Vultures 1 by Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign remains the most popular album in America. The duo, collectively known as ¥$, continues to achieve commercial success with their first joint project.
According to Billboard, Vultures 1 remained atop the Billboard 200 for a second consecutive chart. The project racked up an additional 75,000 units in week two of its release.
That amount was barely enough to hold off California rapper Yeat’s 2093 which collected 70,000 first-week units. The 22-track 2093 features Lil Wayne and Future. Additionally, Drake shows up on the Phase 2 deluxe edition.
As far as Vultures 1, ¥$’s album became the first Kanye West project to spend two weeks at No. 1 since 2011’s Watch The Throne with Jay-Z. Ye’s Late Registration from 2005 is his only other body of work to reign for two weeks.
Ty Dolla $ign earned his first Billboard 200 chart-topper when Vultures 1 debuted in the pole position of last week’s rankings. The R&B singer previously peaked at No. 4 when Featuring Ty Dolla $ign dropped in 2020.
Additionally, Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s “Carnival” featuring Rich The Kid and Playboi Carti scored a Top 10 victory on the Billboard Hot 100. The collaboration debuted at No. 3 on that chart.
As ScHoolBoy Q prepares to release Blue Lips, some of his fans want to see him take part in media interviews to promote the album. For instance, someone on social media suggested the TDE rapper sit down with Bobbi Althoff.
The Really Good Podcast host Bobbi Althoff rose to prominence thanks to headline-grabbing interviews with other rappers such as Drake, Lil Yachty and Offset. However, ScHoolboy implied he has no interest in speaking with the social media influencer.
“I need a @ScHoolboyQ and Bobbi Althoff interview! That’d be LEGENDARY! [face with tears of joy emojis],” an X user tweeted on Sunday (February 25). ScHoolboy responded, “F### outta Here. [face with tears of joy emoji].”
Blue Lips is scheduled to land on DSPs on March 1 via Top Dawg Entertainment/Interscope Records. The 17-track project will be ScHoolboy Q’s first full-length studio LP since 2019’s Crash Talk.
More recently, visuals for “Yeern 101,”“Cooties” and “Love Birds” premiered on ScHoolboy Q’s YouTube channel. Beat Butcha, CardoGotWings and The Alchemist reportedly provided production for the upcoming Blue Lips album.
Cardi B has been inactive on social media for most of 2024. Supporters of the Bronx, New York native have begun questioning why their favorite rapper remains offline and largely out of sight.
On Saturday (February 24), the @CardiAllAccess account on Twitter tweeted, “Wanna play a game? [eyes emojis] #WhereIsCardi.” That post also included a four-second video of a hand pulling a fire alarm.
Then @CardiAllAccess proceeded to share numerous tweets with #WhereIsCardi. Other Cardi B fan pages also participated in the #WhereIsCardi campaign to the point the hashtag began trending on the X app.
The video used in the quoted tweet is a hint towards the eventual discovery of Cardi B. Drop your theory as to how this video correlates to Cardi’s return. Best theory wins a mystery merch pack.
This is BU reporting live from the city of couture Paris, France. It’s been nearly 24 hours and STILL no sign of Cardi B. Off to you in New York @itsKenBarbie.
Merci, @CardiGeneration I am currently reporting live from Monaco, although Cardi is high class just like Monaco even the latest designer, fresh crab & the finest cigarettes could not help us find her anywhere, passing it onto @navywithbardi
Killer Mike has spent the last several days defending himself on social media. The rapper/entrepreneur had a particular gripe with MSNBC political contributor Dr. Jason Johnson.
“[Someone] tell this LIAR, I am NOT a Trump surrogate. It takes an evil amount of willful ignorance and arrogance to lie like this to the people. Shame on [you], liar,” Killer Mike tweeted about Jason Johnson on Saturday (February 24).
The 4x-Grammy Award winner continued, “Whoever raised [you] to lie [should] be ashamed. Have [a] good day, y’all. Stand on truth even in disagreement. Don’t LIE.”
After Jason Johnson got tagged in another Killer Mike tweet, the Morgan State University professor responded to the Hip-Hop recording artist. Johnson wrote, “Hey @KillerMike I did not call you a Trump surrogate this morning. Go back and actually watch the clip. Happy to talk this out directly anytime.”
Some 1 tell this LIAR, I am NOT a Trump surrogate. It takes an evil amount of willful ignorance and arrogance to lie like this to the people. Shame on U, Liar. 🤥 Whoever raised u to Lie shud be ashamed. Have good day ya'll. Stand on truth even in disagreement. Don't LIE😉😅 pic.twitter.com/4dZLORVgQB
Hey @KillerMike I did not call you a Trump surrogate this morning. Go back and actually watch the clip. Happy to talk this out directly anytime….. https://t.co/DWEykYiQBc
Killer Mike Previously Endorsed Bernie Sanders & Jason Johnson Criticized Sanders Supporters
Killer Mike then went on a multi-tweet diatribe directed at Jason Johnson and other social media users. In one instance, Mike quote-tweeted Johnson with a message asking to be left out of conversations about the 2024 presidential contest.
“I watched,” he said. “You put my name [too] close [to] the ‘Trump surrogate.’ Those who don’t like me can/will use that to slander me. Those who don’t understand will assume the worst. I simply ask don’t put me in that name or this race in that way. Love & Respect. I am always welcome to speak.”
