuff claims of clout chasing. Furthermore, Budden says he’s even bigger than YoungBoy, and he came with receipts. He also addressed YoungBoy’s claims that his last album charted at No. 2, and he currently has two projects in the Top. 10.
“I just want to say I’m way bigger than him. Stop this,” he began. Although some of the other speakers disagreed, Joe Budden followed up with some NBA YoungBoy stats,
“You young idiots get followed by these label metrics and these digital tricks,” he added. “Would you like me to read you the numbers on YoungBoy’s last six projects?”
The rapper-turned-podcaster then listed off multiple projects alongside their corresponding first-week sales.
“Stop this, yo,” he stated, rejecting claims he missed some albums. “The point is you doing a lot for somebody that don’t sell more than 60,000 records. Stop it, it’s not this dominant force that you n##### keep trying to make it out to be. Y’all do the same thing with Brent [Faiyaz], y’all do the same thing with all these new n##### that y’all like.” Check out the clip below.
NBA YoungBoy Snaps On Joe Budden
Although Budden conceded that he “could have found a much nicer way” to word his initial NBA YoungBoy critique, the damage was already done.
On his podcast, Joe Budden called NBA YoungBoy “trash,” said his music is “horrible,” and added, “he is really, really, really, really, really bad.”
The Motown Records rapper heard his remarks and told him to “come on down to Grave Digger mountain and talk to me.”
Boosie Badazz has a word of warning for the new man in his daughter’s life.
During a recent Instagram Live, the father of eight revealed he received a text from his 21-year-old daughter, Ty, telling him she has a new boyfriend.
“She want me to meet him,” Boosie explained before adding that his daughter told him to “be nice,” to her new boo. “All my girls think I might do too much, but I’m not,” he added.
Boosie continued stating that he was “so happy” over the news. However, he laid down one condition for the new man in his daughter’s life.
“You can cheat on her, but don’t beat on her,” Boosie declared. “Just don’t hit her n####. Love her, I don’t give a f### what you do. Just don’t hit her.”
The Baton Rouge native went on to say, “I don’t give a damn” what goes on behind closed doors so long as his daughter’s new boyfriend keeps his hands to himself. Check out the clip below.
https://youtu.be/aL4CYteElsE?si=_PClrZqDkKF8M9mP
While Boosie said he dotes on his girls, he aired out his family drama earlier this year on the song “Ungrateful,” following a disagreement with his daughter Tori and her mother.
In a subsequent livestream, Boosie revealed that he was cutting his daughter off.
“The level of disrespect she got?” he said. “It ain’t would, I did take her out my will. I did! I did! It has been done. I did whatever to raise that child right. Tried everything. The disrespect you have for your daddy? You ain’t gon’ get nothing when I leave here.”
Producers of “Fast & Furious 9” have been fined $1 million after a stuntman broke his skull during a fight sequence.
The incident took place in 2019 during the filming of “Fast & Furious 9” at Warner Bros. studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, reports the BBC.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecutors detailed in court on Friday that during a fight scene on a balcony, Joe Watts’ safety line became detached as he performed a stunt that differed from the one that had been rehearsed several times.
The stuntman was initially supposed to be thrown over a performer’s right shoulder, however, in a last-minute change, the stunt actor was told he would be thrown over the actor’s left shoulder.
The safety line had not been checked in between takes. Watts missed the crash mats and fell 25ft headfirst onto the concrete ground. He has been left with brain damage.
HSE inspector Roxanne Barker said, “Mr Watts’ injuries were life-changing and he could have easily been killed… In stunt work, it is not about preventing a fall but minimizing the risk of an injury.”
Prosecutors argued that FF9 Pictures, a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, “did not extend the crash matting needed to mitigate the consequences of an unintended fall following changes to the set and the sequence of the stunt.”
During sentencing at Luton Magistrates’ Court, District Judge Talwinder Buttar remarked that Watts was “fortunate to be alive.”
She ordered the fine after FF9 Pictures admitted health and safety failings. Watts had worked on a number of productions including “Game of Thrones,” “Johnny English Strikes Again,” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” and “Kingsman: The Golden Circle.”
