After his controversial opening monologue on a recent episode of “Saturday Night Life,” Dave Chappelle has found himself in hot waters— swimming in the murky seas of antisemitism that his friend Kanye West has recently drowned in.
According to the Anti-Defamation League’s president, the network, by not censoring or editing Chappelle’s bit on Ye, was popularizing hate against Jewish people.
Jonathan Greenblatt took to his Twitter and wrote, “We shouldn’t expect @DaveChappelle to serve as society’s moral compass but disturbing to see @nbcsnl not just normalize but popularize #antisemitism.”
“Why are Jewish sensitivities denied or diminished at almost every turn? Why does our trauma trigger applause?” he continued.
We shouldn't expect @DaveChappelle to serve as society's moral compass, but disturbing to see @nbcsnl not just normalize but popularize #antisemitism. Why are Jewish sensitivities denied or diminished at almost every turn? Why does our trauma trigger applause?
Like most of Chappell’s jokes, this monologue was laced with pushing-the-edge satire and socio-political commentary— often mocking political correctness.
He said, “I denounce anti-Semitism in all its forms and stand with my friends in the Jewish community … and that, Kanye, is how you buy yourself some time.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m-gO0HSCYk
Chappelle then joked, “I’ve probably been doing this for 35 years now and early in my career I learned there are two words in the English language you should never say together in sequence and those words are ‘The’ and ‘Jews.’ I never heard someone do good after they said that.”
He also mocked Kanye and Kyrie Irving for their remarks, mentioning Ye’s mental illness.
The D.C. native went on to talk about growing up with Jewish people, counting many as his friend, saying, “so I’m not freaked out by your culture,” and even recalling jokingly asking someone once, “Why do some of your people dress like Run-DMC?” referencing some sects of Jewish who were large black hats, like the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers.
“Kanye got in so much trouble, Kyrie got in trouble,” Chappelle went on to say, adding, “I’ve been to Hollywood — don’t want you to get mad at me, I’m just telling you I’ve been to Hollywood, this is just what I saw,” he also said. “It’s a lot of Jews.”
“Like a lot. But that doesn’t mean anything, you know what I mean? There are a lot of Black people in Ferguson, Missouri, it doesn’t mean we run the place.”
One punch line was that it was not delusional to think “that Jews run show business,” but to the contrary “it’s a crazy thing to say out loud at a time like this.”
Twitter has come out in support of Chappelle. Check out what fans tweeted.
For those offended by Dave Chappelle on SNL or offended just in general by jokes. pic.twitter.com/2jLugO7CBt
There’s lot of confusion on this topic—and a lot of not-so-edifying explanations. It’s really not THAT difficult. Saying “Hollywood is full of Jews” is true, and it can also be comedy, of the “bit edgy” variety. Hear me out… 1/
When have you ever spoken on the racism towards blacks or any other group of people being disrespected or hate directed at them you hypocrite bum just another victimhood scheme to get money out of @DaveChappelle
— Big Veli 🏁🏁🇺🇲 America 1st 🫱🏻🫲🏾 (@DiggaveliDoes) November 15, 2022
Black, white, purple, we all need Dave Chappelle. He tells the truth like no other comedian I know.
21 Savage claimed he wasn’t trying to insult Nas when the 30-year-old rapper questioned the Illmatic creator’s relevance.
Nas’ relevance recently became a topic of discussion on the Clubhouse app. 21 Savage suggested Nas is no longer relevant during a Clubhouse conversation, but the Atlanta-bred artist downplayed his remarks after his opinion went viral on social media.
“I would never disrespect nas or any legend who paved the way for me y’all be tryna take stuff and run with it,” he wrote on Twitter.
21 Savage suggested Nas wasn’t relevant in the Clubhouse chat but praised the legendary MC for making good music. 21 Savage also commended the influential artist for maintaining a loyal following.
“I don’t feel like he’s relevant,” the Slaughter Gang leader said. “He’s not relevant. He just has a loyal ass fanbase. He just has a loyal fanbase, and he still makes good ass music. What’s y’all definition of relevant, bro?”
Nas dropped his new album King’s Disease III on Friday (November 11). The project marked another collaboration with producer Hit-Boy. The two previously worked together on the first King’s Disease album, its sequel and a project titled Magic.
Earlier this month, 21 Savage teamed up with Drake for a collaborative album titled Her Loss. The project debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Cameron Airborne is here to tell his story, and he wears his heart on his sleeves in each of his releases. The rising star originally hails from Long Island, New York, but moved to South Florida at the age of 9 after his parents divorced. Thankfully, music would be his saving grace.
Getting his initial start as a guitarist for a rock band, it wasn’t long before Cameron discovered his own talents as a vocalist and recording artist. And while life came at him in all different directions and avenues, from drug addiction to legal run-ins, it was always music that would pull him through. During his downtimes, Cameron would start writing and recording his own records… eventually leading to his debut project Unspoken Words released when he was just 16 years old.
