Nicki Minaj promoted her Pink Friday 2 album with a warning on Thursday (November 30). The Republic Records artist alerted anyone who was on her bad side to be prepared for payback when her new project drops.
“December 8th is COMING SOON,” Nicki Minaj wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). “If you on my $h!t list, you will never EVER recover. The. Fkng. End. Man, it’s so much fun being a barb. Me when the clock strikes 12 on 12/08/23 & I get back AWWWLLLLL my licks.”
Nicki also asked her fans “how hard” they wanted her to go on Pink Friday 2’s release date in a social media poll. Thousands of her loyal Barbz voted, encouraging her to be as outrageous as possible.
Last night, Nicki added to the online hype for her album by saying it was beyond anything she could have imagined. Days earlier, she set high expectations for Pink Friday 2.
“It just dawned on me,” she wrote. “I am about to release one of the greatest albums of ALL TIME.
Pink Friday 2 will be Nicki’s first album since 2018’s Queen. She planned to drop the new project in October before pushing it back to November. Nicki eventually settled on a December 8 release date, which coincided with her 41st birthday.
Earlier this month, Nicki explained why Pink Friday 2 differed from her past releases in an interview with Vogue. She mentioned how she went back to the basics for the album.
“When I look back at a lot of my music, I’m like, Oh, my God, where was the me in it?” she told Vogue. “So for this album, I went back to the old game plan.”
Physical copies of Pink Friday 2 are available to pre-order on Nicki’s website. The signed CDs are already sold out.
Recent Changes in New York Law Could Mess Diddy Up.It seems Diddy is still in hot water. His legal battle with Cassie Ventura, a former collaborator and romantic partner, is over. But that doesn’t mean this saga won’t have continued twists and turns. All of this centers on a new New York law.
Before we get to that, it’s been speculated in numerous posts and stories that Ventura likely doesn’t have a gag order—or a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)—with Diddy as a result of their agreement. So, in theory, she can speak freely about her allegedly horrific experiences with him. That means she can discuss the case without fear of being paper gangstered into submission. I’m wondering if she will. She seems to be a pretty quiet and reserved person. But there’s that new law.
Diddy’s swift settlement—less than 24 hours—occurred in well under 21 days in the State of New York. Settlement is a pretty normal act in legal disputes, but the speed (a possible world’s record) is causing a lot of chatter. Clearly, Diddy had to get this over and done with fast. On November 17, the governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, signed a new legislation that says it’s now illegal to enforce an NDA in harassment cases. This empowers people who’ve been subjected to harassment to speak out without fear of legal repercussions. But this is Hip-Hop and the streets (a metaphor for the entertainment game). With the new law in place, Diddy’s exposure seemingly rises. So, it may not end with Cassie Ventura. The heightened exposure could impact his affiliated companies and the insurance it takes to cover him/them. We’ve already seen Diddy step down from REVOLT, but I don’t see that lasting long.
As the risk associated with having Diddy in leadership roles increases, corporate boards may face a challenging decision. What do you think? Does Diddy’s mightly presence turn into a liability? He’s the ultimate salesman, but can he sell that he’s not what Cassie Ventura claims he is?
Ventura’s legal team is one of the G.O.A.T.s. They were incredibly strategic. She sued Diddy but reportedly targeted every corporation he owned and served as an officer or director. YO! She tapped into both commercial liability and officer/director liability, which is $1 million or more for each. Insurance providers are the ones that make the decision to settle, much like if you are at fault in a car accident. They determine all of that.
The swift settlement gave a temporary reprieve, but the long-term consequences…we don’t know. One thing is for certain, the rumors aren’t going to stop here. Theyre flowing like a faucet with no spigot.
The first track from the upcoming motion picture The Book of Clarence has arrived and as a result, there’s new music from Lil Wayne.
On Tuesday (November 28) Legendary Entertainment unleashed “Hallelujah Heaven,” the first single from the soundtrack featuring Jeymes Samuel, who also directed the film, and Lil Wayne, Buju Banton and Shabba Ranks.