In addition, Killer Mike repeatedly reposted a clip of Johnson discussing him and Donald Trump on MSNBC. The video featured Johnson saying, “Donald Trump, Killer Mike, any of his surrogates, any rapper he got out of jail… it’s about keeping people home [from the election polls].”
Killer Mike endorsed Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in the 2016 and 2020 Democratic primaries. Sanders lost both races. Dr. Jason Johnson has been a critic of the Sanders campaign. In 2020, the University of Virginia graduate caught heat for his remarks about Black women backing Sanders.
I watched. U put my name to close the "trump surrogate" those who don't like me can/will use that to slander me. Those who don't understand will assume the worst. I simply ask don't put me in that name or this race in that way. Love & Respect. I am always welcome to speak. https://t.co/xwmZ9t5f2j
We all get it wrong but I ask that people do what i did when I f'd up and put my foot in my mouth. I hit @JoyAnnReid and said "My Bad" and on TV. She granted me Grace. My Real friend gave me Donkey of the day cuz real homies will be truthful and laff with and at U. 🤣😂🤣 https://t.co/1DUhCLTGuJ
I'on be 🧢'N. I be about Rap'N and someone will hit me and Say "Kill, Look what's Happening". Same ole folks talking all tired and along comes a new guy with brand new lies. https://t.co/MKjavqkCn8pic.twitter.com/dpGcODOTr3
British rapper Dutchavelli appears to have landed in hot water again amid rumors he snatched fellow rapper Mist’s chain in Dubai.
Rumors of the alleged robbery began circulating online on Monday morning (February 26) before Dutch, the brother of U.K. rap export Stefflon Don, took to his Instagram Stories claiming he was at a police station.
He asked people to tag Mist, adding, “tell him am still in the fed station.” He also penned a message to Mist, urging him to “Do the right thing.”
The Birmingham native seemingly responded via his Story. While he did not address Dutchavelli directly, Mist shared a message about jail and a warning about opportunists snatching chains.
“Wouldn’t wish jail on my worst enemy,” he began before adding, “the internet is a funny place.”
In a second slide, he shared a photo of several of his trademark chains and other jewelry. “Rule no1. Don’t ever let no one wear your chain if they can’t defend it,’ he wrote. “The opportunist will be lurking.”
Another slide featured a video of an unnamed man dancing in a club while wearing the rapper’s chain. The final slide was a photo of Mist wearing two of his pieces, including the “MIST” and “Sick Made” pendants.
Back in August, Dutchavelli got into an altercation with fellow U.K. rapper Tion Wayne. Footage surfaced online showing Dutch immediately after the incident, bleeding from the mouth. However, after the alleged fight, he claimed Wayne and five others jumped him.
“There was six of you against one. I was the only man that was scrapping with you,” he claimed. “You man are not on nothing,” he said.
Drake is showing support for Tory Lanez despite being heavily criticized in the past for seemingly suggesting Megan Thee Stallion lied about being shot by Lanez.
Late on Sunday night (February 25), Drake took to Instagram to lend his support to Lanez, who is behind bars for shooting the Houston rapper back in July 2020. He shared a black and white image of Lanez captioned “3 you.”
In late 2022, Drake was dragged online after seemingly dissing Megan on Her Loss Cut “Circo Loco.”
“This b#### lie about getting shots, but she still a stallion/She don’t even get the joke but she still smiling,” he raps on the track.
Megan Thee Stallion appeared to respond in a series of tweets, calling out rappers using her for clout and ignoring abuse against Black women.
“I know I’m very popular,” she began. “But y’all gotta stop attaching weak ass conspiracy theories in bars to my name lol N##### nor hoes EVER address me or @ me WITH a fact or receipts. I AM CLOUT B#### keep sucking my p####.
“Stop using my shooting for clout b#### ass N#####!,” Megan Thee Stallion added before questioning, “Since when tf is it cool to joke abt women getting shot ! You n##### especially RAP N##### ARE LAME! Ready to boycott bout shoes and clothes but dog pile on a black woman when she say one of y’all homeboys abused her.”
In August last year, a judge sentenced Lanez to 10 years for shooting the Houston rapper. He has since appealed to have his sentence vacated.
OH ITS BOUT TO BE ON AN POPPIN DRAKE NOT PLAYING WITH THAT HO HE SAID FREE TORY LANEZ NOW OOOOP TAKE THAT MEGGY U GON POP OFF NOW R STA SILENT B#### pic.twitter.com/LgKm7RIvfD
Lil Baby surprised employees at an Atlanta Popeyes with a generous tip, giving each worker at the store $100.
A store employee shared images of the moment the famous rapper pulled up to order some food. “Sooooo (lil baby) just came and blesssss my whole store with $100 each,” Facebook user Monty Ogltree wrote.
One photo shows four Popeyes staff members proudly holding up the $100 tip, while another image features Lil Baby chatting to an employee at the drive-through window.
Lil Baby is no stranger to giving back. Last summer, he participated in various initiatives for Fanatics’ Global Volunteer Day. In June, he lent his efforts to the scheme and helped donate more than 300,00 pieces of licensed apparel to around 100,000 underserved youth and their families across the US.