In describing himself, Cameron states he’s “a multi-genre type of artist. I play guitar, so I originally started in a metal band and I used that to transition over to what I’m doing now. It’s almost a fusion of rap rock… pretty much they don’t have any other reason but to f### with it.”
Fast forward to today, Cameron Airborne unveils his newest single and visual for “Feel Right,” following the success of his last single “Lower.” On the business tip, Cameron has his own strain called Airborne OG, and his own cultivation facility and dispensary.
AllHipHop spoke with Cameron Airborne in downtown Los Angeles to discuss his background in music, his new singles, getting sober, having his own weed brand, forthcoming album, and more!
AllHipHop: Talk about being from Boynton Beach, what was that like growing up?.
Cameron Airborne: It’s an hour from Miami, so it’s right in the center of South Florida. It’s a big cultural [place], good music scene out there too. Just like anything else, things get oversaturated. You gotta branch out sometimes.
AllHipHop: There’s a lot of artists from South Florida!
Cameron Airborne: Yeah, for sure. It’s definitely a hotspot right now. Music-wise, there’s always something going on. There’s always events, a lot of people bubbling in that area.
AllHipHop: When did you fall in love with music?
Cameron Airborne: Young actually, probably when I was 10 or 11. Around the time, I started playing guitar. It helps me free my mind.
AllHipHop: How’d you get your name?
Cameron Airborne: It’s a play on my last name, because my last name is Flyer. A friend of mine would call me Airborne, and it stuck.
AllHipHop: You played guitar in a rock band, when did you start recording with your own voice?
Cameron Airborne: Probably when I was 14, I transitioned over to rap, I guess you would call it. I wasn’t really working well with others, getting the band together. Doing it solo was a lot easier to stay consistent.
AllHipHop: You just put out “Feel Right,” what inspired that record?
Cameron Airborne: That’s one of those records that comes from a place: when you’re trying to deal with a lot of different problems or things you have going on, you use different substances to drown it out and make you feel right.
AllHipHop: Talk about your journey getting sober, because obviously it’s not easy.
Cameron Airborne: I got into that stuff at a young age, it just brought me down a dark path. But with anything like that, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s important to talk about it because there’s things that people aren’t comfortable talking about, that they’d be more comfortable if they knew that other people related or felt the same way. It’s important to incorporate that.
AllHipHop: Do you mind if I asked what it was for?
Cameron Airborne: Yeah, I was doing coke and different pills. Very young age, like 10 or 11. Super young. Which honestly, I think is a better thing in my eyes because I got out of it at a young age also. It put my head on straight and let me see things in a different perspective at a younger age.
AllHipHop: How is music a coping mechanism for you?
Cameron Airborne: It’s one of those things when I’m recording, it’s just me so there’s not really any judgment. You just do it, just feel it out.
AllHipHop: What were you doing before the music?
Cameron Airborne: Selling weed. [laughs]
AllHipHop: How does weed improve your life?
Cameron Airborne: Weed is a blessing. Honestly, it saved my life. I have a cannabis company now, Airborne Farms. I have my own strain, Airborne OG. I have a cultivation facility. It’s a vertical branch so I have a dispensary and everything processing. That helped me a lot with my life because it gave me more of a direction. It’s something else that I have a super strong passion for. It’s important to really try to do as much as possible with that because it’s a big, big role in my life.
AllHipHop: How does it help with the music too?
Cameron Airborne: Definitely, it gets me in my zone creative wise. When I’m in the studio, I’m definitely burning it down. [laughs] It definitely makes me feel alert.
AllHipHop: What were you going through recording “Lower?”
Cameron Airborne: That was a super, super dark time in my life. That was the first song that I did completely acoustic. It’s an acoustic track with just me,the guitar and vocals. It just came out correctly. It’s one of those songs where less is more. I took that approach and let the lyrics speak for themselves. It’s a real sentimental record that people can relate to.
AllHipHop: What are you planning on releasing next? Is there a project coming soon?
Cameron Airborne: I have a project that’s about to come out, it’s called Conversations with Myself. It’ll probably come out first quarter. “Lower” and “Feel Right” are actually two singles off the project, so we’re gonna go into that first quarter 2023.
AllHipHop: Talk about the independent grind.
Cameron Airborne: It’s hard. With anything else, you gotta stay consistent. It’s a rollercoaster, so it’ll go up and down. Sometimes it’ll be really good, then it can get stagnant, then it can be really good again. You gotta be prepared to have that emotional ride, that up and down kind of thing.
AllHipHop: What is it you want fans to get from your story?
Cameron Airborne: I want them to feel like they can have something to relate to, that’s not letting them stay behind closed doors. Other people feel the way that they do so if they can take that from my music, maybe they can feel better about talking about it themselves. Whether it’s depression, addiction, even being happy. People don’t like to talk about that they’re happy, they think it’s corny to say that. It’s important to really talk about your emotions.
