Yo, there is a crazy rumor out here! The digital streets are claiming that Pete Davidson and Ice Spice are dating each other. How? Well, the Internet does what it does these days and verification of facts is almost always out of the window.
So, some random Twitter account decided to start this rumor. And people ran with it. I suppose somebody somewhere gets a kick out of this, and is really happy. Basically, because of Pete’s predisposition for beautiful women, people thought this might be true. Not!
I for one, never fell for it. And that is why I am willing to be late in this rumor. It is literally ridiculous for anybody to conceive Pete Davidson dating a young chick like that Bronx babe. I don’t care about anything, about anybody. It’s ridiculous! It defies common sense.
Nevertheless, whoever started, it is one of those sites that has the word “satire “in their bio and people never read that. They simply take it as facts. The problem is, is that satire denotes, humor, or parody. These accounts never do that. They only spread out misinformation and minimize liability by adding that word. It’s very stupid.
At any rate, we all know who is really being rumored to be dating Ice Spice.
The Wu-Tang Clan legend spoke to AllHipHop about his artistic pursuits as a rapper, producer, filmmaker and more. RZA discussed his creative mindset, revealing why he takes on challenges such as composing his first ballet.
“I learned a long time ago that I’m an artist,” he said. “I don’t gotta think about being nothing else but that. And by being an artist, I find different ways to express that art.”
He continued, “If you give me a hammer and nails, I’m not gonna be able to work it out. I might be able to make something artistic out of it, but I won’t be able to fix your toilet. So, as an artist, I’m happy to be that and I find different ways to express myself. And I refuse to have someone tell me that I can’t do it.”
Later in the conversation, RZA talked about the new season of Hulu’sWu-Tang: An American Saga. He even provided a bit of life advice, encouraging the younger generation to embrace maturity.
“Don’t be shy to mature,” he said. “And I don’t mean mature like you gotta stop playing video games. That’s a hobby or activity or entertainment like watching a movie … [I mean] mature in love, respect and knowledge and communication. And mature in your emotions when dealing with your family.”
Tory Lanez won’t learn his punishment for shooting Megan Thee Stallion until April at the earliest.
A judge moved the controversial rapper/singer’s sentencing date to April 10. Tory Lanez was scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday (February 28), but he agreed to a delay to give his lawyers more time to prepare to seek a new trial.
Judge David Herriford also lifted a gag order on Tory Lanez at Tuesday’s hearing. The ruling allows the Canadian artist to publicly comment on his shooting case.
A jury found Tory Lanez guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion at a trial in December 2022. He was convicted of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, carrying a loaded unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharge of a firearm with gross negligence.
Megan Thee Stallion was shot and wounded in the Hollywood Hills in 2020. She testified in her shooter’s trial, detailing her perspective of the incident.
Tory Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, faces up to 22 years and eight months in prison. He has remained in jail since his conviction.
Attorneys for the former Interscope Records signee intend to file a motion for a new trial in April. He replaced the lawyers who represented him in the December 2022 trial.
J. Cole enlisted the help of Drake to do something special for the 2023 Dreamville Festival.
Dreamville announced the star-studded lineup for its upcoming festival on Tuesday (February 28). The event is highlighted by Drake and J. Cole, who will join forces for a set on the main stage in April.
The 2023 Dreamville Festival is scheduled to begin on April 1. Usher will headline the first night, which includes performances by Lil Durk, Ari Lennox, EARTHGANG, the City Girls and more.
Drake and J. Cole serve as co-headliners to close out the festival on April 2. The final day of the event features Burna Boy, Summer Walker, J.I.D, GloRilla and Waka Flocka Flame, among others.
The 2023 Dreamville Festival will be held at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Tickets are on sale now at the festival’s website.
Check out the full list of this year’s Dreamville Festival performers below.
Saturday, April 1:
Usher Lil Durk Ari Lennox City Girls Sean Paul EARTHGANG Jessie Reyez Key Glock SiR Lute Omen Marqus Clae Victony
Sunday, April 2:
J. Cole + Drake Burna Boy Summer Walker J.I.D GloRilla Bas Waka Flocka Flame Mario Ayra Starr Baby Tate Cozz Jordan Ward Reuben Vincent
A judge ordered Kodak Black to spend 30 days in rehab for violating the conditions of his pretrial release.