In July, Lil Baby joined forces with VaynerMedia to celebrate the initiative with a single and music video titled; “Merch Madness.” The visuals recap the Global Volunteer Day events and features Lil Baby alongside Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, Meek Mill, DJ Khaled, Quavo, Russell Wilson, Odell Beckham Jr., Tom Brady, Eli Manning, and many more. Lil Baby donated royalties from the single to charity.
“Real trench baby, business with Fanatics/ This like 20 million on a giveaway/ Twenty buses, 20 cities, stadium to stadium/ See they idols givin’ back to them, makin’ people go crazy/ I get paid when I appear/ To do this, I volunteer,” Lil Baby raps on “Merch Madness.”
However, things turned sour later in the evening. According to Boosie, he was flicking it up with a fan when somebody stole the jersey given to him by Hawks point guard Cole Anthony.
Boosie took to Instagram Live to announce he would no longer take photos with fans. He also offered a reward for the jersey’s safe return.
“I had a jersey on when I came in the Delta Club,” he stated. “Whoever got my jersey, I want my jersey. I got $1,000 for my jersey.
Boosie went on to explain how he believes the alleged theft took place.
“Somebody took my damn Jersey off my shoulder when I was taking a picture,” he explained. I’m not taking a picture with nobody else at the games ever again. Cole Anthony gave me that Jersey. Somebody snatched it off my back.”
Meanwhile, in other Boosie news, the “Set It Off” hitmaker recently claimed people are always mad at him because he doesn’t wear a purse like other rappers.
“Don’t be mad. Just respect my decision as a real n####, man,” he said while on Instagram Live. “Where I’m from, men don’t do that, bro. How I was raised, men don’t do that, bro. I don’t follow trends, bro. I don’t follow trends, bro. I’m Boosie.”
He added, “Just ’cause someone else might do it is not gon’ make me follow that person and do the same thing. I’m a leader, I’m not a follower, bro.”
One-time NFL MVP Cam Newton was involved in a brawl at his 7-on-7 youth football tournament in Atlanta.
A video that has since gone viral surfaced online showing the former Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots quarterback tussling with several men at the event over the weekend at the We Ball Sports x DynastyU 7v7 tournament at B.E.S.T. Academy.
Newton appeared to be trying to break up a fight before multiple men began attacking him. The assailants appeared to be from Top Shelf Performance, who reportedly had teams playing at the event.
The video shows Newton fend off multiple attackers, all while keeping his hat firmly in place. A police officer and security eventually manage to stop the brawl. There were no reports of serious injuries or arrests.
Despite the mele, Newton’s C1N Red team won the tournament.
Social media users had a field day once footage of the brawl surfaced online.
“Cam Newton took one dude & tossed him off stage, then proceeded to put one dude in a bear hug while grabbing another by the dreads & slung him like a kid all while his hat never came off his head. Stop thinking y’all can put hands on pro athletes!!!” wrote one X user.
Cam Newton took one dude & tossed him off stage, then proceeded to put one dude in a bear hug while grabbing another by the dreads & slung him like a kid all while his hat never came off his head.
Stop thinking y’all can put hands on pro athletes!!!
“Cam Newton led Auburn to a Natty with 1 O-lineman that started an NFL game and no one else recording a NFL reception, rush attempt or pass attempt,” added another. “He’s used to being a one man army, so you are delulu if you thought some guys jumping him was gonna phase him. Hat didn’t even move.”
Cam Newton led Auburn to a Natty with 1 O-lineman that started an NFL game and no one else recording a NFL reception, rush attempt or pass attempt. He’s used to being a one man army, so you are delulu if you thought some guys jumping him was gonna phase him. Hat didn’t even move. pic.twitter.com/i321xmZTyE
Meanwhile, Shannon Sharpe weighed in on the altercation on his Nightcap podcast with Chad Ochocinco. Sharpe called the kids “ungrateful” and compared Newton’s camp to his peers.
Peyton and Eli [Manning] been having a camp for twenty-something years. You ain’t never seen no kid be disrespectful to Peyton and Eli.
Shannon Sharpe says it's embarrassing that those ungrateful kids disrespected Cam Newton when he took the time to give back.
Also, Shannon Sharpe says that the kids at Peyton Manning and Eli Manning's camps never disrespects them, like Cam Newton got disrespected.
Believe it or not, former major-league baseball (MLB) star Alex Rodriguez had to remind the general public that he was a person of color.
Rodriguez, who’s invested in a stake in the ownership group of the Minnesota Timberwolves NBA team, attended a game last week and sat courtside. A-Rod appeared to enjoy most of the night in the company of his wife and the likes of well-known sports figures such as electric First Take host Stephen A. Smith, former NBA player Richard Jefferson and more.
However, shortly after a live appearance on camera, A-Rod began trending online as social media users began debating about his appearance and whether he looked more dark-skinned than usual. In fact, Rodriguez responded to a TikTok user who commented on a post writing, “He got really tav overnight.”
“Alright, everybody,” Rodriguez said in part. “I know that I’m dark. But I am Dominican and I went on vacation and I fell asleep — in the sun. So everybody calm down. Tranqulito y suavecito mi gente (Calm and gentle, my people).”
However, A-Rod’s explanation hit the net more than a day after the initial clips began ciriculating, and social media users had a field day trolling him as a result—especially on Twitter (X).