AllHipHop: What’s your relationship with Jackboy?
Cameron Airborne: That’s the homie. Being from Florida, we linked up at a good time. Just mutual people. We got in the studio and made a banger. It’s been doing pretty well.
AllHipHop: Talk about your clothing brand Lost World, and your love for fashion.
Cameron Airborne: Fashion definitely goes hand in hand with music. I’ve been working on a clothing company, Lost World. It’s set to release the same time as my album, it’s going to coincide with the rollout. Fashion is definitely important. Lost World is self-explanatory in the title. It’s for people that feel lost, that don’t fit in. It’s somewhere they could call home.
AllHipHop: Have you always loved fashion?
Cameron Airborne: Yes and no. I didn’t really care for it. I wouldn’t say bummy, but didn’t really care how I’d dress. It’s more important to dress correctly, because you don’t really need designer or nothing like that. But if you put something on the right way, you can still be fly as f###.
AllHipHop: Do you have a favorite tattoo? You’re pretty covered.
Cameron Airborne: Yeah, probably my neck. The owl, I got that in LA. Daniel Silva did it, he’s done some tats on like Trippie Redd, Russ, and a couple other people. He snapped on that. That’s one of my favorites, then this one too. [points to Jimi Hendrix tat]
AllHipHop: What does the owl mean?
Cameron Airborne: It symbolizes wisdom and guidance. Really, to keep your head on the right path. I like the Jimi too because this is my inspiration, what got me into music, guitar, all that stuff.
AllHipHop: Any goals for yourself at this point in your career?
Cameron Airborne: Yeah, just stay on the right path and keep grinding. Be consistent with the music, and everything will fall into place.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let the people know?
Cameron Airborne: Make sure you check on my album, Conversations with Myself. It’s coming out very soon. Airborne Farms in Oklahoma, brand new dispensary opening in Tulsa. Make sure you pull up on me, get the Airborne OG in store. I might even do a listening, release party there. It’s gonna be dope.
21 Savage should wish to be as good as Nas. There is absolutely no musical comparison between the two artists. Yet 21 feels his elder statesman is irrelevant.
Clubhouse has become one of 21’s favorite places to express his thoughts openly. The topic of discussion started with longevity and eventually transitioned to which 90’s rappers could still drop albums.
Nas’ name came up and 21 generally dismissed any notion that Nas is considered relevant. Despite the recent release of King’s Disease 3 being one of the most anticipated albums of the year, the UK-born rapper attributed Nas’ success to a loyal fan base.
Clearly, 21 Savage is riding off the success of his Drake-assistedHer Loss album. As he should, the project is currently number one on the Billboard charts and moved over 400,000 units in the first week of sales.
However, let’s not act like Nas needs a Drake feature or Drake’s help to go number one. For Nas, it’s a case of been there and done that six times already. Not to mention he’s dropped five albums in the last four years.
One panelist interjected to ask the “Savage Mode” rapper if relevancy was only determined by the youth. To which the rapper replied, “controls popular opinion, is closely connected, or is appropriate to what’s being done in order to be considered.”
By his dictionary definition, Nas is still very much relevant. While 21 did say is that Nas still makes good music. Who is relevant is a matter of perspective.
Keep in mind Nas’ lyrical content still speaks to the mood of the times.
GloRilla felt honored to be mentioned by Nas on his song “Til My Last Breath” produced by Hit-Boy.
The Interscope Records artist reacted to the Nas shoutout when TMZ cameras caught up with her in New York. GloRilla had a big smile on her face while she chatted about the recognition from a Hip Hop legend.
“That’s love!” she said. “I love that so much. Nas is a big legend, for real. That’s super big.”
GloRilla emerged as one of Hip Hop’s rising stars over the past few months, but she remained humble despite her growing fame. The Memphis-bred rapper noted she never thought “in a million years” that someone like Nas would shout her out on a song.
Nas dropped his King’s Disease IIIalbum with Hit-Boy on Friday (November 11). The album’s bonus track “Til My Last Breath” referenced GloRilla in the chorus.
“When she with me, she GloRilla, F.N.F,” Nas rapped.
GloRilla also dropped her Anyways, Life’s Great… EP on November 11. The project served as her major label debut. Earlier this year, she signed with Interscope as part of a deal with Yo Gotti’s CMG imprint.
Listen to her shoutout on Nas and Hit-Boy’s song “Til My Last Breath” below.
How would you feel if your caucasian teacher referred to himself as a superior race but your black father makes nearly 80 times his annual salary selling beats?
Southside and the 808 Mafia have turned into the top choice for beats if you want to score a Hip-Hop hit. But he probably wanted to put the beats on his son’s racist teacher.
Melo, better known as Baby Sizzle was in class at Bohls Middle School in Pflugerville, Texas when he began to get into an open discussion with his teacher. Given all the current events surrounding race and religion, we can’t understand why this man debating with children.