Samuel also produced the record, which arrived intact with the first official trailer for the film. In a statement about the film, Samuel, who also delivered the Netflix original The Harder They Fall, explained how this film was something he’s wanted to create for quite some time.
“[The Book of Clarence] is a film that I wanted to make for many years,” Samuel said in part. “While I was working on [The Harder They Fall] and all my other projects, the story and the music for [The Book of Clarence] was always there percolating in my mind.”
Samuel added the experience working with Weezy, Banton and Ranks was a dream come true.
“There was never a question as to whether I would compose the score and write and perform on the soundtrack, as well as write and direct the movie—it was all one amazing journey where one depended on the other,” he continued. “But I also worked with the most awesome artists on our track ‘Hallelujah Heaven’ collaborating with Lil Wayne, Buju Banton and Shabba Ranks was so dope, I loved getting them all on the same track.”
In addition to the aforementioned artists, the soundtrack for The Book of Clarence is set to include contributions from artists such as JAY-Z, Kid Cudi, Jorja Smith, Yemi Alade and many more.
The film will be available on January 24, but until then, check out the official trailer below.
Lola Brooke emerged as one of the top Hip-Hop newcomers of 2023. The Brooklyn native broke out this year with her “Don’t Play With It” single.
The Shade Room spoke to Lola Brooke about her rise in the music industry. At one point, the Bedford–Stuyvesant representative discussed being compared to other emerging female rappers like fellow New Yorker Ice Spice.
“I believe in God, and whatever people’s timing is, that’s their timing,” Lola Brooke said. “My team doesn’t have to sit me down and prep talk about why this is this way and why your journey is this way. I already know what my journey is, and I’m very patient.”
She also added, “I’ve been patient from the very beginning. That’s not for me to fix my face and screw my face about somebody else’s destiny, because then I’m going to block my blessing. What’s for me is for me, and I stand on that.”
“Don’t Play With It” peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Lola Brooke followed the success of that song by releasing the Dennis Daughter album on November 10. Dennis Daughter features Coi Leray, Latto, Yung Miami, Bryson Tiller, French Montana and Nija.
This year saw Lola Brooke earn a Best New Artist nomination at the 2023 BET Awards. The Arista Records-backed artist also made it into the Best Breakthrough Hip-Hop Artist category at the 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards.
There are a lot of conversation surrounding a possible Jay-Z album arriving in the near future. Eagled-eyed observers believe the Roc Nation boss may have dropped a clue for an upcoming solo project.
On Wednesday (November 29), People reported that Jay-Z will auction off a signed, one-of-a-kind Pinel et Pinel black leather case. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the Brooklyn Public Library, which housed The Book of HOV exhibit.
The case will include 13 metal library cards highlighting the rap legend’s 13 solo studio albums. Since the item seems to have 14 slots, some fans believe the empty space is a tease for another Jay-Z project.
Jay-Z’s American Gangster album arrived in conjunction with the 2007 motion picture of the same name. The Denzel Washington-led, Ridley Scott-directed crime drama told the story of real-life New York City gangster Frank Lucas.
Jay-Z served as a producer for director Jeymes Samuel’s forthcoming The Book of Clarence film. TMZ pointed out that Jay could release an official soundtrack for that movie as a solo project à la American Gangster. That speculation hasn’t been confirmed.
Jay-Z’s most recent solo studio LP, 4:44, dropped in June 2017. The 10-track project debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. It also made numerous publication’s “Best Of The Year” lists. In addition, Hov earned nine Grammy Award nominations at the 60th annual ceremony in 2018.
The Book of Clarence, which stars LaKeith Stanfield as the titular character, takes place during Biblical times in Jerusalem. The cast also includes Omar Sy, Anna Diop, RJ Cyler, David Oyelowo, Micheal Ward, Alfre Woodard, Teyana Taylor, Caleb McLaughlin and Benedict Cumberbatch. The Book of Clarence lands in American theaters on January 12, 2024.
Offset let loose Set It Off, his sophomore studio LP, on October 13 to a generally positive reaction. It turns out rapper/producer Tyler, The Creator played an important role in influencing the project’s creative direction.
