RepIt Productions and Southeast Productions released a three-part documentary series titled Marlo on Friday (October 13). The docuseries explores the life of former drug kingpin Marlow Bates a.k.a. Marlo Stanfield, who inspired the character of the same name from HBO’s acclaimed series The Wire.
“Most people think Marlo is just a fictional character, but his real story is even more intriguing than how he’s portrayed in The Wire,” the documentary’s producer Azalaya Fraser said.
The documentary gives The Wire fans a glimpse at the real-life Stanfield Organization. Stanfield reflects on becoming an infamous figure in West Baltimore at the age of 24 and how it led to him spending 36 years in prison.
“The documentary made me ponder – who knows how Marlo would’ve turned out if he had grown up in a different environment,” director D’Oyen Fraser Sr. said. “This thought-provoking exploration of Marlo’s life invites viewers to contemplate the complex factors that shaped him into the figure we know today.”
Marlo is available to stream exclusively on the REPLIVE app. The documentary will also be shown at select theaters in three cities: Baltimore (October 16-18), Columbia, Maryland (October 21) and Harlem (October 28).
Tickets forthe theatrical screenings are available here.
Connie Diiamondis here to leave her stamp on the rap game. Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, the birthplace to Hip-Hop and home to some of the greatest spitters to date, the rising star arrives with her own swag, style, and braggadocious bars — and she demands attention in any room she walks in.
Connie first garnered a buzz back in 2016 when her freestyle to Drake’s “Summer Sixteen” went completely viral. Five years later, her rendition of DaBaby’s “Ball If I Want To” went even crazier. Organically catching the attention of Def Jam CEO Tunji Balogun, who went on to sign her to the label, Connie Diiamond continues to grind, putting in the work to become one of the greats.
In describing herself, Connie states she’s “this dope, cool, aggressive, ghetto individual from the Bronx, New York, providing the girls with a vibe by any means.”
Most recently, Connie released her new single called “Ghetto & Ratchet.” This follows the release of her highly-anticipated project titled UNDERDOG SZN. Clocking in at 9 tracks, the project is spearheaded by her lead single “Move,” which even Ludacris cosigned as straight heat. She also has a standout collaboration with Dame D.O.L.L.A. on “Raid,” and enlisted KenTheMan for the “Move” remix.
AllHipHop spoke with Connie Diiamond during BET weekend in Los Angeles, who was sporting her signature blue hair. Read below as we discuss her roots in the Bronx, going viral, how she got signed, the new project, collaborating with Dame D.O.L.L.A. and KenTheMan, studio essentials, and more!
AllHipHop: Talk about being from the Bronx, what does the city mean to you?
Connie Diiamond: The Bronx is where I was born, I spent some time in Queens as well growing up. Most of my family’s in the Bronx, so it’s a very special place to me. As you know, Hip-Hop was created in The Bronx as well, so I feel very tied up and intertwined into it.
AllHipHop: When did you fall in love with music?
Connie Diiamond: I fell in love with music around 14 years old. The song that really grabbed me was “Cherchez La Ghost” by Ghostface Killah. That’s my favorite song all-time.
AllHipHop: When did you realize you could do music for a living?
Connie Diiamond: 2016, I did a Drake “Summer Sixteen” freestyle. That was the first time I ever went viral. I was viral on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr. This is before we had Instagram Stories. It made me feel like okay, I probably could do it. People were gravitating towards me. Oh yeah, I’ma take it full throttle. I always played around, but that freestyle went viral. Okay yeah, let’s do it.
AllHipHop: You posted it everywhere?
Connie Diiamond: I posted it on Twitter, and it went everywhere else. I went viral on Twitter at least three times, because of Twitter. “Ball If I Want To” freestyle, that’s the one that got me signed to Def Jam.
The CEO of Def Jam saw that one, shout out to Tunji. He signed me directly.
AllHipHop: How did he reach out?
Connie Diiamond: He started following me on Instagram, then I think he DMed me. I got his email, and we went to a lunch meeting with his wife. He said he flat out wants to sign me.
AllHipHop: How did that feel?
Connie Diiamond: It felt really good, because it was very personal. Even though our relationship now is very personal, I could call him right now on the phone. I know a lot of people don’t have that relationship with their CEOs of the label. I saw him last night, I’ma see him again next week. I saw him last week, so it’s that cool. It’s dope, he’s a good person.
AllHipHop: Was it always your goal to get signed?
Connie Diiamond: Yeah, because I feel like I’ve done as much as I can do on my own. I need the extra help now.
Connie Diiamond: My sound is hardcore, aggressive rap. Fun music. [laughs]
AllHipHop: What was the inspiration behind your name?
Connie Diiamond: It’s funny because my name used to be Black Diiamond, but then my friend made a mistake and called me Connie Diiamond. I liked how it sounded, so I kept it. Connie is my name, but I just liked Black Diiamond. He was doing my ad libs for me. It was a pointwhere I used to hate doing ad libs, so he’d do them for me. He made a mistake and said “Connie Diiamond,” instead of Black Diiamond. I just kept it.