Nonetheless, race takes center stage in the conversation. The teacher says “deep down in my heart, I’m ethnocentric which means that I believe my race is superior.”
The classroom of mostly black students reacts in a collective uproar as the teacher clarifies his comments by saying he believes everyone knows but is afraid to admit it. To make matters worse, the children say they have less respect for the teacher.
Mello and his dad both posted the conversation to Instagram. Southside called attention to his son’s right to education being denied while also speaking in defense of all the melanated children in the classroom.
Pflugerville School Superintendent Dr. Douglas Killian issued the following statement:
We are aware of an inappropriate conversation a teacher at Bohls Middle School had with students this week during an advisory class. This interaction does not align with our core beliefs as a district. The video of the conversation includes statements that we find wholly inappropriate. The teacher has been placed on administrative leave while Human Resources conducts an investigation.
It’s funny how there’s all this talk surrounding the beliefs of Kyrie and Ye. Yet they aren’t the people responsible for teaching children of the masses. Somehow the teacher’s egregious conduct is only enough for a suspension.
New York City partnered with the Universal Hip Hop Museum to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop.
Mayor Eric Adams and several Hip Hop legends spoke about the celebration at a press conference on Monday (November 14). Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright revealed the city will team with the Universal Hip Hop Museum for a variety of events in 2023.
“The city is proud to really announce our formal partnership with the Universal Hip Hop Museum, which is going to be dedicated to preserving and telling that history for generations,” Wright said. “And we are partnering with the museum to really have a host of events and activities during 2023 – the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop.”
Universal Hip Hop Museum chairman Rocky Bucano added, “I’m just so proud that the City of New York and the state of New York have given their support to the Universal Hip Hop Museum. We will open in 2024, and it will be the greatest celebration in 2023 to really demonstrate how Hip Hop has touched every part of today’s society.”
Roxanne Shanté was one of the Hip Hop pioneers who attended the presser at City Hall. She discussed her excitement for the upcoming festivities in New York.
“When they first approached me and told me, ‘Listen, what we’re going to do is we are going to do 50 events, 50 days celebrating 50 years of Hip Hop,’ I was like, ‘That’s a lot of 50s,” she said. “But I am honored to be able to participate knowing that seeing the spin that has been taken with New York City and knowing that we’re getting ready to celebrate something like Hip Hop here in New York City, where it was.”
Grandmaster Flash was another legendary figure in attendance at City Hall. He reflected on Hip Hop’s longevity during his time at the podium.
“I’ve been called a legend a lot of times,” he said. “Legends die young. A lot of times legends don’t get a chance to see what they’ve done in full fruition. And I’m talking to all the Hip Hoppers there and all the Hip Hoppers around the world, I want to say thank you. Because when I did this, this thing could have been a hell no … It’s a blessing to be here to see this.”
Flash concluded, “We did this for absolutely nothing. And now [Hip Hop] is unarguably the biggest music on planet Earth, and I want to say thank God we here.”
Roberta Flack has been diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease and can no longer sing.
In a statement, manager Suzanne Koga announced that the Grammy Award-winning artist has been battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
“(The disease) has made it impossible to sing and not easy to speak,” she said. “But it will take a lot more than ALS to silence this icon.”
The news comes ahead of the premiere of Roberta, a documentary about the singer’s life, at the DOC NYC film festival in New York City on Thursday night.
Reflecting on the project, Flack shared that she hopes it will inspire a new generation of talent.
“I have long dreamed of telling my story to children about that first green piano that my father got for me from the junkyard in the hope that they would be inspired to reach for their dreams,” the 85-year-old commented. “I want them to know that dreams can come true with persistence, encouragement from family and friends, and most of all belief in yourself.”
Roberta Flack, known for the songs “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” suffered a stroke in 2016.
One man was targeted in the shooting. However, the gunman also hit two innocent bystanders during Valentine’s Day attack.
The two bystanders were a woman named Kiya Humphries and her 14-year-old daughter Tammy Johnson.
According to Radar Online, the woman is suing Kandi’s restaurant, the owners of the shopping center where the OLG is located, and the security team hired by the center.
“While waiting to be seated at Old Lady Gang, a man wearing a red tracksuit entered Old Lady Gang and was near the front of the restaurant,” the complaint said. “Shortly afterward, a second man entered Old Lady Gang.”
“The man wearing the red tracksuit began shooting. Kiya Humphries was shot in the right calf,” the complaint added.
Johnson also was shot, and her wound required multiple medical surgeries, therapy, and counseling.
“Kiya Humphries has experienced severe physical and emotional pain and suffering as a result of the gunshot wound she sustained,” the suit reads, saying, Kiya “will continue to experience severe physical and emotional pain and suffering as a result of the gunshot wound she sustained.”
Humphries also alleges in the lawsuit the restaurant has also had a lot of violence and that the singer did not keep people safe.