Last week, an arrest warrant was issued for Kodak Black after he tested positive for Fentanyl. The Atlantic Records artist appeared in a Florida court on Tuesday (February 28).
Kodak Black, whose real name is Bill Kapri, initially failed to submit a drug test on February 3. He took the test a few days later on February 8. It came back positive for Fentanyl, leading to the arrest warrant.
Authorities sought to put Kodak Black back behind bars, but his attorney Bradford Cohen successfully argued to keep the 25-year-old rapper out of jail. Cohen raised doubts about the drug test, suggesting there could’ve been a mix-up at the lab.
Judge Barbara Duffy sided with Cohen, agreeing to let Kodak Black enter rehab on March 7. Cohen also denied a local news report claiming his client refused a hair drug test.
“Of course channel 10 got it wrong,” Cohen wrote on Instagram. “No one refused a Hair sample. Pretrial does not provide Hair sample services. But I am glad @kodakblack will get an opportunity to take a break from his hectic schedule and focus on his physical health.”
He continued, “Great kid, great philanthropist and as usual a portion of his Rolling Loud pay check will go to the Meadow Pollack scholarship fund at Nova Southeastern Law School, that he set up last year. @local10news You often see news reports that aren’t accurate because they want those subscribers, and won’t report on the good in the community and the good Kodak does there as well. Doesn’t make for a good story.”
Kodak Black is scheduled to perform at Rolling Loud California on Friday (March 3). The three-day festival takes place at the Hollywood Park Grounds in Inglewood.
Let me be very clear: I do not like Elon Musk. Straight like that! He is a racist, he’s a demagogue, and he’s a straight up punk! He is considered the richest man in the world once again because Tesla stocks just went up. But, as a human, he’s bankrupt.
He is spreading dangerous rhetoric on his platform, Twitter. First of all, I don’t even follow this guy. But he abuses his power to make his posts float to the top magically so that people see it no matter what. And that’s dangerous. And it’s still a disaster but that’s beside the point. It’s probably time to get off of it completely.
However, he just recently said that The United States’s media is now more racist to white people and Asian people than it is to Black people. What study gives any credence to such a ridiculous notion? Does he have any scholar that can support him in this idea? This seems to be a situation where they want to tell us that “the sky is red, when it’s blue.” But because they say it, it is so. Well, I got news for you. We aren’t going for it! And we don’t care how much money you have!
Here is the direct quote:
How did such a big POS learn to type?
Also recently he supported the clown that used to draw a stupid comic called Dilbert in his racist tirade against Black people. He essentially said that Black people are a hate group and need to “just get the hell away” us. Wait a second. Excuse me? If it wasn’t for white people, Black people would not even be here! Secondly, we would have taken over the world already if not for the brutality of racism and systemic oppression. And we wouldn’t of had to enslave and colonize people or suppress governments to do it. I can’t stand these people! I hate Dilbert! That stupid, non-talented hack as thankfully been dropped by all the publishers in the world.
People like Elon Musk continue to abuse their power without any repercussion whatsoever. Dilbert was corny every single step of the way, but after 30 or 40 years, this guy decides to come out as a raging racist. (Those that know him say he’s been to the right of the Right for quite some time.) And it always seems to work like that. We accept what is otherwise a really corny and goofy person and then he gets emboldened when he sees people like Elon Musk.
I just wish they would say this to our face instead of over the Internet.
50 Cent is known for his business acumen, social media hijinks, rapping career and, well, suing people. But every once in awhile, the tables get turned and the television exec is forced to defend himself. As 50 Cent’s battle with MedSpa continues, he has another legal battle to settle. In 2021, a former drug kingpin, Corey “Ghost” Holland Sr., filed a billion-dollar lawsuit against 50 Cent, Courtney Kemp and the STARZ network. He claims the popular Power drama is based on his life.
50 Cent’s legal team dismissed those claims, saying at the time, “[Holland] fails to state any claim upon which relief can be granted. More specifically, [Holland] fails to identify any defamatory statements made about him in connection with the fictional television series ‘Power.’ He fails to allege that his name, portrait or picture was used in connection with ‘Power,’ or that any such use was a prohibited advertising use.”
But, the war continues. According to court docs obtained by AllHipHop, Holland, who’s representing himself, alleges 50 Cent—real name Curtis Jackson—came to his home not once but twice in an attempt to settle the score. He says the incidents occurred in either July or August 2021.