AllHipHop: You just dropped UNDERDOG SZN, how are you feeling?
Connie Diiamond: I feel good about it. I’m ready to drop visuals. I have nine songs. Out of the nine, two have visuals. I’m ready, I want to drop a visual to every song. That’s where I’m at. My usual process is dropping a visual. But with the label, they have their own formulas for s###. So I got to follow their lead until I can really do it on my own.
AllHipHop: Love seeing you connect with KenTheMan on “Move,” that’s my girl.
Connie Diiamond: I just got off the phone with her. She’s going to be in New York tomorrow, she has a show. She’s going to be in New York the following week as well.
AllHipHop: How did y’all tap in?
Connie Diiamond: I met her in Texas at SXSW manyyears ago, before either of us were signed. But we stayed in contact. She heard “Move,” she said she wanted to jump on it and we got it done. Love her, she’s a sweetheart.
AllHipHop: Bring us back to when you made “Move.”
Connie Diiamond: “Move” is funny because I got that beat, I was finishing up a session. The producer said “hey before you go out, I want you to hear a beat.” He played it, and I already had the first four bars in my head. Because it was so good.
AllHipHop: Do you freestyle everything?
Connie Diiamond: I don’t freestyle, but I was mumbling some flows in my head.
AllHipHop: How was it meeting Ludacris?
Connie Diiamond: It was so good. I was just telling someone else in an interview earlier that he looks 25. No, he seriously looks like he hasn’t aged a day. He was so nice, such a sweetheart. It was so cool, I couldn’t believe it. I wish I could stay with him all day, so nice.
AllHipHop: And he said your s### was fire right?
Connie Diiamond: Yeah, he said he loved it.
AllHipHop: How’d you link with Dame D.O.L.L.A. on “Raid”? That’s a big deal.
Connie Diiamond: I know, I don’t feel like it is but people do.
AllHipHop: He’s one of the best NBA players!
Connie Diiamond: He is a really good artist too. We have a mutual friend. I was chillin’ with him one day, we were in Boston. We was drunk, freestyling and s###. I let him hear some of my stuff, he let me hear some of his stuff. We’re like, “let’s work.” I said I had a record for him, he gave it back to me the next day. Literally the next day, I couldn’t believe it.
AllHipHop: What was your reaction when you heard it?
Connie Diiamond: I was so excited. Wow, I know he’s good at basketball, but he’s really nice as a musician as well. I was excited for that, then I got placement with NBA 2K. I got a song placement on 2K from that, so that was good.
AllHipHop: How was it shooting the music video?
Connie Diiamond: It was so fun man. It was my first official, real music video with the label. I shot it in Portland, it was an all day thing. He came, he let us borrow his car. It was fun. It was a lot of fun.
AllHipHop: What is it you want fast to get from your story?
Connie Diiamond: I want people to know that it pays to stand on how you feel. Constantly be yourself. Never stop working. You’ve set yourself 10 steps back and you stop. The road gets rough, very f###### rough. But the goal is to keep going. Never stop.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio at all times?
Connie Diiamond: I don’t need tequila, but when I’m in LA, I need tequila when I’m recording. When I’m in New York, I don’t need liquor to record. I don’t know what it is. When I’m here, I need liquor. So tequila when I’m in LA, good energy. Good energy people. I typically don’t like to have a lot of people in my sessions. And some candy. I love candy.
AllHipHop: I love candy! What kind?
Connie Diiamond: I like Sour Powers, gummy worms. Sour Patches, I eat sour candy. Gummy sour candy.
AllHipHop: What would you be doing if you were doing music?
Connie Diiamond: If I wasn’t doing music, I’d be working in the salon still. I worked at two hair salons, one in Dykeman and Manhattan, New York. I was making wigs, doing hair, combing hair, and selling hair. That’s what I did before I was signed, that’s when I stopped.
AllHipHop: Do you do your own hair, or you have people do it?
Connie Diiamond: Honestly, I did a bad job today. It doesn’t look anything like I wanted it to look. I was going for a wet look, but it got dry.
AllHipHop: What’s been the best part of this whole journey?
Connie Diiamond: I think the best part was staying patient, staying down. Because a lot of times, I quit. A lot of times, I said I’m not going to do this anymore. I got discouraged. I’m starting to realize that’s part of the process. Just because you don’t see other celebrities’ downfalls or their rough moments, that doesn’t mean they’re not happening. I have to find a medium where I can understand that I have to detach away from the group. You’re looking at all the pretty s###, but it’s not always that. When you see that, you see things. You want more for yourself. Take your time and trust the process.
AllHipHop: Who are your top 5 artists and rotation?
Connie Diiamond: Right now, worldwide? Summer Walker. Fabolous. Jadakiss. Missy Elliott. Hmm, I’ma put Trippie Redd on there. I had an era where I was obsessed. Merch, I went crazy. I never bought merch in my life. Stickers, posters. I had a Trippie Redd era where I was going crazy.