An old photo of Yo Gotti’s brother standing next to the alleged mastermind behind Young Dolph’s death has emerged and sent internet sleuths into overdrive.
As previously reported, Hernandez Govan was indicted on conspiracy and murder charges. The streets of Memphis are buzzing as fans believe his daughter LottaCash Desto paid a fatal price for his actions.
The buzz may be growing closer to a Memphis Grizzlies growl. Big Jook is the older brother of Yo Gotti. Fans are wondering why he’s standing side by side with Govan. The date the photo was taken remains unknown. However, Jook is wearing what appears to be an iced-out Collective Music Group pendant.
Not to mention, the beef between Yo Gotti and Young Dolf was no secret. The beef seemed to grow from trading shots on social media to eventually trading shots on wax. Back in September 2017, Dolph was shot in L.A. A member of Gotti’s entourage was implicated in the crime, but the charges were later dropped.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nktQwPwlIEI
And, Blac Youngsta was accused of, but exonerated of, firing 100 shots at Dolph in Charlotte, North Carolina.
However, Howard “Keon” Wright, who worked closely with Gotti’s label was sent to prison for 14 years after admitting to the shooting.
Big Jook prefers to focus on the recent success of GloRilla and the rest of CMG’s budding roster. He took to Instagram to congratulate BigGlo. And despite inaccurate reports, Big Jook has not been arrested for anything.
In fact, he recently showed himself enjoying some time on the beach and enjoying the incredible success of CMG and celebrating their mom’s birthday.
On the other hand, Dolph fans feel like the walls are closing in with the recent arrest of Govan.
They let their voices be heard in the comment section—heavy statements backed by dolphin emojis. “Indictment season 🐬” commented one user. Another user suggested it was only a matter of time before he’d be in jail fighting over ramen.
The 50th Annual American Music Awards will air live on Sunday, November 20 at 8 pm EST/PST on ABC. Several music acts will hit the stage inside the Microsoft Theater at L.A. LIVE.
Atlanta rapper Lil Baby will be among the performers for this year’s American Music Awards. The Quality Control Music recording artist dropped the Billboard 200 chart-topping It’s Only Me studio LP in October.
Television viewers can expect to see Lil Baby perform “California Breeze” and “In a Minute” as a medley at the AMAs. The southern rhymer is up for Favorite Male Hip-Hop Artist at the American Music Awards.
Breakout Memphis rapper GloRilla will take the AMAs stage for the first time in her career. The Favorite Female Hip-Hop Artist nominee just let loose her Anyways, Life’s Great… EP which hosts the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 hit “Tomorrow 2” with Cardi B.
Ari Lennox will represent the contemporary R&B genre at the 2022 American Music Awards. The Washington, DC native released her sophomore album, Age/Sex/Location, via Dreamville Records/Interscope Records in September.
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Stevie Wonder will join Ari Lennox and Pop singer Charlie Puth to pay tribute to this year’s Icon Award winner Lionel Richie. The American Music Awards also tapped Anitta, Bebe Rexha, Charlie Puth, David Guetta, and Dove Cameron as performers for the show.
Comedian Wayne Brady will host the ceremony. Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny goes into the 2022 American Music Awards with the most nominations for any act. Bad Bunny racked up eight nods, including nominations for Artist Of The Year and Favorite Music Video.
It is hard to believe that Trevell Coleman, famously known as G. Dep, has been incarcerated for over 12 years. Why? First of all, in many ways, he represents intrinsically how quickly things can change. Dep, an artist on Sean “Diddy” Combs’s Bad Boy Records, emerged after the death of The Notorious B.I.G. and was instrumental in helping the iconic label rise again like a phoenix. G. Dep gave us the fun-filled, danceable classics “Let’s Get It” and “Special Delivery.” When it was all said and done – all that Harlem Shaking – G. Dep only released one album on Bad Boy, the critically acclaimed debut album Child of the Ghetto (2001).
G. Dep: What’s going, man? I’m all right. How you?
AllHipHop: I’m good. Good morning. And peace, man. Glad to talk to you.
AllHipHop: Yes, but I don’t think we’ve ever talked before. I’m not sure, but I don’t think so.How are you doing?
G. Dep: I’m great, man. I’m great. I’m blessed, man. Everything is all right. It’s early. Yeah. It’s early. It’s one of them things. Early morning up in the [p 00:01:25] now. Everybody getting themselves together. I’m one of them, you know what I’m saying? I just got up. Get my regular one, two together. But other than that, man, my spirit is all right. I feel good, man.
AllHipHop: Good. Now you have this movement, people trying to get you out early, and it’s not just regular people. You have the prosecutor and the judge are lobbying to get you clemency, basically.
How you feel about that?
G. Dep: It’s a wonderful feeling, man. It’s more of a feeling though. It’s affirmation, you know what I’m saying? That when you give God… When you leave it up to God, you know what I’m saying? And this is just affirmation that me taking that leap of faith that he saw me through, you know what I’m saying?. So it’s just a beautiful feeling, man. I can’t really describe it, man. It’s like, wow. You know what I mean?