“A few days later 50 Cent shows up about a half mile from plaintiff home, and plaintiff sees the same truck that pulled into his driveway at the 50 Cent event,” he writes in the docs. “So plaintiff realizes it was either defendant Jackson or his Entourage who decided to ‘Pull Up.’
“When you looking for a confrontation your honor, this is what people say, nowadays. Up to this point, plaintiff had ignored a lot of ‘subliminal attacks’ on him online, but now 50 Cent is bringing the drama right to plaintiff front yard, so plaintiff responded to 50 Cent they way any normal person would respond to a possible threat, plaintiff prepared himself for whatever was go happen.”
Holland continues, “Plaintiff wanted to know why 50 Cent came to his home, but plaintiff couldn’t get past 50 Cent security. The men in the truck returned, repeated the same intimidation tactic and left, but this time they appeared to be armed.
“So plaintiff family ARM themselves, cause defendant Jackson, came back to plaintiff neighborhood for a second time, but once again security protected him. Plaintiff again tried to get to him and ask why is he coming to his home and neighborhood, but security prevented that, it’s clear your Honor, he was seeking a confrontation, and came very close to getting what he came for.”
Holland maintains the seven acts in his Blasphemy CD are identical to the seven seasons of Power and first two seasons of Power Book II: Ghost.
In 2007, Holland said he mailed a copy of his CD to Kemp’s dad. The CD had an autobiographical song where he raps about being a “drug lord,” falling in love with his Puerto Rican “teen crush” and finding out from his white drug trafficking partner she now works in law enforcement.
Holland insists his motions aren’t “frivolous” and is seeking a resolution. But 50 Cent’s legal team says because the last episode of Power aired in February 2020 and Holland filed his lawsuit in April 2021, his claim is barred by the one-year statute of limitations under New York law.
They contend, “It is evident that the characters in ‘Power’ are entirely fictionalized and therefore, no reasonable person could rationally believe any character in the series is based on [Holland] or his life.”
The iconic Busta Rhymes performed at the Carnegie Hall Presents Power Network: A Black History Month Conversation and Concert on Monday, Feb. 27 with the hosts of the hit podcast and web series “Earn Your Leisure,” Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings.
Also in attendance was host ED Lover, the welcome provider Rev. Al Sharpton and the music maestro, DJ Clark Kent.
The speakers, dropping knowledge for the audience to take back to their communities, were Robert F. Smith, Dr. Paul Judge, Derek Ferguson, Yvette Badu-Nimako, Lisa Francoeur, Ibrahim Sagna and Kim Keenan, all there to give “world-class business insight, electrifying musical performances, and the power of community-minded ethos.”
He paused at a certain point to acknowledge what a big deal performing at Carnegie Hall, remembering how his mother used to take him to school, but before they would leave allowed him to watch cartoons.
“While she was making breakfast, I used to see ‘Transformers and Voltron,’” he shared with the sold-out audience, noting the shows would come on between 6:30 and 8:00 am.
“So, names like Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Soundwave [I would hear]. It was interesting when I went to the corner store to get my Charleston Chews … I would see brothers on the corner and they would have names like Lord Victorious and Supreme justice … Peace to the Gods!”
He continued, “The point that I’m trying to make is that I learned a lot tonight while in my dressing room looking at the TV monitors and watching these incredible gentlemen speak.”
“Interestingly, what I learned today they don’t teach at school. Same way I learned from these brothers that stood on the corner … like how much is the earth weighs … how far the was each planet from the sun … what’s the total square mileage of the planet … the original man is the Maker, the Owner, the Cream of the Planet Earth, the God of the Universe.”
“So, to come from those humble beginnings, I was being taught like this from dudes that looked like the ones would racially profile. I was taught by these brothers to believe that I was made in the likeness of God and I believe this so much I claim that divine that everything that I wanted after I would just claim.”
“32 years later by professional recording career on stage at Carnegie Hall,” he continued. “Leading up to this moment, I had two tear-jerking moments. I cried a lot. They were tears of joy. I am so happy to be here.”
He said the moment was especially special to his mother because when he was 17 in 1989, she was the one to sign his deal for him.
Nick Cannon has embarked on a 24-city tour that includes some of the hottest young talents across the globe.