AllHipHop: One thing fans may not know about you?
Connie Diiamond: That I’m really sensitive. And I’m scared of dogs.
AllHipHop: What can we expect next?
Connie Diiamond: I’m going to drop the deluxe soon, then some visuals. Visuals visuals visuals. That’s it. I want to drop videos, that’s it.
AllHipHop: You got any crazy treatments for the videos?
Connie Diiamond: I’m still working on some, but I’m gonna take my time with the rest.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let us know?
Connie Diiamond: UNDERDOG SZN out everywhere. Keep streaming and run it up!
R. City return with a new hit single titled “WAPA. Brothers Theron and Timothy are best known for their smash hits, including Billboard Hot 100-charting “Locked Away” featuring Adam Levine and collaborations with Drake, Rihanna, Usher, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Justin Bieber, and Ariana Grande just to name a few. Now, they’re ready to deliver a fresh set of flavors to celebrate their native roots in the Virgin Islands. Serving up a Caribbean twist on UK drill, “WAPA” is from R. City’s forthcoming mixtape,This Is Not A Drill…This Is Really Happening!
A tapestry of elusive raw energy, R. City skillfully melds music cultures together in this hypnotic track. “WAPA” embraces island rizz and the unique facets of identity that make Caribbeans the smoothest in the game. With witty banter that takes a stab at pop culture, “WAPA” builds a rolling wave of momentum for their upcoming project.
R. City’s recent collaborations include Jung Kook, Latto, Ciara, Lil Durk, J. Cole, David Guetta, Arya Starr, and Justin Timberlake. They have contributed to numerous Grammy-nominated albums, including Rihanna’s Unapologetic, Jennifer Hudson’s self-titled album, and Ariana Grande’s My Everything .The ceiling is limitless for R. City, and they can’t wait to honor their heritage as proud Virgin Islanders with the release of their new single “WAPA”.
Combining hip-hop, pop, and Caribbean flavors, brothers Theron and Timothy have written hits for Akon, Usher, Sean Kingston, the Pussycat Dolls, Ashlee Simpson, and many others while using the name Rock City, eventually shortened to R. City. Born in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, the brothers decided after high school that they were going to try to make it in the music business. A move to America was necessary so they came to the States via Atlanta before settling in Miami. There, they began writing for Akon, who quickly signed the brothers to his Kon Live label. After their song “The Rain” landed on Akon’s#### album Konvicted, songwriting for others kept them away from their own music. It wasn’t until 2008 that Rock City released their infectious single “Losing It”, along with mixtape Put the F*cking Album Out. The album in question was Wake the Neighbors, which Kon Live promised for later that same year. The label never delivered, and eventually the album was shelved, while the duo continued releasing mixtapes (issuing no less than eight volumes of PtFAO).
Rock City finally left Kon Live in 2011 and started their own label, Rebelution Records, briefly changing their name to Planet VI for a few years before settling on R. City. Despite all the hassle of releasing their own music, they had no trouble scoring hits for other artists, penning enormously successful singles for Rihanna, Justin Bieber, and Miley Cyrus. Additionally, R. City contributed to Grammy-nominated albums by Ariana Grande, Iggy Azalea, and Jennifer Hudson, among others. Dr. Luke signed R. City to his Kemosabe Records, and in 2015 the duo released #WhatDreamsAreMadeOf, an album about the struggles involved with their upbringing in the Virgin Islands. The album’s first single, “Locked Away,” featured Adam Levine and was a Billboard Hot 100-charting hit. With recent hit collaborations among the likes of Jung Kook, Latto, Ciara, Lil Durk, and J. Cole, there’s no telling what R. City will accomplish next.
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett have been using the phrase “life partners” to describe their relationship for years. As Pinkett shares more about their marriage in the promotion of her new book, Worthy, she talks about how she was shocked that he called her “wife,” as it is not a typical word in the family’s nomenclature considering the couple has been separated since 2016.
During Pinkett’s interview with the TODAY show, she shared the Chris Rock altercation at the 2022 Oscars was the first time Smith had called her his “wife” in years.
She said she was startled by the identifier, saying, “First of all, I’m really shocked, because mind you, I’m not there. We haven’t called each other husband and wife in a long time.”
According to Pinkett, the two had been living “completely separate lives” and didn’t share it with the world because they were not “ready yet.”
“Still trying to figure out between the two of us how to be in partnership. … In regards to, how do we present that to people? We hadn’t figured that out,” the mother of three said.
They also said they weren’t going to legally divorce.
“I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce,” she said. “We will work through … whatever. I just haven’t been able to break that promise.”
In 2013, the Low Down Dirty Shame actress shared with HuffPost Live that they don’t have a traditional marriage but have constructed a system that works for them.
“I’ve always told Will, ‘You can do whatever you want as long as you can look at yourself in the mirror and be OK, because at the end of the day, Will is his own man,” she said in the interview. “I’m here as his partner, but he is his own man.”