“A-Rod leaned all the way into Black History Month!” one user remarked, while another added, “A-Rod seen here undergoing the ‘Reverse Sosa’.”
Wu-Tang Clan associate LA The Darkman is emerging from the shadows, gearing up for the re-issue of his debut album, Heist of the Century. Released in 1998, the project was produced by Carlos “Six July” Broady, 4th Disciple, Havoc of Mobb Deep, RZA, Raekwon and Cypress Hill’s DJ Muggs. Guest features include Wu-Tang Clan members and affiliates such as Ghostface Killah, Masta Killa and U-God.
In celebration of the album’s 25th anniversary, Coalmine Records and Aphilliates Music Group have teamed up for the first re-issue since its original pressing. Remastered by D-Sane at Digital Age Sound, the re-issue is limited to just 2,000 copies. The VMP exclusive version was pressed on Purple Smoke vinyl at GZ Vinyl, and the two LPs will arrive in a widespine, direct-to-board, foil-stamped and numbered jacket. Vinyl copies are available in classic black vinyl through Coalmine Records’ web store, Get On Down and Bandcamp, while the VMP version can be found here. Overseas fans can purchase a solid purple version via Vin-Dig.
As the re-pressings get ready to ship, LA The Darkman spoke to AllHipHop about the making of the project, why he essentially disappeared after its release and his latest guest appearance on Killarmy’s “Winter Warz 2” featuring Wu-Tang Killer Beez, Cappadonna, Killah Priest, Shyheim and Young Dirty Bastard and produced by 9th Prince. Check back with AllHipHop for Part II on Monday (February 26) in which he’ll provide an update on Wu-Tang’s rare Once Upon a Time in Shaolin album and his upcoming Heist of the Century sequel.
AllHipHop: Heist of the Century is a great album title. Can you take me back to when you came up with that name and explain how it fit the theme of the project?
LA The Darkman: That’s a good question. I really felt that I was pulling off a strategic type of heist. So it was kind of aimed toward the music industry, most of the title. It was the heist of the century; I was pulling it off at such a young age that I was able to secure a certain contract and then also just do a good album. So it seemed like a heist all the way across the board, not only just the fact of putting the music together, but it seemed like just a well thought out plan. I had the blueprints and things like that to make the album come to fruition. So I kind of looked at it as like a “heist” and then “of the century” because it was so big for me being 17 years old when I started recording it. It was such a big thing for me that I really felt I was pulling off something catastrophic.
You were only 17 when you started writing this?
Yes, I actually dropped it when I was 17 turning 18. I was fresh out of high school when I dropped the album.
The album sounds like that of a very mature person. The fact you sampled Jimmy Spicer for it is mind-blowing.
There’s a crazy story behind that. I think Steve Rifkin’s father, who helped birth Wu-Tang with the deal and everything, I think his father actually had something to do with that record, so that’s why it was able to get cleared. I think it was on Steve Rifkin’s father’s label, so when we went for the clearance, it was kind of easy to get cleared because he had something to do with the original record.
It’s been 25 years since you dropped Heist of the Century. Can you believe that?
Not really. It seemed like it just went so fast. It seemed like it’s supposed to be like 15 years or something, but yeah, 25. I feel good about it, though. I’m a student in life, so I’m still learning new things all the time. So I look at it kind of like a fine wine type of thing.
I think we do kind of get better with age, too.
Yeah, it’s the maturity.
How did the reissue idea come together?
Oh, it was my idea. I was already planning on it for a while, but I just wanted the right time, and I think the 25th anniversary was the right time. I tried to do the 20th. I had planned to at one point in time, but there was other things going on and I was doing other things with other companies, so I really didn’t get a chance.
It turned out really well. You dropped the album and in terms of solo work, you kind of disappeared for a while. Where did you go?
After dropping Heist of the Century, we were independent. A lot of people thought it was on like Loud Records or Def Jam or something like that. But we were independent label. So I was kind of doing the Master P blueprint at a young age. I got a distribution deal that was worth like 1.5 million. Then I really just started investing in real estate, I opened a clothing store and a bar lounge. So I just started investing in different businesses. And I just love business so much that I kinda got away from the music. I’m kind of like a serial entrepreneur, a little bit. I just started opening a few different other business ventures and real estate was so lucrative that I didn’t go back in the booth. And then around 2003, 2004, I started the Aphilliates Music Group (AMG) and Aphilliates Management in Atlanta. I signed other artists like Willie the Kidd, DJ Drama and Don Cannon. I signed DJs and artists and then I made a record label, so I stepped into a more of an executive role.
Even though I was executive on Heist of the Century, after I dropped the album, we did so well I just went more executive producer than artist. I produced DJ Drama’s Gangsta Grillz albums, Volume 1 and 2.I also did Willie the Kid’s album, and he was a flagship artist off the Aphilliates Music Group. So I really started making other people’s careers and building albums for other people. As you see, I A&R’ed all those Gangsta Grillz albums: who rapped first, who rapped last, what beat they rapped on—all that came out of my mind.
Super smart.
Yeah, I kind of take that from Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s line: “I’m the one-man army.” I do run with that a little bit.
You had so much success when you were a teenager, was that kind of overwhelming in a sense to all of a sudden have the world at your fingertips. have all these resources and be able to basically do what you want to do?