The consummate multi-hyphenate mogul has turned his sights on the next generation with his Future Superstars Tour, which recently started in California and travels to Texas next. Nick will act as host and also DJ, promoting the next crop of artists he believes will push the culture forward.
He explained to AllHipHop’s Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur in a recent interview why he’s assumed this position after years of pushing artists through his various platforms.
“I’m going to be behind the turntables and the maestro the whole tour, man, and giving these young artists the opportunity to shine. That’s what it’s all about. That’s literally the Future Superstar Tours,” the Wild ‘n Out founder said.
He also said that this tour would hearken back to the Golden Era of Hip-Hop where young talents were groomed for success.
“You know how it is. “We come up with the old school promo days. We come up with, and then even with the energy of the 106 & Parks, or the up and coming, on the verge list, or even the tours that used to go out, that would really introduce the people that were the most popping, the bubbling,” he explained. “And then they literally were turning into superstars the first time you would see them, where they pulled up to a HBCU or a high school, and really that groundwork, that real work. And so I’m showing these artists who are popping how to become superstars, but then at the same time, I’m also giving the fans that interaction and that opportunity to be a part of the superstar movement.”
The tour celebrities include Symba, JD McCrary, 24Goldn, Big Boss Vette, Traetwothree, Klondike Blonde, DW Flame, POP MONEY, Hitman Holla and others.
He explained the selection of getting on the Future Superstars Tour, as well as how things have changed since the good ol’ days.
“Well, that’s the thing. Sometimes, you might know they song is bubbling on TikTok, but you ain’t put the two and two together. That’s really the purpose of the tour, is to show people who, “Yo, nah, they popping.” 24kGoldn is an international superstar. Big Boss Vette got the hottest record out right now, with the “Pretty Girl Walk,” he said.
“But it’s like now we actually get to put the name with the face with the music, and that’s what we’re missing. That’s what we had with 106 & Park. That’s what we had with the Scream Tour,” he continued. “And even if it’s a page straight out of Berry Gordy’s book about Motown, especially back then, you had to put every artist on the bus, from Stevie Wonder to Diana Ross to the Temptations, and send them to the hood, send them to the community, so that people could see their faces, because there wasn’t no music videos back then. It wasn’t that. That’s literally what we doing. We pulling up to the community with the artists, and letting everybody be a part of the superstar movement.”
The tour is a partnership with Nick’s Incredible Entertainment, TheBlack Music Action Coalition and Live Nation. There will be a $5,000 cash grant awarded to an individual that will come with an industry mentors. To submit an application, go to https://bit.ly/3Ponb5e.
NEXT SUPERSTAR 2023 TOUR DATES:
Sat Feb 25 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
Sun Feb 26 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues Anaheim
Wed Mar 01 – Dallas, TX – Echo Lounge & Music Hall
Fri Mar 03 – Houston, TX – House of Blues Houston
Sat Mar 04 – Austin, TX – Emo’s Austin
Sun Mar 05 – New Orleans, LA – Fillmore New Orleans
Fri Mar 10 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place
Sat Mar 11 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues Orlando
Sun Mar 12 – Miami, FL – James L Knight Center
Wed Mar 15 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz
Thu Mar 16 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte
Sat Mar 18 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
Sun Mar 19 – Nashville, TN – Nashville Municipal Auditorium
Wed Mar 22 – Minneapolis, MN – Fillmore Minneapolis
Fri Mar 24 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee
Sat Mar 25 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
Sun Mar 26 – Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
Wed Mar 29 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues Cleveland
Thu Mar 30 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues Chicago
Fri Mar 31 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
Sun Apr 02 – Toronto, ON – HISTORY
Wed Apr 05 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore Philadelphia
Thu Apr 06 – Westbury, NY – NYCB Theatre
Sat Apr 08 – New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center
REFORM plans to attend more historically Black college or university campuses to have conversations on what they can do as students to make a difference and create awareness about criminal justice, according to the school’s website.
Dr. Wes Bellamy, Chair of the VSU Department of Political Science and Director of the JMLI, said, “In 2020, we launched the John Mercer Langston Institute (JMLI) for African American Political Leadership to create changemakers in this country. This event is another opportunity to continue cultivating informed black leaders at Virginia State University who will go into the community as changemakers.”