Many thought her comments meant that the two were in an open marriage, but it may have been a glimpse of the non-traditional love that the two have— where they’re not necessarily defined as husband and wife but as partners committed to spending their lives together (even if they are not romantic).
“Should we be married to individuals who can not be responsible for themselves and their families within their freedom? Should we be in relationships with individuals who we can not entrust to their own values, integrity, and LOVE…for us???” she wrote on her Facebook after the interview. “Here is how I will change my statement…Will and I BOTH can do WHATEVER we want because we TRUST each other to do so. This does NOT mean we have an open relationship…this means we have a GROWN one.”
This mindset started to develop and within five years, Smith shared publicly how he sees their coupling.
In 2018, two years after the two secretly separated, Smith talked about how the two define their marriage with him saying, they don’t say they are “married” anymore.
“We don’t even say we’re married anymore…we refer to ourselves as life partners,” he explained on the show. “Where you get into that space where you realize you are literally with somebody for the rest of your life. There’s no deal breakers. There’s nothing she could do — ever. Nothing that would break our relationship. She has my support till death, you know what I mean, and it feels so good to get to that space where you’re not complaining, and worrying, and demanding that a person be a certain thing.”
Smith added, “This right now is the best time in my life, ever, I’ve never been happier.”
Drake is a serial gambler who’s willing to put down big bucks when it comes down to betting on his favorite athlete to win. While things seem to have been slow for a minute, Champagne Papi is back— betting almost $1 million on Logan Paul to win in a boxing match against Dillion Danis on Saturday (October 14).
He took to Instagram on Thursday (October 12) to share his bet, captioning the post, “Never bet against personal vendetta and settling scores. @stake @loganpaul.”
Danis made the news public, tweeting out, “850 on my head is disrespect.”
The boxer posted a screenshot of Drake’s Stake bet, where he posted a receipt of $850,000, with 1.59 odds and an estimated payout of over $1.35 million.
The Grammy Award-winning artist isn’t playing with Monopoly money either and fans are taking note. Drake is betting that Paul wins by a knockout. According to Outkick, many betters are waging against Drake and Paul.
The Senate is proposing a bill aimed at deterring people from abusing AI. The idea is to punish creatives who use the technology to impede the individuals’ rights, image, likeness and sound. The proposed law was raised during the SAG/AFTRA negotiations with studios. On the actors’ side, AI replicas were key points of friction because it threatened their livelihood.
THIS is the future: AI protections for voice and likeness, an invaluable tool for performers.
A bipartisan group of United States senators now are pushing to have any unauthorized use of artificial intelligence-powered recreations of people’s voices and images to be federally banned.
Democratic Senators Chris Coons and Amy Klobuchar, along with Republican Senators Marsha Blackburn and Thom Tillis released an official statement on Wednesday (October 11) regarding the proposed Nurture Originals, Foster Art and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act.
This law would hold both companies and individuals responsible for creating unauthorized AI replicas of anyone, whether they are alive or deceased. Platforms that knowingly host these unauthorized AI copies are also held accountable. Violators could face penalties starting at $5,000 per violation.
Senator Blackburn said the bill is a “good first step” for lawmakers to protect actors, singers, rappers, songwriters, actors and creatives who “deserve the right to own their name, image, and likeness (NIL).”
Coons added, “Creators around the nation are calling on Congress to lay out clear policies regulating the use and impact of generative AI. Congress must strike the right balance to defend individual rights, abide by the First Amendment, and foster AI innovation and creativity.”
But AI serves different purposes. As previously reported, AI has been used not just as a way to steal people’s art but also to restore it.
Beanie Sigel, one of the culture’s most prolific voices from the 2000s, is using the technology to restore the power of his voice, damaged after a traumatic shooting accident in 2014.
“It’s definitely for me,” he said. “Y’all want, what they say, the ‘old Beans’ back? ‘Cause the pen’s still there.”
Either way, AI is here to stay, and with lawmakers taking note, perhaps people’s personal image, sound and likeness will be protected.
Today (October 13) saw the arrival of Offset’s Set it Off studio LP. The album features fellow Georgia native Latto on a track titled “Fine As Can Be.”
Offset’s collaboration with Latto has some listeners questioning if certain bars on the song were shots at “Munch (Feelin’ U)” rhymer Ice Spice. One part of Latto’s verse specifically referenced Ice Spice’s breakout hit.
“That n#### a munch. Your booking fee, ate it for lunch. I don’t do backends, need it up front. I’m big dawg, you b###### is runts. Don’t pull wigs, don’t pull stunts. I pull triggers and I pull blunts,” raps Latto on “Fine As Can Be.”
There appeared to be some tension between Latto and Ice Spice earlier this year. Back in March, speculation ran rampant that Spice subliminally accused the 777 album creator of stealing her style. Latto denied biting the Bronx newcomer.
Then fans began to wonder if Ice Spice retaliated on wax with the deluxe edition of her Like..? EP which dropped on July 21. The “Butterfly Ku” song featured Spice rapping, “Where she at? On the floor. She getting money, but I’m getting more.”