Especially with the judge and prosecutor. I would’ve just got clemency just on me putting my application in on my own, but for them two to advocate it, it’s even more of a blessing, man.
AllHipHop: Yeah, definitely. I mean, it’s kind of crazy, but it’s been a long time. It’s been about 12 years or something that you… How long have you been in there?
G. Dep: Yeah, I think this coming December it’ll be 12 years altogether.
AllHipHop: How have you made it day to day? That’s a long time to me. How have you managed?
G. Dep: Well, I mean actually it’s really… You don’t really think about it. When I first got locked up, I couldn’t really see ahead. I was like “10, 15 years,” I don’t know how I’m going to do this. You know what I’m saying? But it’s just like, you just got to live day to day. And that’s how I’ve been doing, you know what I’m saying? You just handle it… You figure out what are you trying to do, what are you doing, you know what I mean? And then you just live day to day that way. You know what I mean?
Really what keeps you going is your faith and also speaking to your family, you know what I’m saying? Making that a daily routine or getting on the phone or communicating in some type of way if you have some type of family, you know what I’m saying? And just staying abreast of what’s going on out there, you know what I mean? Brothers that don’t have all of that, a lot of times they just work on themselves and that’s what helps the time go. So just every day doing something productive to whatever you’re trying to accomplish. And before you know it, you turn around, you got years, years that went by, you know what I mean? And that’s just how I’ve been living.
AllHipHop: Yeah. It’s been universally, pretty much regarded by everybody, that you seem to be this incredibly good-hearted person, largely because of you even confessing to something that you essentially got away with, you know what I mean? I think that’s a large part of why people feel like, the judge and the prosecutor included, don’t even think you should have got what you got. I think it was like a sentencing guideline, if I’m not mistaken. Would you consider that accurate as far as who you are as a person?
G. Dep: I mean, it’s just me. I don’t know if you could call it… I wouldn’t call it good. I call it it’s just me. This is how I think, you know what I’m saying? You know what I mean? I don’t want to call myself good like that. That’s crazy.
I do feel like it’s a certain respect that we should have for each other, you know what I’m saying? If that’s how I can encompass that whole thought about me, you know what I’m saying? So that’s just how I look at it. You know what I mean?
AllHipHop: Yeah, right. It’s crazy. I was interviewing a rapper yesterday and he’s from Harlem. His name is UFO FEV. He’s a dope rapper from your area. He said he is from Jefferson Projects and…
G. Dep: UFO Keys?
AllHipHop: Fev. F-E-V.He said he used to see you and Black Rob. He’s a little younger, but he said you and Black Rob inspired him a lot when he was a shortie. Yeah, he was just observing though. But he saw what y’all created.
G. Dep: Oh, right. Wow. Is he really upcoming? He doing his thing?
AllHipHop: Yeah, he’s up and coming, but he’s kind of a young OG at this point. He’s a young veteran, you could say because he’s done a lot of projects, but he’s not famous yet. So he runs with Fat Joe, real heavy at this point.
G. Dep: Shout to UFO, man.
AllHipHop: Yeah, man. Yeah, definitely. Have you gotten any recent updates on the chances of this all happening?
G. Dep:
Well, my… My lawyer, he hollers at me. The clemency lawyer hollers at me from time to time. He just keeps me abreast of what’s going on, you know what I’m saying? He said that it’s a pretty good chance. He said I had more of a chance than the average person that put a application in because of the recommendations from the prosecutor and the judge. So he said that’s a plus, you know what I’m saying?
AllHipHop: Yeah. Well, that’s good. I don’t know if you saw this, and I just saw it myself just now, but apparently the brother is not… I guess the brother of the victim is not necessarily for you getting out. Have you heard that?
G. Dep: Yeah. Yeah. I heard about that. He was the same guy that was in opposition, you know what I mean, from the family when the sentence (happened)… during the trial and all of that, you know what I’m saying? They spoke to him. He felt like he had his feelings about what was going on. Obviously he’s not for this whole situation, which I can’t blame him. I understand, well, that’s his family. That’s how he feels.
AllHipHop: Understood. Even if this doesn’t happen, you’ll still be out in a few… little bit time, relatively speaking. Have you started making plans? Have you started thinking about life outside of Fishkill (Correctional Facility)?
G. Dep: I mean, plans, I kind of look at things a little different. I don’t really try to live in the future, you know what I’m saying, so to speak. I prepare for being out there, you know what I’m saying? That’s really what I do. I try to just do what I know I can do in here that’ll help me when I get out there, you know what I’m saying? So I don’t really try to have a whole layout because you never know what’s going to happen, you know what I’m saying? Right now, I’m in school, I’m going to college. I graduated a couple of days ago actually, you know what I mean?
AllHipHop: Do you ever regret your decision? Do you ever think about that?