GQ covered Offset for the magazine’s 2023 Men of the Year issue. The article revealed that a conversation with Tyler helped Set lay out his plan for hislatest album era.
“It was a year ago, at the Roc Nation Brunch, and I was telling [Tyler, The Creator] my vision of being a standout artist and a solo artist and reinventing myself. I was glorifying him, telling him, ‘I respect how you stay in character [for each album],'” Offset stated.
The Georgia-raised recording artist also said, “He was like, ‘You should do it, too. N##### ain’t going to f### with it at first, but n##### never f### with the good s### first. They always sleep on it, and then you show them throughout the process.’ I really took that s### to head.”
Offset’s Set It Off rollout included the Migos member channeling the essence of the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Like Set, Jackson went from being in a popular group to heading out on his own as a soloist.
Tyler, The Creator also became a well-known figure in the music industry as part of a collective. The Odd Future member went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album twice – IGOR in 2020 and Call Me If You Get Lost in 2022.
Offset called on Cardi B, Travis Scott, Don Toliver, Future, Mango Foo, Latto, Young Nudy, and Chlöe to be guest features on the Set It Off album. The project debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart. Additionally, Set It Off peaked at No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 2 on the Top Rap Albums chart.
André 3000 shocked many rap fans when he announced his debut solo studio LP would not have any lyrics. However, the celebrated MC’s New Blue Sun instrumental effort garnered praise from fellow Hip-Hop legend RZA.
“That album is on repeat in my house,” RZA told TMZ about André 3000’s new project. “Me and my wife, we just sit down, it keeps us very zen in the crib. It had me washing dishes. It’s a good vibe. André, congratulations.”
The Wu-Tang Clan member then said, “I’m actually gonna give another instrumental album myself. Hip-Hop is going to show you that there’s no limits to what we do.” RZA also declared, “Hip-Hop don’t need saving. Hip-Hop is just growing.”
Previously, RZA presented the Instrumental Experience in 2007. The New Yorker’s solo discography also contains lyric-filled LPs such as 1998’s Bobby Digital. Plus, the rapper/producer worked on numerous Wutang Clan albums like the classic Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) from 1993.
Some internet users believe Beyoncé Knowles-Carter altered her skin color at theRenaissance concert film premiere. The 32-time Grammy Award winner has not directly responded to the speculation, but she did share new photos of herself.
Not only were online commenters accusing Beyoncé of bleaching her skin to appear lighter, but some people suggested the Houston-bred singer copied Kim Kardashian’s look.
On Wednesday (November 30), Beyoncé uploaded an Instagram carousel. Most of the eight slides focused on Bey’s face, including a close-up shot. Her husband, Jay-Z, showed up in pictures as well.
Earlier this week, Beyoncé’s mother addressed the “stupid ignorant self, hating racist statements” about her daughter. Tina Knowles went on to blast the “sad little haters” accusing Bey of wanting to be Caucasian.
“She does a film, called the Renaissance, where the whole theme is silver with silver hair, a silver carpet, and suggested silver attire and you bozos decide that she’s trying to be a white woman and is bleaching her skin?” Tina Knowles wrote. “How sad is it that some of her own people continue the stupid narrative with hate and jealousy.”
Nick Cannon also defended Beyoncé. He pushed back on the idea that Bey wants to look like his ex-girlfriend, Kim Kardashian. The Daily Cannon host said, “Kim Kardashian wanna look like Beyoncé… Kim Kardashian wished she looked like that.”
After days of headlines surrounding the Harris family following a viral altercation, T.I.’s sons King and Domani Harris have joined forces on a new joint single.
On Thursday (November 29), the duo shared their first official collab, “Father Like Sons.” The track sees the siblings compare themselves to their famous father. “Can’t deny my DNA,” Tip said, sharing the single. Listen to the song below.
In a statement to Complex, King seemingly addressed the controversy that followed after he got into an altercation with his parents over the weekend. The Harris family were attending the Atlanta Falcons game on Sunday (November 26) when a dispute turned physical.
King said “Father and Sons” allowed him to “share genuinely how I am” off camera. “I get it from my Pops who instilled this into me as a youngin,” he added. “I was smaller than everyone and in public school by myself with nobody but me.”