Ice Spice’s “Butterfly Ku” with the “on the floor” line dropped less than two months after Latto released “Put It On Da Floor Again” featuring Cardi B. Many rap fans viewed “Put It On Da Floor Again” as a diss record directed at Spice’s “Princess Diana” collaborator Nicki Minaj.
It has been four years since Offset released his debut solo album, Father of 4. The now-father of five is back with a new body of work.
Offset’s Set It Off album officially arrived today (October 13). The 60-minute project features Travis Scott, Don Toliver, Future, Cardi B, Mango Foo, Latto, Young Nudy, and Chlöe.
Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe spoke to the Atlanta-bred rapper about his latest musical effort. The conversation included Set expressing his feelings about finally putting out Set It Off.
“I’m so excited for this project,” said Offset. “I’m proud of myself, man. I never be proud of myself. I never give myself no pats. But I’m proud of myself, bro. I put a big effort into it.”
He continued, “I stepped outside of the box, and I took my time and didn’t rush the product. I’m not settling for the past. I want progression through the future. I wanted to, especially with this project, progress as an artist and not bottle my talents like dancing.”
Offset has shown off his dancing skills on stage like during his performance of “Clout” at the 2019 BET Awards. The 31-year-old recording artist also broke into the fashion world with HBO Max’s The Hype. He began directing his own music videos as well.
“That’s why in my videos I’ve been bringing those elements out of me because I feel like the more you entertain the people and the more you show people who you are, the more they accept you and follow your lead,” Offset explained.
The founding member of Migos also added, “I just want to elevate my sound and elevate… I do appreciate all the things I’ve been through. Everything’s been great and I love the blessings, but I just want more. I’m hungry for more, and to challenge myself to get better.”
Offset released Set It Off via Motown Records/Universal Music Group. This is the first album by the Grammy-nominated Hip-Hop star that did not have the official backing of Migos’ label home, Quality Control Music.
Young Thug is currently incarcerated in Georgia on state RICO charges. As the Atlanta native awaits his jury trial, he continues to put out new music.
Business Is Business, Young Thug’s third studio album, dropped on June 23, 2023. A Metro Boomin-curated version of that project also came out four days later.
Now Thugger is back with more music from behind bars. The rapper born Jeffery Lamar Williams released a brand new single titled “From a Man” today (October 13).
Young Thug’s “From a Man” is a response record to Mariah the Scientist’s “From A Woman” which also landed overnight. The two performers are reportedly in a romantic relationship.
“They probably do, but I don’t give a f###,” Mariah the Scientist recently stated when asked about people wanting the couple to break up. “I love him and I won’t be doing that. We’re great.”
Young Thug tapped Drake, Future, 21 Savage, Travis Scott, Yak Gotti, Lil Uzi Vert, BSlime, Lil Gotit and Nate Ruess to be guests on Business Is Business. Metro’s version also includes Juice Wrld and Nicki Minaj.
To Be Eaten Alive by Mariah the Scientist will hit DSPs on October 27. The 10-song project will arrive after 2019’s Master studio LP, 2021’s Ry Ry World studio LP, and 2022’s Buckles Laboratories Presents: The Intermission EP.
Megan Thee Stallion is gearing up for an epic comeback after the trial and tribulations that followed the Tory Lanez shooting, teasing “Act One” of her return to the spotlight.
While the H-Town Hottie said she wanted to surprise her fans, she also hinted at a “spooky season” release. Her latest social media postings indicate a Halloween release could be on the way.
On Thursday (October 12) Megan Thee Stallion updated her Instagram grid with a trio of images that combined to spell out the words “Act One.” The letter “O” was replaced by an ouroboros symbol, which depicts a snake or dragon devouring its own tail. The sign is often used to represent the eternal cycle of destruction and rebirth, suggesting Megan will return reawakened.
Meanwhile, on her IG Story, fans were greeted with a raunchy image of Megan Thee Stallion. The “Bongos” hitmaker appears completely nude with her hand clasped on her throat, kneeling in front of another woman lying down. Photo editors protected Megan’s modesty with some strategically placed pixelation.
The three-time Grammy-Award winner also shared a spine tingling snippet over on X (formerly Twitter). Megan flashes a pair of vampire fangs in the brief clip captioned, “Let’s begin…”
Last month, Megan Thee Stallion warned fans to get ready because new music was coming.
“I like to surprise the Hotties so I’m not gonna say how soon. But just be expecting it,” she said during an appearance on Entertainment Tonight. “Everybody knows spooky season is my favorite season, so just be on point.”
Offset has shared his long-awaited sophomore solo album Set It Off, which arrived with a freaky fantasy-fulfilling Cardi B feature.
The 21-track offering includes two tracks featuring the Hip-Hop super couple amid a star-stud tracklist. Guest appearances include Future, Travis Scott, Latto, Don Toliver and more. Listen to Set It Off at the end of the page.