“Young people have always been the engine of change for this country,” said Robert Rooks, CEO of REFORM Alliance.
Adding, “If we really want to change the criminal justice system, we need young people to be involved. We are thrilled to partner with Virginia State University to inspire the next generation of criminal justice reform advocates.”
After the conversation, Wallo and Gillie, hosts of the popular podcast Million Dollaz Worth of Game, hosted an Instagram Live on REFORM and VSU’s social media channels to check in about what the students learned.
Cowboy5 has tapped into a new sound with his upcoming album “Wanted & Richer 2,” hosted by the legend DJ Scream. His single “Turn up” surpassed 250k views on YouTube in such a short time.
The independent artist is expecting to deliver his biggest release thus far. Cowboy5 got into music at an earlier age as a hobby, then quickly realized he was building a career in the music business, with inspiration from artists such as 50 Cent, Lil Wayne and many more.
Cowboy5 has been studying the industry and building a sound around his brand, a unique sound.
Now you’re probably wondering what the secret to his creative process is. Well, cowboy5 is a real modern-day cowboy.
Most of the music he creates is made behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler. That’s right. When Cowboy5 is not making music, he is probably at your local truck stop fuelling his big rig. Music is Cowboy5’s priority, but he enjoys being out on the road and connecting with nature also.
The internet made the music business easy for independent artists to build if they focused on the vision. If you’re an independent artist trying to break into the industry, the place to start is social media.
You can follow up on the release of “Wanted & Richer 2” on Cowboy5.com also keep following cowboy5 on social media.
Former Disney star and all-around “it” girl Zendaya is ending Black History Month by making her ancestors proud. The millennial actor has made headlines after negotiating $1 million per episode for her role as Rue Bennett on HBO’s Euphoria.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning actor is now one of the highest-paid television actors in Hollywood, and one of the youngest (if not the youngest) to work out such a deal.
Other actors who have made this amount lead cast of “Friends” in their final season, the lead cast of “Game of Thrones,” Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon for “Big Little Lies” and Elisabeth Moss on Apple’s “Shining Girls.”
She has not also beat Angela Bassett, who by earning $450,000 per “9-1-1” episode set a record for the highest-earning Black female actor on network television.
The deal makes her the youngest and highest-paid Black female actor on television.
Many people were not happy about this deal. But, Black Twitter had their girl’s back.
“Cast in Friends were paid a million an episode (it was celebrated!!) which would be 1.6mill today but Zendaya does it and makes even less… it’s a problem?! #Euphoria”
Cast in Friends were paid a million an episode (it was celebrated!!) which would be 1.6mill today but Zendaya does it and makes even less… it’s a problem?! #Euphoriapic.twitter.com/xw2ftheANp
“Being mad at Zendaya for getting $1 million per episode is how I know that you all are young. Wait until you find out how much the WHOLE cast was paid per episode in the 90s…”
“If hearing that someone like Zendaya makes $1 million an episode upsets you, don’t tweet about it. Scream into a pillow, pick yourself up by your bootstraps, and become the most famous woman on earth.”
If hearing that someone like Zendaya makes $1 million an episode upsets you, don’t tweet about it. Scream into a pillow, pick yourself up by your boot straps, and become the most famous woman on earth.
Authorities have arrested Texas rapper 2G.Kaash in Grand Prairie for murder charges connected to the killing of Khurram Ali in the city of Dallas.
According to the Dallas Morning News, the 33-year-old was shot on Jan. 19 and taken to the hospital to have his injuries treated. Unfortunately, Ali did not survive the assault and since then law enforcement has been building their case to detain the suspect.
An investigation into the shooting had testimony from two security guards that saw Ali engaged in some sort of exchange with the 20-year-old rapper. One guard said he saw Ali drop a trash bag out of his car and others come to pick it up before things went left. Surveillance footage obtained by a detective also shows the shooting.
Moreover, detectives, after searching Ali’s vehicle, discovered two cell phones with texts to someone with a CashApp profile of $Kaash2G. When the officers check Ali’s CashApp account he says that $Kaash2G had given him $60 for an Uber ride in December of 2022.
According to the affidavit, the two were texting each other about meeting up (time and location) and exchanging pictures of “what appear to be illegal narcotics.”