He also alluded to the weekend’s events stating, “Pops taught me how to stand up for myself and take no s### and that’s who I am regardless of where I’m from, and what I come from. I stand on my 10 I was trained like that!!”
King concluded. “I’M NOT NO GANGSTA, NOT NO THUG, NOT DA TOUGHEST, but I STAND ON BUSINESS!!! I ain’t gotta act to be nothing. At da end of da day it’s in me not on me, IF U KNOW ME U KNOW, IF U DON’T GOOD.”
T.I. responded to the drama over the altercation with King in an Instagram post earlier this week.
“Fck what dis internet talkin bout,” he wrote. “Da HFamily Tied Like a Knot. We all We Got…4LIFE… Ima RIDE to da heavens or da depths of HELL bout my Jr.& ain’t nothing gon change that.”
Lil Nas X had a characteristically hilarious response to critics of an unreleased song when he teased a snippet of a new track from his upcoming “Christian Era.”
The “Industry Baby’’ hitmaker took to social media on Thursday (29 November) to prepare his fans for some new music. After joking that he hadn’t put out anything new in the last two years because he forgot his Spotify login details, Lil Nas X teased some new visuals.
“not gonna lie i wanted to reinvent myself for this next era but sadly im still gay,” he joked before sharing a snippet of the new song.
“y’all mind if i enter my christian era ?” Lil Nas X wrote, alongside a video of an unnamed acoustic ballad. The 75-second video sees Lil Nas X calling on angels to help free him from envy and give him hope.
“Father, stretch my hands,” he sings in the snippet. “The lonely road seems to last the longest.”
He followed up a couple of hours later with a tongue-in-cheek response to his critics.
“making christian music does not mean i can’t suck dick no more,” he added. “the two are not mutually exclusive. i am allowed to get on my knees for multiple reasons.”
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.
Although he remained tight-lipped about his impending “Christian Era” or other upcoming projects, Lil Nas X shared a few posts from his fans reflecting on the new snippet.
“Going from “I wanna f* the ones I envy, I envy” To “Free me from all this envy in me” He’s grown so much,” wrote one fan.
Lil nas x new gospel snippet made me a Christian idk how to explain it I just started seeing the light when I watched that video something awakened I feel the Holy Spirit Jesus has definitely forgived him for he forgives us for all our sins and this song is a testament to that🙏
Ari Lennox lost her temper during a concert after a fan hurled a bottle of water onstage.
The “Pressure” hitmaker was opening up for Rod Wave’s Nostalgia Tour at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, Wednesday night (29 November) when she got into it with a concertgoer.
Footage of the incident shared on social media shows Ari Lennox launching into a tirade against the missile thrower. Lennox was furious and threatened to deal with the offender herself.
“Don’t you ever disrespect a beautiful Black woman on the f###### stage like that, I will f###### f### you up! That’s the f### right!” she shouted to the audience.
Furious at her set being interrupted, Lennox then attempted to find who threw the water bottle.
“Who did it?” she asked before seemingly identifying the culprit. “Come here b####,” she beckoned. “Let’s do it. Come here b####, you a p####! You’ll never even be as good as a p####. That’s right b####. You’re dumb, you’re weak!”
Although Ari Lennox continued to rant, show organizers refused to let her continue and cut her microphone. The frustrated star turned away and walked offstage, flanked by a security guard.
While opening Rod Wave’s Nostalgia tour, Ari Lennox’s show abruptly came to an end in Los Angeles, CA when she confronted a fan for throwing a water bottle on stage #RNBONLYpic.twitter.com/dP11bGMb5Y
Some fans online speculated that a disgruntled fan threw the water bottle at Ari Lennox because they wanted Rod Wave to come on.
“People throwing s### at ari lennox for rod wave to get on stage already is CRAZY,” one person wrote on X. “Good thing ari defended herself because this s### is not right.”
I really hope Ari Lennox knows how loved she is!! She definitely didn’t deserve that at Rod Wave concert. Its disgusting how people act towards black women i swear!