Cardi B featured on Offset’s lead single “Jealousy,” which saw the couple address infidelity rumors. However, the “Bongos” hitmaker revealed her desire to share a more intimate side of their relationship, something they do on the Set It Off cut “Freaky.”
“I do wanna do more songs with him,” Cardi B said during an interview with SiriusXM’s Hip Hop Nation last month. “I do wanna explore. I feel like we do so much rough songs and it’s like, let’s talk about f######. It’s like we always talk about the music. Let’s talk about f###### because I feel like we always like on attack mode when we do songs together. Let’s do a little something, something – freaky, freaky, freaky, freaky.”
Set It Off is Offset’s first solo album in four years, following his 2019 LP Father of 4, which spawned his multi-platinum single “Clout.” He released Culture III with Migos in 2021 but recently ruled out any further Migos albums in the wake of Takeoff’s passing.
Offset opened up about his relationship with Quavo and insisted they are on good terms despite the rumors. “That’s my brother at the end of the day,” Offset said during a recent appearance on The Breakfast Club. “But we good though.”
He also revealed they help each other through their grief and may put out music together in the future.
Yung Miami’s Caresha Please winning Best Hip-Hop Platform at the BET Hip-Hop Awards for two consecutive years has ignited some controversy. Talib Kweli has now jumped into the discussion by calling out BET.
Caresha Please won the 2023 Best Hip-Hop Platform award over AllHipHop, Drink Champs, Million Dollaz Worth of Game, Rap Caviar, The Breakfast Club, The Joe Budden Podcast and XXL, among others.
The Breakfast Club host Charlamagne Tha God expressed his frustrations with Yung Miami winning Best Hip-Hop Platform back-to-back. Caresha Please tied with Drink Champs at the 2022 BET Hip-Hop Awards.
People’s Party podcaster Talib Kweli also seemed to agree with some of Charlamagne’s views about the Best Hip-Hop Platform category. The Black Star MC shared a lengthy message directed at BET on his Instagram account.
Kweli wrote:
@bet I didn’t talk my s### last year but I’m talking my s### this year. @cthagod and @djenvy are on to something here. There is no better hiphop podcast than Peoples Party. Period. We go FAR beyond gossip and click bait and provide actual service to the community. I don’t care about awards normally but I have a hard working crew and they deserve recognition. Nobody does the research we do. Nobody asks better questions. NOBODY dives as deep into this culture on a journalistic level as we do. Y’all must be scared of us. That’s gotta be it. Because the snubs disrespectful at this point. The people know. The artists know. Catch up.
“We gotta stop,” Charlamagne said. “Salute to Caresha. I love Yung Miami to death, but come on now. Two years in a row? I got mad love for Caresha, but you’ve got platforms that come out daily, and you’ve got platforms that come out weekly.”
Westside Gunn has released his eagerly anticipated new album And Then You Pray For Me.
The Griselda rapper gathered an all-star cast of guests to appear on his fifth solo studio album.
Clocking in at an hour and 15 minutes, the 21-track offering is stacked with features with guest appearances from the likes of RZA, Rick Ross, Jeezy, J.I.D., DJ Drama, Giggs, Ty Dolla $ign, Denzel Curry, and many more.
The Griselda family is also well represented with features from Conway The Machine, Benny The Butcher, Stove God Cooks, Boldy James, Rome Streetz and production from Daringer.
Westside Gunn Pays Tribute To Virgil Abloh
The late Virgil Abloh designed the And Then You Pray For Me artwork and cover. Westside Gunn says the artwork is a testament to their enduring friendship and creative synergy.
“I have Virgil Abloh doing my artwork and who left on earth can say that,” he shared. “I cannot disrespect his legacy, he’s immortal and I feel this is his way of blessing me; even though he’s not here in the physical.”
Gunn embarked on an international journey recording the album, laying down tracks in Paris, Athens, London, and Denmark, something he says allowed him to prioritize his mental well-being.
“I’ve been living a healthy, sucka-free life, and it’s given me a new energy,” Gunn explained. “I feel better than I ever have; stronger and smarter. I’m the best curator in the game right now and that’s said by the who’s who—not me. GOD is the greatest. I love ya’ll.”
Westside Gunn recorded a mini-documentary series to accompany the album. Check out episode 3 below and stream And Then You Pray For Me at the end of the page.
Jada Pinkett Smith is opening up about her relationship with the late Tupac Shakur, revealing why she rejected his jailhouse proposal.
The Set If Off actress is currently on a press run ahead of the release of her new memoir, Worthy. During an interview on All The Smoke podcast, Smith revealed ‘Pac asked her to marry him because he wanted her unwavering support, explaining that he was “in bad shape” at the time.
She told hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson how “painful” talking about Shakur’s prison stint for the audio book was.
“Seeing him there, the condition he was in and having to leave him there. He was in bad shape,” Smith recalled of ‘Pac’s time at Rikers Island.
“I knew at that time that he needed somebody to do time with him, which I was going to do anyway. He didn’t have to marry me to do that,” she added.