“Fast & Furious 9,” also known as “F9,” was released in 2021 and starred Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson and Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, among others.
NBA YoungBoy is apparently incensed over something Joe Budden said about his music. On Sunday (December 3), the Motown Records rapper snapped on Instagram Live and essentially challenged Budden step up. He tagged him multiple times, seemingly hoping to get a response to his expletive-laced rant.
In the clip, NBA YoungBoy holds a stack of money in front of the camera and shouts, “The last album I dropped sat at No. 2 Two of my albums still in the Top 10 you p### a## n####! Don’t speak on me. I don’t play that s###. Don’t rat on me either you p#### b####.
“You stupid dumb b####. Your dick don’t even get hard no more. F### wrong with that n####? Don’t rat on me. B#### you done all them interviews, come on down to Grave Digger mountain and talk to me. B#### if you can’t do that, you b####-made n####. Shut your f###ing mouth!”
— Shannonnn sharpes Burner (PARODY Account) (@shannonsharpeee) December 4, 2023
NBA YoungBoy was responding to recent comments Budden made about his artistic talent or, in his opinion, lack thereof on an episode of The Joe Budden Podcast.
“Uh, what else do I have written down here,” Budden said. “‘You ready to tell the truth about NBA YoungBoy?’ Am I ready to do this? That n###a is trash. He’s horrible. He is horrible, he is horrible, he is really, really, really, really, really bad. I don’t know him as a person, I’m only speaking about music. He is really, really, really bad. And that thing happened with him.
“When he was out, the label pushed a button and did some YouTube s###. All the little kids had to just come to the f###ing gathering and tell you about NBA YoungBoy’s views and how great he is and how awesome he is and how amazing he’s doing.”
Birdman also caught wind of Budden’s remarks and hopped in the fray. He wrote, “You fuckn with something you should leave alone. Stunna Corleone. Gotti Nbarg.” Of course, the scenario is nothing new for Budden; he’s used to ruffling feathers. Check out Birdman’s post below.
Will Smith has revealed that he and Michael B. Jordan’s “I Am Legend” sequel now has a script. Smith starred as U.S. army virologist Robert Neville in the original 2007 science-fiction blockbuster, which is currently being revisited after its screenwriter Avika Goldsman signed a first-look deal with Warner Bros. earlier this year.
Early reports indicated Jordan was also on board, with Smith confirming that he and his prospective co-star have received a script and are moving forward with the project.
According to Deadline.com, Will Smith gave the update at an In Conversation at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival on Saturday.
“I have a call with Michael B. Jordan tomorrow,” he explained. “We’re really close. I am probably giving up too much information…the script just came in.”
The star also revealed how Neville’s death in the first film would be changed – instating an alternate ending as canon – so he can come back for a second installment.
“We’re going with the mythology of the DVD version where my character lives and I can’t tell you anymore,” he explained.
The original grossed an impressive $585 million at the box office.
Tiffany Haddish has vowed to “get help” following her second arrest for driving under the influence (DUI) in two years and she just may get help – from the courts.
She is also fighting a suspicion of DUI charge in January 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia after falling asleep behind the wheel.
According to the latest court docs, state prosecutors in Georgia are asking to modify the conditions of her release in the case to bar her from using drugs or alcohol.
The “Girls Trip” actress was arrested on November 24 on suspicion of DUI after falling asleep behind the wheel of her car on Beverly Drive in Los Angeles.
Addressing the incident in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, the 43-year-old insisted it “will never happen again.” “I’m going to get some help so I can learn balance and boundaries,” she added.
Tiffany Haddish also explained that she had a busy Thanksgiving on Thursday and helped feed underprivileged people at the Laugh Factory before attending a Yächtley Crëw concert. She fell asleep in her car on the way home and her Tesla parked itself, but it blocked part of the street.
Tiffany Haddish told the outlet she was in good spirits and praised the Beverly Hills Police Department for how their officers handled the situation.
Hours after she was released, Haddish performed a stand-up set at the Laugh Factory on Friday night. She reportedly joked about her arrest when an audience member asked what happened.
“I had prayed to God to send me a man with a job, career, preferably in a uniform, and I answered my prayers,” she said, according to audio.