Not at all. I think I kind of dreamed it that way. I had big dreams; I’m a big dreamer and I’ve had a few people when I was growing up laugh at my dreams. It’s understandable because they were older people and when I was telling them what I was planning to do, they kind of chuckled. ButI’ve always been optimistic.
How did you link with Wu-Tang Clan?
I wasn’t trying to be an artist when I met Wu-Tang. And when I met Wu-Tang, I didn’t meet the rappers. I actually met the executive producers, so I didn’t know who they were. I met RZA’s brother Devon, his homeboy Tyrese and his other homeboy Power. So I didn’t know the rappers. I got in through the executive producers of the 36th Chamber album. I was hanging out with them just on some neighborhood thing and they took a liking to this young guy. I was a young neighborhood cat, had a few dollars and was doing my thing. I was a fly guy.
And then I learned that they were the executive producers from the Wu-Tang. But before that, I always had a vision that I was gonna meet EPMD. This is right before they got with Redman and Keith Murray. I envisioned I would just rap for them and it would go from there. But what really actually happened, it ended up being Wu-Tang. But I thought it was going to be EPMD ‘cause I grew up in Brooklyn, so I always used to see Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie and Kool G Rap at the Albee Square Mall in Brooklyn. They used to always come to the shop. To see rappers at a young age, I knew that I could touch them. It wasn’t far fetched.
Yeah, you knew it was possible. Can you tell me a little bit about growing up in Crown Heights and what your household was like?
I grew up with my mom and she was into music—but not like that. She used to play music, but she wasn’t a music connoisseur or anything. She used to always listen to Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross. I heard a lot of music in the house, definitely. She wasn’t a selector and she didn’t have a lot of albums, but she would play the radio when she’d be cleaning up the house, so I always heard hits. I heard classics from Stevie Wonder to Aretha Franklin to Smokey Robinson to Whitney Houston, even Boy George. I always listened to a plethora of different genres of music. One of the songs that made me want to do Hip-Hop was LL COOL J’s “I Can’t Live Without My Radio.” I used to take my boombox to the bathroom when I was about 5 years old and play that song over and over and over and over again. I took to Rakim, Slick Rick, KRS-One, LL COOL J and the music they were making.
For me it really started with Beastie Boys’ License to Ill in 1986. That was the s### to me.
It was the s### to me also. “Paul Revere” and “Brass Monkey?” Cut it out [laughs].
Tell me a little bit about your inclusion in Wu-Tang. Was it crazy to all of a sudden be affiliated with the biggest hip-hop group at the time?
Everybody knows that logo. Like I said, I met the executive producers of Wu-Tang and developed a relationship with them before I knew they were Wu-Tang. So I didn’t meet them on music stuff, I met them on some neighborhood stuff. We was in a neighborhood and after we were kicking it for say four or five months, then I realized that these were the people from Wu-Tang. I had heard someone said it and I really didn’t believe it. Then one day, Method Man came and that’s when I knew it was real. I had already been with them four, five, six months. They didn’t even know I rapped. That’s why this s### was so special too— they didn’t know I rapped. They just knew me as a neighborhood dude with the BMW and the Cuban link before Raekwon’s album was named Only Built 4Cuban Linx.
I had my first job in New York when I was 10 years old. I used to work at a stationary store, so I’ve been a hustler ever since. They used to pay me $50 a week. So I had $400 or $500 at the age of 10. They used to call me “Little Jew Boy” and I didn’t understand it then, but it was the way I saved my money. I’ve always had money. I was always a person who was able to conjure up things and do different things to generate revenue. I think that’s why the executive producers of the Clan took a liking to me. As a young soldier, they took a liking to me and then it became musical. The first time I ever knew they did music, Method Man cameby and we went to the studio. He was rapping and somebody else told him that I rap. Method Man passed me the mic and then I just caught the glow.
So Method Man put the mic in your hand and then it was on?
Method Man put the mic in my hand and it was on, yes. And then it became a musical relationship. The rest is history.
No wonder you were a millionaire by the time you were a teenager.
I kept wanting to make more money, but it’s not the money that drove me. It was really the craft that drove me. Doing the business successfully drove me, too. Like I tell my sons, the money just kept adding up. I really never did a lot of things for money.
I relate. The fact I get paid to do this job is crazy to me. All of a sudden you look at your bank account and you’re like, “Wow.”What’s your relationship with Wu-Tang today?
We got a lot of new music that’s about to come out. I’m doing something with 9th Prince, RZA and all the Wu-Tang producers. I got something coming with Fourth Disciple. I got something coming with True Master. I got something coming with all the Wu-Tang producers. I’m gearing up to put the flag back out there, so I’m finna come out from under the Darkman mask. I got like five new songs with RZA, three or four with Raekwon…we just released “Winter Warz 2” with me, Capadonna, Killer Priest, Young Dirty Bastard and Shyheim produced by 9th Prince.
DDG may have just put an end to the age-old social media debate posing the question of which would you rather—dinner with JAY-Z or $500,000.
During a recent interview, the “Moonwalking In Calabasas” lyricist revealed not only did he not need to have dinner with JAY-Z, but he also explained how he managed to get a word of advice on the low.
“I’ve only talked to him [JAY-Z] a few times,” DDG started off. “It ain’t like I text him and call him and s### like that, but we’ve had conversations—when I do see him, I try to ask him for a little bit of game, a little bit of advice.”