It also said the last text from that same number to the victim was received at 10:53 p.m. That message read, “You gone try to runoff on me?”
Detectives confirmed that the location in the text message was the same place he was killed and discovered from a friend he was meeting up with the rapper to cop some weed.
To further implicate the rapper in the death, handprints from the car matched 2G.Kaash, based on a national database.
2G.Kaash, whose real name is Ghazi Harris and is signed to Atlantic Records under Kodak Black’s Sniper Gang Records, was snatched up by the U.S. Marshals and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive for the murder during a concert at the Texas Trust CU Theatre on Friday, Feb. 24.
He has been denied bond.
This will also be the second time that 2G.Kaash has faced murder charges. Two years ago, he was arrested in February for the death of another man named Keenon Culver. A grand jury declined to indict him and so he never stood trial for this death.
A dude found a way to use artificial intelligence to mimic Kendrick Lamar’s magnificent voice. And it immediately caused concern. In particular, Young Guru said at some point, we won’t be able to tell who is who and what is real! Here is his entire statement.
This has dominated my Howard group chat for a couple days. Ok I’m at the point where I can voice my concerns with our current state of AI. I have followed as many versions of what AI could do for some years now. I remember being at MIT and students showing me a project where they were actively feeding a computer “All” the jazz records that ever existed. So that AI could analyze and create music in any style of any musician. I didn’t think we would get here this fast with the voice. Of course my mind goes to the ethical and legal aspects of what can be done with programs like Tacotron 2. You add that to the power of ChatGPT and you realize we are in a very groundbreaking but dangerous moment. It’s not the tech, it’s the evil that men do with the tech. There are legal aspects because at this present moment you can’t copyright a voice. (Midler v. Ford Motor Co.) You can copyright a song, or a speech but not the voice itself!!! You can literally create a song or an album in the voice of your favorite musician. And this is just music. The ability to create a Manchurian Candidate scares me.
Think about that in every industry. There are still states that don’t even have a law against revenge p###. I’m sorry to go there but imagine the repercussion on our kids when 5 years from now some high school kid gets mad at his ex girlfriend and creates a whole “deep fake” that sounds and looks real. Imagine the political landscape where we can’t believe anything we hear because someone will claim they didn’t say it. “It’s a Deep Fake”, will be the same as saying “I got hacked”. I don’t even want to continue giving examples for fear that someone will go out and do it. The law has to change to protect everyone not just Public Figures. And the super scary part is that we are just getting started, we feed the beast constantly everyday with more and more content to be studied. Maybe the Luddites had a point. The book by Gavin Mueller “Breaking Things At Work” starts to take on a way more urgent role!!
Second of all, listen to the “song” this dude did.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpGPjOuLnZN/
Don’t hate me, but that song is dope! LOL! Now, I do not agree that we should be listening to a non-artist through AI. But what if we did that with dang Andre 3000? Maybe that would like a fire under him to create!
For a large portion of Drake’s career, the Canadian mentioned women he dated in his music. Apparently, the OVO Sound founder now has mixed feelings about referring to past partners by name.
Drake appeared on A Moody Conversation with fellow rap star Lil Yachty in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The FUTUREMOOD conversation included the two entertainers discussing Drizzy’s tendency to name-drop his exes.
“Sometimes when I’ve said girls’ names in songs, maybe those are the two things that I look back on, and I’m like, ‘Maybe I could’ve done without s####### on people for age or disrupting somebody’s life,” admitted the 36-year-old hitmaker. “The lyrics are never with ill intent.”
Drake added, “But I had somebody one time be like, ‘It’s not necessarily what you’re saying about me, it’s the fact that you said it… You don’t know who my boyfriend is at the time or you don’t know what my family knows and doesn’t know. And if you express any form of discontent for me in a song and call me by name, then all of a sudden I’m left to pick up the pieces of my own life that I’ve tried to build up for myself.'”
The Toronto native also talked about the balance between being honest in his music and not hurting people. He called it a “push and pull.” Plus, Drake told Lil Yachty he does not believe he ever made up women’s names in his lyrics.
Keke Palmer Poked Fun At Drake On SNL
Last December,Saturday Night Live presented a sketch titled “Drake PSA” with Keke Palmer. The segment featured the Nope actress and other women jokingly complaining about the Her Loss album creator alluding to them on his projects.