Ari Lennox team gotta get better cause what made them think putting her on tour with Rod wave made sense. Yes there’s an intersection where their audience meets but it’s similar to the i20 exit on any part of the highway in atl dangerous and unpredictable and unexpected
SZA revealed she once believed she lost the best single she would ever write to another artist when her song “Consideration,” wound up on Rihanna‘s 2016 album, Anti.
The “Kill Bill” hitmaker was a rising teen artist at the start of her career when she wrote a single she thought would be “the pinnacle of what I could make.” SZA wanted to keep the track, titled “Consideration” as the “centerpiece” for her debut album CTRL, and was hesitant to give it to Rihanna. However, it would ultimately appear on Rihanna’s eighth studio offering.
“I cared so much, and I was so like, just frustrated,” she explained during an interview with Variety. “I felt like, ‘I’ll never have anything this cool again.’”
SZA admitted, “It was like the centerpiece to my album at the time,” whereas “it was just part” of Rihanna’s album. “I was like, ‘Please no,’” she added.
Despite gearing up for a release and having just shot a video for the track, SZA revealed it was too late. “It was already done,” she said. “Whatever conversation label-wise was already done. It was just a matter of accepting and in hindsight it was so hard to let go and accept.”
Rihanna “Consideration” Featuring SZA
Although she was initially devastated, SZA eventually saw the situation differently. “Now it’s like I’m so glad that that happened and that it didn’t cost me anything. If anything I just gained a bunch from it. And I thank God that I made cool music outside of that.”
Check out the clip below and watch the interview at the end of the page.
Back in 2017, SZA revealed that she played “Consideration” at a writing camp for Rihanna after being stumped for material. “I decided to play something from my album,” she told i-D. “She’s like, ‘B####, I want that one’, and I’m like, ‘Not that one. I could make you more?’ And she’s like ‘No, that one’.”
The Young Thug trial is finally underway after almost a year of delays, but the twists and turns continue.
Rumblings of a mistrial began when testimony was dramatically interrupted on Wednesday (November 30) while Detective Belknap was on the stand, after cameras in the Atlanta courtroom briefly broadcast jurors’ faces.
According to Law & Crime‘s Cathy Russon, Judge Ural Glanville “appeared very angry and called all attorneys back in chambers,” after discovering the mishap.
After about an hour, the judge confirmed an “inadvertent recording of some of our jurors on the front row.” Citing “security issues,” he asked if the media were “willing” to not show Detective Belknap’s testimony. Judge Glanville stopped short of calling a mistrial, and all parties agreed to media recording only the audio of the detective on the stand.
The issue arose when the live feed broadcasted some of the juror’s faces as the detective made his way to the witness stand. The camera angle shifted and briefly showed some of the jury members in the front row. Recordings were swiftly shared online, and social media users began identifying alleged members of the jury.
NBA YoungBoy’s recent request to amend the restrictions of his house arrest in Utah due to his mental health has been challenged by prosecutors.
According to court documents obtained by AllHipHop, federal prosecutors have shot down YB’s motion to ease his house arrest restrictions, citing that the motion is vague and unclear. In the motion filed on YB’s behalf, attorney’s reportedly requested the “Nevada” rapper be allowed to participate in outside activities such as visits to the studio and other “life enrichment activities” that can be approved by his retrial officer.
However, federal prosecutors are in opposition of YB’s new motion based on condition 13 of the filing, which states that he is currently under “home incarceration.” The specifics of the condition state that the defendant (YB) is, “Restricted to 24-hour-a-day lock-down at his residence except for medical necessities and court appearances or other activities specifically approved by the court.”
Based on language from the filing, “The United States’ position is that appointments related to mental health should be treated the same as appointments related to physical health or dental health. Additionally, the filing states that in the “modern-world” there are virtual, Telehealth services featuring “widely available virtual options for him to seek help from a mental health professional of his choosing.” The filing continues, “In sum, it is the position of the United States that Condition Number 13 of the defendant’s conditions of release does not need to be amended for him to take advantage of mental health treatment options.”
The filing also classifies YB’s request to ease restrictions for “employment related activity” as “hoplessly vague” and goes on to cite how officials with Atlantic Records previously promised to “bring his work environment to him” based on an October 2021 court hearing in which the label’s chairman Julie Greenwald testified.