Kim Kardashian has joked that her family “scammed the system” to become famous.
During Thursday’s season four finale of “The Kardashians,” the Kardashian/Jenner clan gathered to celebrate Scott Disick’s 40th birthday.
As Kim raised a glass to Scott, she thanked him for supporting her “through thick and thin” and being with her “through every phase” of the past 19 years.
Scott, who shares three children with his ex Kourtney Kardashian, joked that he has supported Kim since her first cover photoshoot for K9 dog magazine all the way through to her Vogue covers and her new job as an aspiring lawyer.
Reflecting on how far they’ve come, Kim quipped, “Guys, we scammed the system. We did it! Whatever it is, we figured it out and did it! We put in some hard work.”
The Skims founder added in a confessional, “Scott’s my motivator. He’ll always say, ‘God, can you believe you did it?’ And I’m like, ‘I can’t, this is crazy.’
“We aren’t supposed to be here, like how did we get in this cool party? We weren’t the cool kids; how did we do it?”
During an interview with Vogue Arabia in September 2019, the 43-year-old admitted she was “embarrassingly obsessed” with fame before she became a household name.
“Money was always the goal, but I was obsessed with fame, like, embarrassingly obsessed,” she shared. “I do agree that fame can be addictive. But now, my focus has shifted.”
Anyone remotely paying attention to the news cycle is likely aware Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura sued him in a Manhattan federal court on November 16. Not only did she allege physical and sexual abuse, but she also claimed Diddy had something to do with Kid Cudi’s car blowing up in his driveway more than a decade ago.
So when Kimora Lee Simmons revealed there’d been a fire at her Los Angeles home, people were quick to point the finger at Diddy. After all, Simmons—who was best friends with Diddy’s late ex Kim Porter—recently spoke up about the allegations against Diddy in a cryptic post that read, “As you sow, so shall you reap.” In a 2004 interview, Simmons also claimed Diddy once tried to hit her. She appears to have an arsenal of information on Diddy’s private life, leading people to suspect Diddy wants to keep her quiet.
On Saturday (December 2), Simmons posted a photo of the firefighters at her home with the caption, “My house caught fire. The kids and I are all fine. I cannot express enough my deepest gratitude to the numerous battalions, ladders and units that attended to us for many hours and quite possibly saved our lives. THANK YOU!!!”
The comments immediately started rolling in: “She was talking bout Diddy and then this happens; DIDDY definitely had something to do with this; Whatever they say he did HE DID THAT S###; The way I ran to the comments to make sure everyone was blaming Diddy; Where was Diddy at the time of said incident; Diddy hire someone to do it!! He want all y’all to stop talking.”
In one incident described in Ventura’s lawsuit, she alleges in early 2012 Diddy grew so angry about her dating Kid Cudi that he said he would blow up his car: “Around that time, Kid Cudi’s car exploded in his driveway.” Through a spokeswoman, Kid Cudi confirmed Ventura’s account, saying, “This is all true.”
The suit describes Diddy as a violent person who once asked Ventura to carry his gun in her purse. It also suggests he dangled Ventura’s friend over a 17th-floor hotel balcony. Ventura says Diddy also provided her with “copious amounts of drugs,” including ecstasy and ketamine, and urged her to take them. The suit alleges he often became violent, beating her “multiple times each year.” Ventura says she never sought help from the police because she feared it “would merely give Mr. Combs another excuse to hurt her.”
Simmons, unsurprisingly, hasn’t addressed the comments connecting the fire to Diddy, but the internet is going to keep being the internet. As one person asserts, “Diddy pulling old school mafia moves. This was a warning.”
That Diddy man is so damn unstoppable he done had Kimora lee house setup on fire cause on a random Saturday night why would they happen ? Let’s be fr that man something serious. 🤣😂😂
Who tried to burn down Kimora Lee Simmons home?🤷🏽♀️ Everyone is going to think it was Diddy, even if Diddy did not do it. You also have to look at Russell Simmons and Tim Leissner. Or maybe she needed the insurance money. Not fun keeping the secrets of rich powerful men. https://t.co/IbTmUlnFfz
Rest in Peace to Tim Sanchez, fondly known as Styles, a name synonymous with West Coast rap journalism. The good brother will forever resonate in the hearts of those who knew him and the countless artists he championed. He’s a man who left an indelible mark on the world of Hip-Hop and West Coast culture.