As DDG continued, he seemingly revealed the golden nugget Hov offered him the last chance he got to get some face time with the Roc Nation boss.
“He gave me advice before,” DDG said. “I asked him at the birthday party actually, I was like, ‘What advice could you give me as an artist?’ He gave me an analogy. ‘If people go to a Chinese restaurant, they’re expecting Chinese food. So give the people what they came for’ type s###.”
Whether the analogy itself is worth half a million dollars i subjective, but it seems DDG’s taken it to heart and it’s working out for him. According to reports at the top of the year, the Michigan-bred YouTuber-turned-rapper is worth $8 million in 2024.
Watch the full interview below. DDG starts talking about his relationship with JAY-Z around the 43-minute mark.
JPEGMAFIA and Freddie Gibbs are beefing like crazy. JPEG went off on a full-blown diss campaign against Gibbs over on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) and nobody quite knows why. This is all set to the fact that both artists are on the new Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s joint album Vultures 1. They were in Italy for the listening party.
JPEG didn’t hold back. He dropped a video where he called the rapper a “fake gangster,” saying getting beat up and shot at disqualifies him for such a distinction. “One of us got a kid with a d##k dent in their head, one of us don’t. One of us got their a##hole spread online, one of us don’t. One of us get their as beat annually like Family Matters. This s##t is like a recurring sitcom, n###a. One of us don’t,” he continued. “Who’s really gangsta? I’m gangsta, n###a. You haven’t done anything gangsta in your whole muthafkin’ career except get your a## beat, get your baby momma f##ked on camera and get embarrased. So stay in the gym, bro because it’s useless,” JPEG said, going in.
His words stung ME, but there was more. He even shared an NSFW photo of Gibbs, but he later deleted it. What is it about dudes doing that?
On the flip side, Freddie Gibbs simply posted videos of himself chilling in Italy, hitting the gym, and enjoying some croissants. He’s out there living his best life! He did not give a man with MAFIA in his name any energy!
Now…what are they beefing for? This is still murky. I have a clue, and I’ll share it. It seems the beef between JPEGMAFIA and Freddie Gibbs has some deep roots, tracing back to a perceived diss from years ago. I am talking 10-plus years. These things have a way of simmering beneath the surface, only to boil over when artists cross paths. And that is what happened, apparently. They saw each other in the hotel and it did not stop. JPEG was even kicked out of the Kanye event! And it just kept on for all to see on social media.
By the way, Gibbs said he was there and ready to get it on.
Saturday Night Live keeps its finger on the pulse of pop culture, and the latest episode was no different. On Saturday (February 24), the long-running comedy sketch show took aim at Donald Trump‘s gold “Never Surrender” sneakers that he debuted at SneakerCon earlier this month.
A guy down on his luck, played by comedian Shane Gillis, is gifted a pair by the embattled politician/businessman right before a basketball game. While he still fails miserably at putting the ball in the net, once he puts the Trump shoes on, he’s transformed into a Trump clone and boldly claims, “I didn’t miss. It went in.” He later explained to his therapist, “The shoes gave me the power to say I’m good at basketball and then double down on that until people actually start to believe it.”
Donald Trump landed in Philly on February 17 for Sneaker Con, an annual gathering that bills itself as the “The Greatest Sneaker Show on Earth.” The polarizing figure was greeted with loud boos and a few cheers as he entered the Philadelphia Convention Center to introduce what he called the “first official Trump footwear.”
The shoes are being sold for $399 on a new website that also sells Trump-branded “Victory47” cologne and perfume for $99 a bottle. The website, however, claims it has no connection to Trump’s campaign, though Trump campaign officials promoted the appearance in online posts. After learning of Trump’s special Sneaker Con appearance, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a statement through Biden-Harris 2024 Communications Director Michael Tyler. It read: “Donald Trump showing up to hawk bootleg Off-Whites is the closet he’ll get to any Air Force Ones ever again for the rest of his life.”
Conservatives, on the other hand, somehow think this will sway Black people to vote for Trump. As a Fox News contributor blindly said, “As you see Black support eroding from Joe Biden., this is [the shoes] connecting with Black America. Because they’re into sneakers. They love sneakers. This is a big deal. Certainly in the inner city.”
Donald Trump continued to further offend the Black community with a series of comments he made during the South Carolina primary. He suggested his arrest and subsequent mugshot made him more appealing to the Black voter.
“I got indicted for nothing, for something that is nothing,” Trump told the crowd. “And a lot of people said that’s why the Black people like me, because they have been hurt so badly and discriminated against, and they actually viewed me as I’m being discriminated against. It’s been pretty amazing, but possibly, maybe, there’s something there.”
The National Association of the Advancement of Color People (NAACP) was furious. As former NAACP president Derrick Johnson explained to The Hill, “The NAACP is outraged, but not surprised by yet another racist remark from the former President. Donald Trump is delusional to think that his criminality would be an attractive quality to Black voters. He has taken advantage of an inherently racist system, while Black Americans have been abused by it. We are not the same.”
Former Pump It Up! host Dee Barnes was brutally attacked by Dr. Dre in 1991. Although she filed and civil suit against the famous Hip-Hop mogul and won, Barnes was essentially blackballed by the industry. In 2019, Barnes revealed she was homeless and could barely afford to buy groceries. A story written by AllHipHop‘s Kyle Eustice in which Barnes talked about her plight went viral and it ultimately led to an appearance on The Wendy Williams Show.