YB has been on house arrest for nearly two years, following his indictment in March of 2021 for his arrest outside his grandfather’s house in September 2020 for being a felon in possession of two weapons. He is currently awaiting a new trial date for the case.
Offset has detailed his rationale behind why he has yet to release any music dedicated to late Migos member, Takeoff. Offset recently spoke to GQ and discussed several topics, including how he overcame writer’s block after kicking his lean habit, getting inspiration from Tyler, The Creator and crafting his Set It Off solo album. He also detailed how he’s been dealing with Takeoff’s death and how it influenced his creativity while working on his album.
“It’s way more fun,” he said while describing Set It Off. “I didn’t want to talk about tragedy and talk about…I ain’t ready to talk about that s### yet, first and foremost. I don’t know how to do it, but I didn’t want to just be making an album about bad s### and dissing and putting that type of energy on the project, because it was going to make my mind be in a different place mentally.”
Offset also revealed the pressure he felt to craft a tribute song for Takeoff could compromise the integrity considering the fans expect a meaningful song to double as a banger.
“The world is not ready for it, because [everyone] is so judgmental,” he said. “They want you to make a song pouring your heart out that’s [also] a hit. There is a song on there that’s kind of expressing that s###, though, which is ‘Upside Down.’ It’s feeling confident I’m going to go up with the music, but I’m down every day. It’s the challenge of trying to be the best at your worst times.”
Revisit the stream for Offset’s recent Set It Off album below.
Lamor Whitehead, a self-proclaimed bishop and real estate investor who’s currently embroiled in a legal battled with controversial YouTube personality Tasha K, is being accused of threatening his own lawyer. In legal docs obtained by AllHipHop, attorney Brian L. Ponder asked a judge to remove him from the case, citing abuse and non-payment.
“Plaintiff has engaged in repeated conduct against your declarant is deemed threatening and rendering the representation difficult for your declarant to carry out employment effectively,” the docs state. “When the undersigned contacted Plaintiff for payment for legal services, Plaintiff cites various excuses as to not being able to pay. Plaintiff requested and was granted two (2) extensions on payment due dates, but, unfortunately, both extended due dates have come and gone without payment of sums due.”
Ponder also claims Whitehead would frequently issue complaints about him via WhatsApp and when he’d asked him for clarification on the “manufactured” issues, he would go silent. At one point, Whitehead allegedly raised his voice. The docs continue, “In a telephone call initiated by Defendants via Lamor Whitehead on November 18, 2023, at 4:17 p.m., in response to the undersigned’s voicemail to Plaintiff concerning termination of legal representation and intent to file papers with the Court to withdraw, Plaintiff requested copies of all case files and was advised that said case files will be transmitted to him electronically via email and, given the voluminous nature of the case files, the case files may have to be mailed or ‘I can bring them to you.’ Lamor Whitehead asked if that was a threat and exclaimed, “I will f#ck you up!”
Whitehead allegedly blamed Ponder for their “failed” relationship, saying his “ineffectiveness in all of [his] cases” was reason enough not to pay him. At one point, after withdrawing from the case, Ponder was forced to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“Despite Plaintiff’s representation, additional threats via email seemingly to retaliate for withdrawing from his cases was received by the undersigned, which caused the undersigned to forward the email and attachments therein to the United States prosecutors for the Southern District of New York who are handling a case involving Plaintiff, in order to document a cease and desist contact request from the undersigned to Plaintiff and to forward the email threat to the special agent for the FBI out of an abundance of caution before any acts in furtherance of the emailed threats were taken by Plaintiff against the undersigned and third parties,” the docs read.
“The undersigned was advised by a special agent with the FBI to advise them if any further contact was received from Plaintiff following the cease and desist contact request. Withdrawal from this case is appropriate given the general breakdown of the attorney-client relationship.”
Whitehead filed a defamation lawsuit against Tasha K in July and is seeking $360 million in damages. Yelen Entertainment, producers of Tasha K’s show, quickly countered the allegations, arguing that many of the statements are “fair and true” reports of judicial proceedings and are immune from defamation claims. They also argue that most of the challenged statements are opinions, speculation about the future or use loose, hyperbolic language.