Sanchez was undoubtedly one of the hardest and illest representative of West Coast rap journalism (all respect to all writers, photographers and others), and his unwavering dedication to the culture was unparalleled. His contributions to the Hip-Hop community and impact are immeasurable. Sanchez was a true pillar of support for artists, emerging and established alike, making sure the West Coast had a prominent voice in the ever-evolving Hip-Hop landscape.
Throughout his career, Sanchez’s passion for the West Coast Hip-Hop scene shone brightly and I was a witness. Whenever I needed to connect with legendary figures like Big Hutch (Cold 187um) from Above The Law or RBX or wanted to pay homage to Shock G with Money B, I knew I could always call Tim Sanchez. He was ever-present. He wasn’t just a journalist; he was a bridge between the artists and their fans, a champion of their talent.
Tim Sanchez’s journey began in the early 2000s with sites such as West Coast Ridaz and AllHipHop but eventually evolved into his his own site, westcoaststyles.com. He wrote for AllHipHop until the very end, continuing to advocate for the culture. His commitment to showcasing and celebrating West Coast talent was unwavering, and he also made sure he showcased his Mexican family too. He showed love and support for all things West Coast, writing, taking pictures and offering counsel to make sure we were covering things properly. He even extended his generosity by providing opportunities for young talents like young rap journalists. Tim Sanchez truly believed in giving back to the community he loved.
Many of your favorite rappers owe a debt of gratitude to him for opening doors and giving them a platform when they were just starting. It’s a testament to his character that he never sought acknowledgment or credit for his role in their success. Perhaps, in his passing, the world will finally recognize and celebrate the immense contribution he made to the game. This is my prayer, especially as we celebrate 50 years.
If there’s a heaven above, Tim Sanchez now stands among the Westside greats he admired so much, looking down on us. In recent years, his bond with those around him grew stronger. His dedication remained steadfast, and his final text to me echoed his eternal commitment: “I’m always here. Team AHH.” And, right before he passed, he managed to get to see the ceremony for Eazy-E street naming. That is so Tim Sanchez. His passion for the culture never wavered.
Rest in Peace, Tim Sanchez. Your memory lives on, forever etched into the fabric of Hip-Hop history. Thank you for everything you did for the culture—for AllHipHop—and for the lives you touched along the way. You wil be deeply missed, but your spirit will remain forever.
Rest in Peace to my brother, @Tim_Sanchez aka Stylez. There will never be a journalist to rep the West Coast like this man. This is a terrible loss, not only to the culture, but to humankind. He was a great human being and a cherished friend. SIP, Bro. We are hurting down here. pic.twitter.com/rsppv4ipCe
Lil Yachty became a trending Twitter (X) topic on Sunday (December 4) for recent comments he made during an event in Brooklyn hosted by Rolling Stone.
At one point in the conversation—dubbed “Musicians On Musicians”—Lil Yachty lamented the state of rap, saying, “This s### sucks. The place that Hip-Hop is in right now is a terrible place. It’s a lot of imitation. It’s a lot of quick, low-quality music being put out. It’s trendy. It’s a lot less risk-taking. It’s a lot less originality.”
.@lilyachty on the state of rap at our Musicians on Musicians event:
“This s### sucks. The place that hip-hop is in right now is a terrible place…It’s trendy. It’s a lot less risk-taking. It’s a lot less originality.”
While fellow panelist Tierra Whack praised the “freedom” in rap right now, Lil Yachty countered, “I’m just saying people are too safe now. I’d rather take the risk and take the L.”
Upon hearing Yachty’s comments, some people were quick to blame him for adding to the problem. As one person tweeted, “Is someone gonna tell Lil Yachty that he contributed to a lot of the wack s### in hip-hop?” while another wrote, “Letting Yachty opine about hip hop is like letting cancer talk about why other diseases cause health problems.” Yet another added, “They be letting Tyler and Yachty speak on rap like they don’t spew pure a## from every orifice of their being.”