On Friday (February 23), Barnes shared a clip of Williams addressing the story as news of the troubled talk show host’s health issues hit the internet. She wrote in the caption, “Thank you again. #wendywilliams.” Upon seeing the clip, Arrested Development’s Speech posted part of Barnes’ appearance on the show. In the video, she described the night Dr. Dre assaulted her. Visibly emotional, she recalled him following her into the bathroom, where the attack continued.
As Speech explained in his caption, the Arrested Development visionary believes that night marked a clear shift in the direction Hip-Hop was going.
“I’ve known this sista for decades, this violence perpetrated against her by Dr. Dre is fact – not gossip,” he wrote. “(According to Wikipedia) January 27, 1991, Dr. Dre encountered Barnes at a record release party in Hollywood. According to Barnes, he picked her up by her hair and ‘began slamming her head and the right side of her body repeatedly against a brick wall near the stairway’ as his bodyguard held off the crowd with a gun.
“After Dr. Dre tried to throw her down the stairs and failed, he began kicking her in the ribs and hands. She escaped and ran into the women’s restroom. Dr. Dre followed her and ‘grabbed her from behind by the hair again and proceeded to punch her in the back of the head.’ Finally, Dre and his bodyguard ran from the building. And she wasn’t protected nor properly redeemed by Hip-Hop, rap, the Black community nor law enforcement. This incident was (IMO) the beginning of when hip-hop lost its moral compass. We need find our way again.”
Dr. Dre addressed his violent past in a 2017 episode of HBO’s The Defiant Ones, saying, “Any man that puts his hands on a female is a f##king idiot, he’s out of his f##king mind. I was out of my f##king mind at the time, I f##ked up. I paid for it, I’m sorry for it, and I apologize for it. I have this dark cloud that follows me and it’s gonna be attached to me forever. It’s a major blemish on who I am as a man.”
But the damage was done. Following the assault, Barnes was having trouble finding work in her field, which eventually led to her precarious financial situation.
“Everything was gradual,” Barnes said in a 2017 interview. “People weren’t carrying cell phones. If that would have happened now, people would have filmed it and it would have been on video. It wasn’t all over the internet, but it was a gradual thing. There were a lot of people from the East Coast at the party because it was before the American Music Awards, so by the time the awards happened, it was being spread everywhere by word of mouth. By 2000, everything was up. We had blogs and things of that nature. The spotlight wasn’t on me because of my TV show now, it was because of what happened and who it was with.”
Barnes filed criminal charges against Dre and a civil suit followed. They settled out of court in 1993, but over the years, Dr. Dre, MC Ren and Eazy-E had turned the incident into a joke. In fact, in an 1991 interview with Rolling Stone, Dre reduced it to “no big thing,” while Ren said the “b#### deserved it.”
To add insult to injury, Eminem’s 1999 track “Guilty Conscience” featuring Dr. Dre reduces her to a pop culture reference with the line, “You gonna take advice from somebody who slapped Dee Barnes?”
“Even as I was moving on with my life, eight years later, Dre makes that track with Eminem,” she said. “Mind you, I’m living my life after the fact. Technically, the trial was two years of my life I can never get back. Nobody talks about that. If you step back, you could see I must have forgave him a long time ago because there was nothing vengeful about my behavior, you feel me? There was no smear campaign. My concern was it went from physical abuse to psychological abuse with that song.”
More recently, Barnes discussed the Recording Academy naming an award after Dr. Dre—the Dr. Dre Impact Award—which was just given to JAY-Z on February 4.
“Everybody wants to separate the art from the artist, and sometimes that’s just not possible,” Barnes told Rolling Stone. “Most people without a knowledge of [Dr. Dre’s] history are going to say, ‘Oh, he must deserve that. He must be such a great person for them to put an award in his name.’ But they named this award after an abuser.
“It wasn’t just a one or two-time thing; these are choices. The first time, it’s maybe a mistake. The second time, okay. The third time, it’s a choice. I’m not saying he is the same person now, though. I don’t know. I’m not around him anymore. I haven’t talked to him. But to name an award after someone with that type of history in the music industry, you might as well call it the ‘Ike Turner Award.'”
The grave of Baton Rouge rapper Gee Money (real name Garrett Burton) was reportedly desecrated on Friday (February 23). According to WBRZ , Burton’s mother Ava received a phone call from someone who told her his grave had been vandalized. Upon arriving at the cemetery, she discovered it was much worse than she imagined.
“It had been demolished, I thought it was something different, I didn’t know they tore all this up,” Ava said, “Just took a hammer, and beat it open, I guess. I was more mad than I was hurt, I couldn’t understand why someone would do something this. When someone is dead, you let the dead rest in peace, you don’t do that.”
Ava visits her son’s grave every day, where she prays and quietly reflects on his life. She’s understandably bothered by what could’ve been. As she explained, “Atlantic Records was going to sign him. He was coming out of the studio that Sunday, he was leaving Monday, [and] he never got the chance to do it.”