G. Dep: Nah, man. I really, really, honestly, it wasn’t for me, it wasn’t really no other way to go. I was at a point where I wasn’t doing anything that would’ve been fruitful in the long run, you know what I mean, because I wasn’t right. Everything was kind of fruit of the poisonous street, you know what I’m saying? Everything that I was doing, it was alright on the surface, but it wasn’t really coming from a genuine place, you know what I’m saying? I really didn’t have any other choice, you know what I’m saying? So I feel like anything is a plus compared to that, you know what I’m saying? I really don’t have any regrets about that.
Come back for Part 2: Diddy, Mase, Black Rob and Hip-Hop
R&B singer/songwriter SZA will perform live on an upcoming episode of Saturday Night Live. NBC’s long-running SNL series will return next month.
The late-night sketch comedy show recruited SZA to be the musical guest for the December 3 installment of the program. She also performed on the show in 2017. Actress Keke Palmer will serve as SNL‘s guest host on the same night as SZA’s upcoming appearance.
SZA recently released her “Shirt” single. That Darkchild-produced song came after tracks like “Hit Different” featuring Ty Dolla Sign, “Good Days,” and “I Hate U” dropped over the last two years.
Keke Palmer’s SNL hosting gig will come after her starring role in Jordan Peele’s Nope. The cast of that sci-fi horror film also featured Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya, Steven Yeun, Michael Wincott, and Brandon Perea.
Season 48 of SNL previously presented musicians Kendrick Lamar, Willow, Megan Thee Stallion, Jack Harlow, and Steve Lacy. Both Megan Thee Stallion and Jack Harlow pulled double duty as musical guests and hosts.
Lizzo also got the chance to host SNL as well as perform at 30 Rockefeller Plaza’s Studio 8H. The Special album creator ran through “About Damn Time” and “Special” back in April. Gunna and Post Malone had SNL performances in 2022 too.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has another commercial hit. Director Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opened with an estimated $180 million in North America.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s domestic box office haul is the second biggest opening weekend of 2022. Fellow MCU blockbuster Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness brought in $187 million in May.
Wakanda Forever is the sequel to the Oscar-winning Black Panther which came out in 2018. The original movie made $700 million domestically and a worldwide total of $1.38 billion. Black Panther is currently the 14th highest-grossing movie of all time.
Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Martin Freeman, and Angela Bassett star in Wakanda Forever. It is the first installment in the franchise without the late Chadwick Boseman who previously played the titular character.
“I couldn’t believe it. No one knew anything. And then you start thinking about [how] they were telling you it was four years [of battling cancer],” stated Angela Bassett about the loss of Boseman. “And we had just done [Black Panther] two years previous.”
Academy Award winner Ludwig Göransson produced the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From and Inspired By soundtrack. Rihanna, Tems, Future, Burna Boy, Stormzy, and other international musicians contributed to the album.
“Ryan and I talked about the importance of creating an immersive journey of sound and voice,” said Göransson. “If we used a song in the film, we wanted it to be the entire song, and to be connected to the story.”
NBA player Kyrie Irving has been at the center of a media firestorm for weeks. The Brooklyn Nets suspended Irving after the 30-year-old athlete shared a controversial documentary with his Twitter followers.
Kyrie Irving apologized for promoting Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, a 2018 film many critics label as antisemitic propaganda. However, his decision to not specifically deny being an antisemite led to more punishment from the Nets.
On Sunday, Irving offered more thoughts about the negative reactions to his recent actions. The 7-time NBA All-Star took to Twitter to post a message about his personal worldview on religion, race, and equality.
“I was not put here on earth to participate in any religious/political wars or incite racial disharmony/prejudice within communities. We are all equal under the sun and I am here to participate in the building of an Equal world and follow the Word from the Most High/GOD/YAH. 🤞🏾♾,” tweeted Irving.
I was not put here on earth to participate in any religious/political wars or incite racial disharmony/prejudice within communities. We are all equal under the sun and I am here to participate in the building of an Equal world and follow the Word from the Most High/GOD/YAH. 🤞🏾♾
Many public figures chastised Kyrie Irving for supposedly pushing conspiracy theories about the Jewish community. NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and comedian/activist Jon Stewart provided opinions about the perceived antisemitism.
On the other hand, veteran entertainers such as Nick Cannon and Kanye “Ye” West, expressed public support for Kyrie Irving. Both Cannon and West delt with their own controversies involving antisemitic tropes.
The Brooklyn Nets announced Kyrie Irving will not return to the team from suspension until he completes a “series of objective remedial measures.” For example, he is required to denounce the documentary and meet with Jewish community leaders.
“Clara and I met with Kyrie and his family yesterday. We spent quality time to understand each other and it’s clear to me that Kyrie does not have any beliefs of hate towards Jewish people or any group,” tweeted Nets owner Joe Tsai on November 11.