Smith believes that Tupac “needed a rock” and turned to her “because of everything we had been through together’ during their friendship. However, she said the rapper would have ditched her once he was free.
“He just wanted to feel that solidified foundation,” Jada Pinkett Smith said of Tupac’s proposal. “Because I promise you, he would have married me and divorced me as soon as his ass left jail.”
In a separate interview with RollingOut, the 52-year-old said she and Tupac shared a “soulmate friendship.”
Smith also claimed that although she thinks she and the West Coast icon “traveled a few” past lives together, their relationship never went beyond friendship.
“There was no chemistry between us,” she said before adding that a future together “wasn’t the purpose.”
If Kanye West ever has any desire to resurrect DONDA Academy, he might want to take notes on what Rolling Loud and Overtime Elite (OTE) basketball league are doing with their latest partnership.
Multiple reports have confirmed that the nomadic music festival organization Rolling Loud has been granted the naming rights for the new Los Angeles based OTE team.
For those unfamiliar, OTE, which is owned and operated by sports media organization Overtime, is a professional basketball league for players 16 to 19 years of age. While there are only eight teams in the league, OTE boasts millions of followers across social media and has already locked down lucrative streaming and distribution deals with brands such a Amazon Prime.
It has yet to be revealed where the new OTE facility will be be based in the city of L.A., but they are already in contention with the legacy of West’s DONDA Academy. Even as lawsuits outlining the unbelievable conditions of the school have dominated the news cycle this year, there’s no doubt DONDA Academy brought top of the line recruits to the state. Ironically enough, though, 5-star players such as Rob Dillingham, who led DONDA academy in 2022, recently signed on with OTE. Not to mention, standout OTE alumnus’ Amen and Ausar Thompson made history earlier this year after being drafted back-to-back within the top five of the first round of the NBA draft.
In a sense, they haven’t even started yet and Rolling Loud and OTE are lowkey on T-time with Kanye!
Check out more information on the Rolling Loud team’s roster and schedule here.
Donald Trump returned to the conspiracy theory well at rallies in Florida and New Hampshire. The twice-impeached politician claimed President Joe Biden is still working for former president Barack Obama at events on Monday (October 9) and Wednesday (October 11).
“It’s never been worse than it is now under crooked Joe Biden and, frankly, his boss, Barack Hussein Obama,” Trump told a New Hampshire crowd on Monday, per NBC News. “I think it’s his boss.”
Trump reiterated his baseless allegations in Florida on Wednesday. He emphasized Obama’s middle name Hussein, which was a dog whistle often used by the Republican presidential candidate in the past.
“Instead of keeping terrorists and terrorist sympathizers out of America, the Biden administration is inviting them in,” Trump said in Florida on Wednesday. “You know why? ‘Cause he’s got a boss. Who’s his boss? Barack Hussein Obama. Barack Hussein. Barack Hussein Obama. Remember the great Rush Limbaugh? Barack Hussein Obama. He’d go, ‘Barack Hussein Obama.’”
President Biden served as Obama’s vice president from 2009 to 2017. Trump was not the first person to suggest Obama was secretly calling the shots in 2023. The conspiracy theory gained traction online before Trump mentioned it at his rallies.
Trump is running for president despite facing 91 criminal charges. He was indicted four times over the past year.
Trump claims Biden is letting terrorists into the country because “Barack Hussein Obama” and just repeats the name over and over again before saying the capital of the United States looks like “s###” pic.twitter.com/9xkxqcEOCs
YNW Melly’s lawyers successfully convinced a Florida judge to remove one prosecutor from his double murder case on Thursday (October 12). According to the Sun Sentinel, Judge John Murphy refused to allow Assistant State Attorney Kristine Bradley to remain as the lead prosecutor due to the possibility of her getting called as a witness in the rapper’s upcoming retrial.
Last month, YNW Melly’s attorneys accused the Broward County State Attorney’s Office of prosecutorial misconduct. The defense said prosecutors withheld evidence regarding Detective Mark Moretti, the lead investigator in the murder case.
YNW Melly’s legal team hoped to get his case dismissed entirely over the allegations. Judge John Murphy essentially shut down the defense’s bid for dismissal on Thursday. The judge found no evidence of State Attorney Harold Pryor and two deputies participating in a cover-up to warrant their removal from the case. But prosecutors were left scrambling to replace Bradley ahead of jury selection.
Prosecutors claim YNW Melly, whose real name is Jamell Demons, killed YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser in 2018. The 24-year-old rapper was previously tried for the murders over the summer, but the trial ended with a hung jury.
YNW Melly awaits jury selection for his retrial. The process was supposed to begin on Monday (October 9), but it had to be delayed. Judge Murphy needed more time to sort out multiple motions filed in the murder case.
Carl Crawford, the owner of 1501 Certified Entertainment, asked a judge to sanction Megan Thee Stallion in her ongoing legal dispute with the record label. According to Radar Online, Crawford claimed the rapper sought a third party to manage the label’s money in “bad faith and solely for harassment.”