“My name is Keke Palmer. And that ‘Kiki do you love me?’ song ruined my damn life!” quipped the “Bottoms Up 2.0” singer. “That man had the whole internet asking if I was the Kiki. Well, yes I am the Keke, just not that Kiki. It was my name first. Stop acting like we smashed. And give me my damn $6 million.”
Darius Jackson and Keke Palmer are now parents of a newborn named Leodis Andrellton Jackson. Palmer introduced the baby in an Instagram post shared on February 27.
“Born during Black History Month, with a name to match 😄! LEODIS ANDRELLTON JACKSON, welcome to the world baby Leo,” wrote the Nope film star on the social media platform.
While many of Keke Palmer’s followers supported the new mother, some social media users took the opportunity to make fun of the infant’s name. The 29-year-old actress took the jokes in stride.
“That name [sounds] like it led a civil rights march,” tweeted one person on Monday evening. Keke Palmer quote-tweeted @_DocLee and added, “It’s giving I marched with Martin, purrrr.”
The Emmy Award winner publicly announced her pregnancy in a comedic way. During the December 3, 2022 episode of Saturday Night Live, Keke Palmer revealed a baby bump as part of her opening monologue.
“There are some rumors going around. People have been in my comments saying, ‘Keke’s having a baby, Keke’s pregnant.’ And I want to set the record straight… I am!” declared Palmer on SNL to loud applause from the studio audience. “I gotta say, though, it is bad when people on the internet spread rumors about you, y’all, but it’s even worse when they’re correct.”
She continued, “I was trying so hard to keep it on the down low, ’cause I got a lot of stuff going on. People kept coming up to me, ‘Congratulations.’ I’m like, ‘Shhh! Can y’all stop? I got a liquor sponsorship on the line. Let the check clear then we can get to the damn baby shower.’ But honestly, this has been the biggest blessing, and I am so excited.”
Nau’Jour “Toosii” Grainger has been releasing music professionally for over five years. The 23-year-old rapper/singer has scored his first song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week.
“Damn this brought tears to my eyes… I prayed every night and I waited on this. This gotta be a prank or something man!” tweeted Toosii in response to the news of his Hot 100 breakthrough.
TikTok played an important role in the success of “Favorite Song.” Different versions of the track have been used in over 400,000 clips on the platform which pushed users to stream the record 9.7 million times in the United States.
Damn this brought tears to my eyes… I prayed every night and I waited on this. This gotta be a prank or something man! https://t.co/u1S5uQDFZY
“Favorite Song” has racked up nearly 4 million global streams on Spotify since arriving on the DSP eleven days ago. The track’s official audio on YouTube has already totaled 1.6 million worldwide plays.
Toosii previously charted on the Billboard 200. Three of his projects achieved spots on those weekly album rankings. 2020’s Platinum Heart mixtape peaked at No. 196. That same year the Poetic Pain LP went Top 20 by opening at No. 17.
The aptly-titled Thank You for Believing mixtape plateaued at No. 25 in 2021. Toosii’s “Favorite Song” also gave the North Carolina representative his first Top 10 entry on the Hot Rap Songs chart at No. 8. “Favorite Song” currently sits at No. 17 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart as well.
R&B icon Usher Raymond IV is experiencing a career rejuvenation. That revival is partly due to the buzz surrounding his “My Way – The Las Vegas Residency” at the Park MGM.
Usher also continues to secure brand deals. For example, the My Way album creator stars in the new Uber Reserve campaign from the San Francisco-based ridesharing company.
“Between life as a father of four, rehearsals, and adding even more shows to my Las Vegas residency, I understand the importance of planning ahead to make sure things go ‘My Way,'” states Usher.
The 44-year-old music industry veteran adds, “Using Uber Reserve to book my rides ahead of time gives me one less thing to worry about. It’s the perfect harmony of ‘Usher’ and ‘Uber.'”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h1IcqNKvHc
Usher will also be in Las Vegas for the Lovers & Friends Festival on May 6. The show’s lineup includes fellow legendary performers Mariah Carey, Missy Elliott, Christina Aguilera, Boyz II Men, Busta Rhymes, and more.
Throughout his four-decade career, Usher released eight studio LPs as a solo act. The illustrious musical run began with his self-titled album in 1994. Ten years later he dropped Confessions which went on to earn Diamond certification from the RIAA.