Meanwhile, Whitehead has a checkered past that includes a five-year stint behind bars for multiple counts of identity theft, a civil lawsuit for allegedly defrauding a church out of its building and federal indictment for wire fraud, extortion and related charges.
Ralo criticized the ongoing RICO trial against Young Thug and other YSL members in Georgia on Wednesday (November 29). The 300 Entertainment artist showed support for his labelmate Young Thug by commenting on the case via social media.
“Young Thug [trial] weak as f###,” Ralo wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). “I can’t even believe they giving Jeff ah hard time like that for them weak ass charges. They might [as] well just let him go. I feel like they just trying blame him for s### n##### around him was doing. That s### lame!!!”
Earlier this month, Ralo was released from prison after serving time on drug charges. Young Thug (a.k.a. Jeffery Williams) has remained in jail since his May 2022 arrest in the YSL RICO case.
Young Thug’s trial began on Monday (November 27). His attorney Brian Steel told jurors the rapper was not the gang leader prosecutors painted him to be in the RICO indictment.
“He is not running this criminal street gang in [the] Cleveland Avenue area of Bleveland to gain property, money or power,” Steel said in his opening statements. “Jeffery Williams did it on will and hard work and determination without anybody’s help except the people from that area that he will not turn his back on.”
The attorney added, “He is not sitting there telling people to kill people. He doesn’t need their money. Jeffery’s worth tens of millions of dollars.”
Prosecutors claim their evidence shows Young Thug is the leader of YSL, a violent street gang that terrorized Atlanta. The prosecution said YSL members “knew who their leader was and they knew the repercussions of not obeying their leader.”
Young Thug is one of six defendants on trial in the YSL RICO case. The prosecution’s first witness, Detective Mark Belknap, testified in court on Wednesday.
Police released photos of the two men suspected of brutally attacking a Nardo Wick fan outside of a club in Tampa. The Tampa Police Department initially shared a photo of someone not involved in the incident and corrected its error thanks to tips. Tipsters helped police identify another suspect, who was pictured in an update issued on Wednesday (November 29).
“Detectives are interested in speaking to anyone who witnessed the incident or may have information that would assist in identifying the suspects,” police wrote on Facebook. “Anyone with information that could assist is asked to call Tampa Police at 813-231-6130 or submit an anonymous tip by contacting Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay, Inc. at 800-873-TIPS (8477) or via TIP411.”
Two members of Nardo Wick’s entourage beat up a fan who ran up to the rapper after his performance at Club Skye in Tampa. One man sucker-punched the victim before a second attacker threw several shots at the fan’s head. The victim was knocked out and collapsed on the concrete. Footage showed Nardo Wick trying to intervene, but the damage was already done.
The victim was identified as George Obregon Jr. Police said he was taken to a local hospital, where he was in critical but stable condition. Nardo Wick released a statement after footage of the incident surfaced online.
“I don’t condone what happened to my fan George after my show in any type of way,” Nardo Wick wrote on Instagram. “I expressed to him and his mama how sorry and concerned I was that it happened to him multiple times before anything was ever posted on the internet. I sent his mama my number instantly the night it happened. I was even gone make a post to try to find out who he was before his mama text me. I can’t control another grown [man’s] actions. I ain’t know that was gone happen, and I was mad when it happened. I tried to stop it as u can see in the video, and if somebody got the longer video you can see how mad I was. I love and appreciate all my fans and don’t condone what happened at all dat s### ain’t gangsta or cool in no type of way.”
Obregon’s mother said her son suffered a concussion and brain bleeding. Nardo Wick’s manager claimed the attackers were not his security or “directly connected” to the RCA Records artist.
Hip-Hop and Benny Boom go hand-in-hand. His credentials are brolic as is his IMDb. A brief rundown includes directing videos for 50 Cent, Nicki Minaj, Akon and Keyshia Cole, collaborating with Channel Live and directing All Eyez on Me, along with several hit television shows like NCIS: Los Angeles and Empire. Now, what could a brother possibly do for an encore? Apparently a whole lot.