Earlier this year, Megan Thee Stallion urged a judge to appoint an official to handle 1501’s finances out of concern for the label’s ability to pay any judgment she won in her lawsuit. She claimed the label had less than $10,000 in its primary bank account.
Crawford responded by calling her claims “groundless and frivolous.” The former baseball player insisted his label had “sufficient assets” to pay Megan Thee Stallion, whose real name is Megan Pete.
“To gain an unfair advantage in this proceeding, Ms. Pete and her counsel falsely and publicly misrepresented 1501’s financial state in an attempt to both strangle 1501’s business operations and drag Mr. Crawford’s reputation by forcing him to litigate this case in his individual capacity,” his lawyers contended.
Megan Thee Stallion sued Crawford and 1501 to be released from her contract with the label. She also asked for unpaid royalties in the legal battle, which began in 2020.
YNW Juvy’s father Christopher Thomas Sr. discussed the witness tampering charges against YNW Melly and YNW Bortlen on Law & Crime’s Sidebar podcast. Thomas believed YNW Melly convinced his ex-girlfriend Mariah Hamilton and her mother Felicia Holmes to conceal information about the rapper’s involvement in the murders of YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser.
“They going through extreme measures to try to cover up or convince people not to testify like Mariah and Mariah’s mom,” Thomas said. “They was using code words like Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s baby mom. To me, when I looked at the text messages, I mean Instagram messages, with Bortlen and she said like, ‘You will never—good will never come to somebody because you snake somebody that never did anything to you,’ my mind instantly went to Chris. Like she talking about Juvy ‘cause he didn’t in that situation. I ain’t saying he was an angel, but he didn’t snake Melly. Melly took Chris out.”
Thomas admitted he was upset with Hamilton and Holmes, criticizing them for not testifying against YNW Melly. Thomas hoped the two women faced some type of punishment for allegedly lying.
“And for them to even go through this process, I’m thinking they don’t care nothing about my son,” he said. “They don’t care nothing about Chris. I’m like dang, man. Felicia Holmes and Mariah Hamilton, to sit there and be on your own channel and talking about Juvy and Sak were like brothers to her and then to that to ‘em, that’s an insult. It’s just crazy.”
He added, “There’s a lot of evidence that’s not going to be allowed in, but everybody in the world know who it points to. But the people that’s lying and covering up, they need to do something about them people too. In my book, they just as guilty.”
YNW Melly, who remains in jail, awaits his retrial for the murders of YNW Juvy and Sakchaser. The rapper’s first trial ended with a hung jury.
Prosecutors claim YNW Melly shot and killed his friends in 2018. YNW Bortlen, his alleged accomplice, will be tried separately.
Kanye West, who’s been in Italy with wife Bianca Censori for more than two months, has been secretly planning a performance in the country. However, his plans might implode because of some of his past statements. According to Daily News, some war vets are opposing a concert from the multi-hyphenate for saying he admires Adolf Hitler as a leader.
“It’s time to say enough to these people who believe they can say what they want,” Albertina Soliani, vice president of (ANPI) National Association of Italian Partisans, said. “Someone can be a fantastic singer but then they are also judged by what they say, and West has made some inhumane declarations and with what’s happening in the world today we cannot accept this concert.”
The ANPI regional president for Reggio Emilia, Ermete Fiaccadori, said he hopes the “concert does not go ahead” and said mostly because of the artist’s large following.
“I’m speechless that he cannot understand what he Is saying, broadcasting a gross misunderstanding of what Adolf Hitler was in the course of history,” Fiaccadori said. “I am all for artistic liberty but what Kanye West says and does leave me shocked.”
He also mentioned that Reggio “has a long history of fighting against the ideas of Adolf Hitler, and many lost their lives as a result.”
Other critics said outside of his adoration of Hitler and Nazis, they said that despite his popularity, Ye, based on his character, is not the person they would want to influence their young people.
Many in the city, including the vets, are going so hard because back in March 1944, in a town called Cervarolo, only 40 miles from Reggio Emilia, the Nazis came in and killed 24 individuals, including the village priest. The town is absolutely against him performing since he honors them so much.
As previously reported by AllHipHop.com, West appeared on Alex Jones’ show, InfoWars, and said, “I see good things about Hitler also. I love everyone. And Jewish people are not going to tell me you can love us and you can love what we’re doing to you with contracts and you can love what we’re pushing with the pornography, but this guy that invented highways and invented the very microphone that I use as a musician – you can’t say out loud that this person ever did anything good.”
He continued, “And I’m done with that. I’m done with the classifications. Every human being has something of value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler.”
Yeezy also said, “I love Jewish people, but I also love Nazis. There’s a lot of things that I love about Hitler, a lot of things, I like Hitler… I am a Nazi.”
Now, former Italian war vets are petitioning to get his event, which is rumored to happen at the RCF Arena near Reggio Emilia, shut down.
No word on if the secret concert will happen or even take place.