Usher is a 27-time Billboard Music Award winner, 8-time Grammy Award winner, 8-time American Music Award winner, 4-time BET Award winner, and 3-time NAACP Image Award winner. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2016.
Last year, Usher landed his 52nd entry on the Billboard Hot 100 as a feature on “Good Love” by City Girls. The Atlanta-based entertainer has nine No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 and four No. 1 projects on the Billboard 200.
The great and the good of the battle rap world came together last weekend to celebrate the life of Pat Stay with an epic fundraiser for the Sucker Free Boss.
King Of The Dot rounded up some of battle rap’s most iconic artists for “Stay Forever’ weekend in Toronto. The card was impressively stacked with heavyweight battles, including Dumbfounded vs. Rone, The Saurus vs. Kid Twist, Real Deal vs. Loso, and Madflex vs. Mike P.
The Ultimate Rap League also lent talent to King of the Dot’s effort to raise funds for Pat Stay’s family. Real Sikh and Lu Castro took on the pairing of DNA and Charlie Clips in an epic clash of the eras double team matchup.
Dizaster Takes On Hollohan In Surprise Clash
However, while the scheduled lineup of talent was impressive, KOTD pulled out all the stops with some special surprises. West Coast titan Dizaster refused to let a torn ACL prevent him from honoring his friend. He fought through injury to take on Hollohan, who made his comeback to pay tribute to Pat Stay.
Both emcees kept the slain battle rapper close to their hearts throughout their clash with their choice of attire. Dizaster recreated the fit he sported during his title match against the Canadian legend while Hollohan donned the vest Pat Stay, known for his love of outlandish outfits, wore during his matchup against K-Shine.
Diz wore all black wit the KOTD title chain, when him and Pat battled at Blackout for their title match 😢 Hollohan got the same vest Pat had on in the Shine battle 😥 #LLPSpic.twitter.com/PcCJeqljgA
As if a battle between Hollow da Don and Charron wasn’t iconic enough, their clash was interrupted by a long-awaited mega match that left event goers feeling like they were immersed in a fever dream.
Check out the epic moment, captured by 15MinsOfFame, where Hollow stunned the crowd by introducing Illmac as his “backup” before Charron revealed, “I got so much pull; I can bring Jin back.”
When a fan questioned, “how did KOTD finally make Jin vs. Illmac happen?!” the 7- time BET “Freestyle Friday” champion replied, “Two words. PAT. STAY.”
After the battle, Jin took to Twitter to share an emotional freestyle explaining why he returned after 17 years. “Sometimes you just need to pour it all out on the track. #StayForever 💐❤️🥲” he penned in the caption.
“The fact pat brought this out of u is the most beautiful s### ive ever seen in this culture,” Dizaster replied in the comments section before adding Jin’s bars made him “tear up a bit on the ending.”
KOTD and the battle rap community raised more than $140,000 for Pat Stay’s family. A VOD is available for the event, with proceeds adding to the cause. Click here to order.
Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye is having a historic week. The R&B/Pop global megastar earned a major accolade on the Spotify streaming platform.
According to Spotify, The Weeknd became the first act to reach 100 million monthly listeners on the service. Tesfaye currently leads the second-place artist, Pop singer Miley Cyrus, by more than 17 million listeners.
“Blinding Lights” has 3.4 billion Spotify streams at the moment. Other songs like “Starboy” (2.2 billion), “The Hills” (1.7 billion), “Save Your Tears” (1.4 billion), and “Call Out My Name” (1.3 billion) also crossed the streamer’s billion-stream mark.
The Weeknd’s Beauty Behind the Madness studio LP from 2015 features the Diamond Award-winning “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey),” “The Hills,” and “Can’t Feel My Face.” The RIAA certified Beauty Behind the Madness as 6x-Platinum in December 2022.
https://youtu.be/P8RSTx3c_64
In addition to a setting Spotify record this week, The Weeknd presented his Live At SoFi Stadium HBO concert special on February 25. The Los Angeles-set show included the XO Records founder performing songs from his After Hours and Dawn FM projects.
The Weeknd also released “Die for You (Remix)” featuring Ariana Grande on February 24. Industry forecasters predict the new version of the Starboy album track will reach No. 1 on next week’s Billboard Hot 100 chart.