Suspect Deandre Fields—an affiliate of NBA YoungBoy—was arrested and charged with one count of second-degree murder in 2019 but took a plea deal. Fields, also known as NBA Lil Pap, was ultimately charged as an accessory in the killing and received significantly less jail time. Meanwhile, nobody has been charged for the actual murder. Ava said, “It’s horrible. My sisters, everyone, my nieces, my nephews, everyone is upset. Why would you do this? I can’t understand. I wish they find who did this, I really want to know. I’m trying to figure out what made you do that now? We’re going on seven years.”
East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore said as a result of the killing, more violence from gang activity made it difficult for his office to fully prosecute Fields, particularly since Donovan Cortez Jefferson, the key witness in Gee Money’s murder, was arrested on murder charges.
Fields maintains his innocence and initially didn’t want to take the deal, telling the judge at the time, “I can’t take time for something that I didn’t do. I’m going to agree to the deal, but I want to say for the record that I’m 100% innocent.”
Damon Dash has had his hands full with legal issues this week, thanks to court battles with his nemesis lawyer, Christopher Brown.
Earlier this week, it was revealed Damon would have to sell his share in Roc-A-Fella to satisfy a judgment Christopher Brown won against him over the movie “Dear Frank” unless Jay-Z can successfully block the ruling.
In another battle, Christopher Brown, representing photographer Monique Bunn, has sought a new trial against Damon Dash, his wife, Raquel Horn, and their associated companies.
This lawsuit originated from an incident in April 2019 when Monique Bunn stayed at Damon Dash’s mansion in Los Angeles for a photo shoot for his Poppington brand.
Bunn sued Dash for $51 million, claiming he had inappropriately touched her and unlawfully withheld a hard drive containing over 100,000 photographs of famous rappers, celebrities, and influencers.
Dash was cleared of sexual assault charges in a federal court but was found liable for libel violations, resulting in a $30,000 award to Bunn for defamation.
However, Dash and his girlfriend, Raquel Horn, were found responsible for damaging Bunn’s property, but Bunn won no money regarding damages over the hard drive.
Christopher Brown is asking a judge for a new trial over the jury’s decision to award Bunn zero damages despite Bunn’s clear ownership of the property and the substantial evidence presented regarding the value of the stolen property.
Brown believes the jury was possibly confused about the concept of harm, which led to the unfavorable verdict for Bunn.
Malia Obama has revealed the pen name she uses in her fledgling screenwriting career. The former First Daughter made her Sundance Film Festival debut in January when she premiered her short film, “The Heart.”
In a video feature about the film, Malia introduces herself as Malia Ann – using her middle name instead of her last name to introduce herself.
The 25-year-old, who has previously worked as a staff writer on the Prime Video series “Swarm,” is reportedly eager to be respected in her own right rather than using her famous surname to gain credibility in her career.
In the video, Malia Obama talked about the film she wrote and directed.
“The film is about lost objects and lonely people and forgiveness and regret, but I also think it works hard to uncover where tenderness and closeness can exist in these things,” she said. “We hope you enjoy the film and it makes you feel a bit less lonely, or at least reminds you not to forget about the people who are.”
Beyoncé’s dad has revealed that she loved country music as a baby.
Following the release of the music superstar’s country songs “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages,” her father has revealed that she has been a country music fan from a young age.
In an interview with the BBC Asian Network, Matthew Knowles explained that Beyoncé often spent time with her country music-loving grandfather in Alabama as a child.
“When Beyoncé was a little baby, and I’m talking two-three years old, she would go down and spend the summer with my parents,” the record executive said. “And her grandfather – my father – loved country music, and he used to sing to her. At an early age, she heard this music.”
Matthew, 72, added, “And when you’re two, three years old, subconsciously music stays in your head.”
During the interview, Matthew – who was his daughter’s manager until 2011 – noted that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if Beyoncé’s crossover from R&B and pop to country music was inspired by her early years.
Beyoncé revealed she was gearing up to release a country album in an advert that aired during the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show. The “Halo” hitmaker released the first two tracks from the forthcoming album on February 11.
Matthew noted that although Beyoncé’s upcoming album will be her first country album, she had already released a country song years ago.
“On a previous album (Lemonade, 2016), there’s a country song ‘Daddy Lessons,'” he pointed out.
The forthcoming album, which will be the second act of her 2022 Renaissance album, will be released on March 29.
Donald Glover was tempted to try out his new stand-up material at the Comedy Cellar while shooting “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” but it “didn’t feel right.”
Glover’s “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” co-star Maya Erskine revealed in a joint interview with The Hollywood Reporter that the “Atlanta” actor “almost” returned to stand-up “every time” they went back to New York for the action comedy series.
Donald Glover admitted that he went to the Comedy Cellar with the intention of trying out new jokes but he never got up on stage.
“I thought I would,” he explained. “It didn’t feel right. I still write jokes down and I think about it. I asked (fellow comedian) Bill Burr where to go, and I had a list, and I was just like, ‘Is it something that I feel like I need to do right now?’ Maybe it’s just a nice thing that’s there that you can try to do again if you want.”
The 40-year-old, who released his last stand-up special, Weirdo, in 2012, added that he has been considering getting back into comedy since his conversation with Chris Rock.
“(I’ve) thought about it,” he noted. “Chris Rock had said, like, ‘When are you going to do it again? No one gets really good at it until their 40s, except for Eddie (Murphy).'”