AllHipHop recently spoke with Benny Boom at a red carpet event celebrating the release of his new documentary, A Love Letter to Hip-Hop, which is co-directed and narrated by Black Thought of The Roots. The film explores the genre’s ascent from obscurity into a mainstream creative pillar and importance of the people who love it.
AllHipHop: Can you speak on how being from the hood leads to a type of diverse creativity that you have been able to parlay into a lasting career?
Benny Boom: When you grow up in an urban environment, a lot of times you’re deprived of things. At least when we were growing up, one thing you did have was a lot of love and a lot of community. It was still rough and tough, but there was this idea of community. Hip-Hop came along and gave us something to do. Whether you wanted to DJ or breakdance or do grafitti or rap, or any of those things. I did every single one of them at some point in time.
AllHipHop: At what point did you realize that this was a thing as a young person?
Seeing a music video with Duran Duran or something like that, and not really thinking we could reach that level, but seeing that this was talent. It’s not something that you just decide to do. I’m lucky enough to be of that age where I saw it from the beginning all the way through to the first rap record on the radio. We were just kids in the ghetto trying to make the best of what we had. It always turned out to where we steered the culture.
AllHipHop: How did you decide on the style of the piece?
It’s interesting because we were approached separately about it by BET. But Black Thought hadn’t written anything, so they wanted me to do the visuals. I just called him and asked him. He said, “Yeah, I only have a few parts, so I’m going to send it to you piecemeal and you just listen to it.” I knew I wanted it to be black and white, I knew I wanted to strip it down. Because black and white lets you focus on the images. You’re not distracted by this and that. I wanted it to be transcendent. I wanted people to be able to understand it from 1973 to 2023. The idea was to display the elements in their rawest form.
AllHipHop:At this point, you are recognized as a director far more than a Hip-Hop creative. What portions of the culture do you believe are tapped into when you bring those energies to TV and film?
Probably the MC part of it. I used to rap, so I always approached music videos from that idea of if I were in the studio, what would I want to see? As if I were an MC trying to get on a song with an artist. Like, what are you bringing to that song? As a rap artist, I would ask “What are you bringing to that record to blow that record up even more?”
A Love Letter to Hip-Hop screened at Urbanworld Film Festival and is currently airing on BET Networks. Watch the trailer above.
Boosie Badazz benefited from threatening to sue Rod Wave and other artists for using his lyrics without permission. The outspoken rapper claimed his willingness to pursue legal action changed the way he’s looked at in the music industry.
“What I did was a big step for me,” Boosie said on Instagram Live. “Now, people are respecting me. Now, the industry respecting me as a businessman … People calling me like, ‘Boosie, man, I’m trying to do this.’ Man, let’s do it. I be happy as a m###########.”
Earlier this month, Boosie criticized several artists for sampling his music and repurposing his lyrics without his clearance. He singled out Rod Wave, who used Boosie’s 2010 track “Long Journey” for a new song of the same name.
Rod Wave offered to pay Boosie an undisclosed amount after getting called out on social media. Boosie mentioned it was “too late” to settle now, but he still wanted artists to sample his work – as long as he gets proper compensation.
“I’m working with dudes so they keep wanting to sample my s###,” he said. “N##### usually get 50 percent. I be telling n##### 25 percent. Give me 25, I ain’t tripping. Give me 25, n####, I don’t even want no 50, n####. Put that in your pocket. That s### been coming back-to-back now. They starting to respect me as a businessman, not a pushover.”
Boosie also provided a brief update on his legal battle with his brother TQ and Yung Bleu in the Instagram Live session. The Baton Rouge native told viewers he filed lawsuits in Tennessee and his home state of Louisiana.
“I’m still in court with Bleu and them too,” he said. “I mean I’m suing them in Louisiana court now. Already suing them in Tennessee court … They just was being money hungry. They went behind my back and did a deal without my knowledge.”
Boosie accused his brother and Yung Bleu of forging his signature to facilitate a deal with EMPIRE. He believed they cheated him out of millions of dollars.