Despite the negative opinions, some were also quick to point out Lil Yachty’s latest album, Let’s Start Here, was actually a creative flex on his part. Instead of the typical trap sounds he employed on albums like Lil Boat 3, he embraced his newfound love of psychedelic rock, another topic he addressed during the “Musicians On Musicians” event.
“For me, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon … I heard that album, and it altered my perspective on music, in its entirety,” he said. “After hearing that album, it sunk into my brain that we have been so limited with our content, compared to the things that we are able to do. Man, there’s endless ways to form a sonic wave. That album came out when there was no Auto-Tune, no ProTools, no FruityLoops. This is all hardware, you know what I’m saying?
“Like, these n#### is old. I realized that through the years, while we got all this great, amazing advanced technology, my personal opinion is that it handicapped us as creatives. Back then all you had was your brain and your skills, you what know I’m saying? I got really obsessed with watching old artists’ live performance videos. I just think about, “Man, them n##### had no in-ears.”
I think society would improve a bit if we stop askin lil yachty for his opinion
There are plenty of people clamoring for something different. One was in favor of Lil Yachty’s experimental album, saying, “Theres a lot of people who say this and do nothing to change it. Say what you will but Yachty has taken CREATIVE risks since day 1 and is still evolving every year. Music needs more real weirdos.”
Still, most people weighing in on Lil Yachty’s comments weren’t supportive. As one person said, “I hate pretentious a## n##### bruh he acts like he’s not lil yachty.”
Young Dolph’s fiancée believes more people were involved in his murder than those who’ve been charged in the case thus far.
Speaking to WREG, Mia Jaye was asked what justice for Young Dolph looks like to her and she answered with a rather candid reply, insinuating that the alleged triggerman, Justin Johnson, may just be a patsy.
“It looks like the truth coming to the forefront, not just a fall guy, a fall that won’t be good enough,” she said. “Everybody who had any type of involvement with this being brought to justice, being brought front and center, being handed a sentence.”
At the time of his death, Young Dolph was involved in a back-and-forth feud with Yo Gotti, with both artists releasing diss tracks against each other.
Dolph’s song “Play Wit Yo B-tch” and Gotti’s response “Don’t Beef Wit Me” highlighted their rivalry. Despite their musical exchanges, Dolph claimed there was no personal issue that needed to be settled with Gotti.
However, the violence that seemed to follow Young Dolph’s murder suggested otherwise.
Blac Youngsta, a rapper signed with Yo Gotti’s CMG label., was arrested for his involvement in a shooting targeting Young Dolph in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2016.
The incident involved more than 100 rounds of gunfire targeted at Young Dolph’s bulletproof truck. Blac Youngsta, along with two other men, surrendered to police in relation to the shootout.
Authorities recovered a cache of weapons and seized a minivan involved in the incident. Furthermore, Howard “Keon” Wright, Yo Gotti’s road manager and label vice president, pleaded guilty to charges connected to the shooting. He was convicted of several charges, including discharging a firearm into occupied property and conspiracy to discharge a firearm into an occupied dwelling and sentenced to 10 to 14 years in prison.
Young Dolph was shot outside the Loews Hotel in Los Angeles in September 2017, an incident involving a member of Yo Gotti’s entourage. The suspect, 43-year-old Corey McClendon, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder but released the next day without charges. No arrest was subsequently made in the case.
Multiple suspects have been collared for the death of rapper Young Dolph on November 17, 2021 in his hometown of Memphis.
Initially, Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith were arrested and pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges. They also faced accusations of attempted first-degree murder, being convicted felons in possession of a firearm, employment of a firearm during a dangerous felony and theft of property over $10,000.
Hernandez Govan emerged as the third suspect. He was hit with charges including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
Another individual Shundale Barnett was charged with accessory after the fact of first-degree murder. Jermarcus Johnson pleaded guilty to three counts of accessory after the fact. He secured his release after accepting a plea deal. Joshua Taylor and Devin Burns were later identified as suspects by the Memphis Police Department.
So far, prosecutors have yet to reveal a motive for the slaying of Young Dolph as the first suspects prepare for trial, which is already embroiled in a mild controversy.
Judge Lee Coffee, who was presiding over the trial, was ordered to step down by the Court of Criminal Appeals. The decision stemmed from a dispute involving one of the defendants, Justin Johnson, also known as “Straight Drop.” Johnson, while incarcerated, released a song titled “No Statements” on YouTube.
Upon discovering the song, Judge Coffee reportedly contacted the chief jailer and ordered Johnson to be placed in administrative isolation despite the jail’s conclusion that Johnson hadn’t violated any rules by recording the song.
Johnson’s lawyers questioned Judge Coffee’s impartiality, prompting a request for his recusal. Although Judge Coffee initially declined this request, the decision was later appealed.
The Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that “it would appear to a reasonable person that Judge Coffee has a prejudice of a personal character directed at the defendant,” leading to his removal from the case.
A new judge will oversee the trial, which involves Justin Johnson and co-defendants Jermarcus Johnson, Cornelius Smith and Hernandez Govan.
“For me to see this play out as if it is some type of entertainment. We got songs being made, but how are these people getting held accountable? Right. The judge being pulled off the case because of him reprimanding the situation?” Mia Jaye added. “Like we not about to play this out like it’s some reality TV show in ink, in living color. You know, that’s a disrespect to me. That’s a disrespect to my family and it’s a disrespect to Adolph.”
Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith are scheduled to stand trial on March 11.
Keke Palmer had a “rude awakening” in some of her adult relationships because they weren’t like her parents’ marriage.
Keke Palmer, who recently accused her ex-boyfriend Darius Jackson of domestic violence, opened up about unhealthy relationships during Tuesday’s episode of the “Baby, This is Keke Palmer” podcast.
Palmer explained that she naively assumed all relationships were as loving and respectful as her parent’s marriage, but she was wrong.
“So misogyny came at me hard and quick, with the quickness,” Keke Palmer said. “I grew up in a house where my mom would say, ‘This is what it needs to be.’ And (my father) Larry would be like, ‘OK, Sharon. Go on ahead, Sharon.'”
She continued, “So, for me, when I entered outside of my household and I saw that everybody doesn’t really respect their wives or even women in the way that my dad respects my mom, it (was) a pretty rude awakening.”
Earlier this month, the 30-year-old was granted temporary sole custody of her and Darius’ nine-month-old son Leodis.
Keke Palmer was also given a temporary restraining order after detailing alleged incidents of domestic violence. He has been barred from coming within 100 yards of Palmer and their son.
Elsewhere on the podcast, the True Jackson VP star declared she was now putting her happiness first.
“It was just like, I choose happiness and I choose joy, and I don’t choose to go back there,” she told her guest Dr. Drew Pinsky. “And like you said, as time goes on, I’m like, I’m good. Whatever that was, I’m good.”
Cardi B hit the runway on December 2, making her debut on the catwalk at Balenciaga’s Fall 2024 fashion show in Los Angeles. Cardi rocked a floor-length deep royal blue fur coat, closing out the show with her playful and oversized outerwear.
As usual, haters online suggested some of Cardi B’s looks were photoshopped. She was quick to dismiss the allegations, tweeting, “It’s the photoshop. You know you gagged them too hard when the haters gotta start making edits.”
Despite the judgement, the event was a momentous occasion for Cardi B and Balenciaga, as it represented their first-ever showing in Hollywood.
Cardi B took it back to the 1990s, featuring trimmed, thin eyebrows and lips outlined with black liner and filled with red lip stain, complemented by a shimmering silver stud at the corner of her lips.
The outdoor runway show presented an array of designs from over-the-top couture to cozy loungewear, highlighting the diverse and creative vision of Balenciaga.
Celebs who watched Cardi B strut her stuff included Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, Teyana Taylor, Tinashe, Kim Kardashian, Salma Hayek and Kendall Jenner.
Cardi B’s journey with Balenciaga began with her lyrics, manifesting her affinity for the brand in her hit song “I Like It.” By 2020, she had become the international fashion house’s first major celebrity spokesperson in recent memory, marking her first high-fashion brand deal.
The partnership was officially announced as part of Balenciaga’s Winter 2020 ad campaign, showcasing the rapper in a distinctive and influential role with the 103-year-old luxury fashion house.