Clara and I met with Kyrie and his family yesterday. We spent quality time to understand each other and it’s clear to me that Kyrie does not have any beliefs of hate towards Jewish people or any group.
Earl “DMX” Simmons died on April 9, 2021. Apparently, some DMX fans did not appreciate Yung Bleu sampling the legendary rapper on the new Tantra project.
Yung Bleu’s “What Type Of Games” off Tantra borrows from DMX’s “How’s It Goin’ Down” from the 1998 album It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot. The 28-year-old rapper/singer addressed the backlash on Twitter.
“I understand that’s such a great song and it will never be duplicated no matter what by any artist! Classic! I’m paying homage!” tweeted Yung Bleu on Sunday night.
Bleu continued, “And mainly bringing more income to his estate at that! That’s what matters to me. Long Live X. We talked on the phone 2 weeks before his passing.”
Tantra arrived on November 11. Yung Bleu’s latest body of work includes contributions by Fivio Foreign, Zayn, Nicki Minaj, Kelly Rowland, French Montana, and Lucky Daye.
Bleu released his debut album, Moon Boy, in July 2021. That studio LP peaked at #12 on the Billboard 200 chart. The “You’re Mines Still” single featuring Drake made it into the Billboard Hot 100 chart’s Top 20.
It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot by DMX debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 251,000 first-week copies. The Recording Industry Association of America certified the album as 4x-Platinum in 2000.
“How’s It Goin’ Down” is one of DMX’s fifteen entries on the Billboard Hot 100. Yung Bleu’s “What Type Of Games” opens with a snippet from the It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot track. Murda Beatz, Elyas, and Elias Stricken produced the “What Type Of Games” track.
Timbaland said he received up to $500,000 to produce tracks earlier in his career when “the producer was respected way more.”
During a recent interview, the Hip-Hop icon revealed he was earning half a million dollars to make beats while crafting hits for the likes of Aaliyah, Ginuwine, Jay-Z, Ludacris, and Missy Elliott.
“I usually get like $300K, $500K back in the day,” Timbaland told ProducerGrind. “We ain’t come from a world where you send beats; we come from when that b#### was tailor-made, you understand? The producer was respected way more.”
According to Timbaland, artists and producers aren’t putting the same effort into their music.
“You needed a dope producer as an artist,” he explained. “You needed that, and now you got YouTube. People putting beats; it’s just not the same. It’s just like Wild Wild West out there.”
Timbaland also expressed his fear for the future of production in Hip-Hop with the introduction of AI technology.
“I knew this guy, one of my homeboys. He was working on this whole program that while the computer’s asleep, it’s generating sounds,” he explained. “When he opens it up, it takes white noise and makes kicks, the dopest snares while he sleeps. He’s been working on this for years, and I’m sure he’s mastered it now. The computer makes his kits; he don’t get drum kits from people. Makes samples while he sleeps.”
He also revealed he’s been working hard on his new Beatclub platform for upcoming producers. The Virginia native wants to ensure beat-makers are receiving their worth.
“It’s really like a high-end concierge service, telling producers how to charge, don’t charge, you would not be making no money,” Timbaland explained. “We show you how to get to the money.” Watch the interview in full below.
“I got to say Rest in peace to Takeoff,” Nas began before adding, “We’re trying to tell these people out here, man, we’re here for a purpose. We can’t be destroying each other over b#######. Look at these little brothers and be like don’t shoot; don’t throw your life away. It ain’t worth it. There’s something to live for, something to be here for.”
Nas went on to urge listeners to understand their purpose.
“All that tough s### is cool when you’re growing up, but we gotta learn that we’re here for a purpose, and there is a design that’s out here to make sure we don’t grow, to make sure that we don’t make it,” he said. “And we gotta recognize that there is something in existence that’s trying to stop the youth from the hood from growing into its proper purpose.” Listen to Nas below.
Takeoff’s life was tragically cut short after he was fatally gunned down at a bowling alley in Houston, earlier this month.
On Friday (Nov. 11), his peers celebrated his life alongside the rapper’s friends and family during a memorial service at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Justin Bieber performed to the crowd which included Gucci Mane, City Girls JT and Yung Miami, YG, Lil Yachty, Teyana Taylor, and Russell Simmons. Drake also delivered a speech before TakeOff’s uncle Quavo and cousin Offset addressed the audience, speaking for the first time since the rapper’s death.
Rihanna is undoubtedly a style icon, setting trends with her unique fashion choices and altering maternity style forever more with her pregnancy looks.
Awarded the 2014 Fashion Icon Award by the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America), the superstar singer’s bold looks are regularly splashed across fashion magazines and blogs.
However, her latest hairstyle has Twitter in an uproar. Some fans roasted Rihanna’s new do while others suggested she’s transitioning between two styles saying the busy working mother deserves a break after a departure from her usual flawless style.
During a recent interview, Rihanna admitted she’s still adjusting to the tribulations of parenthood.
“I used to get tired and just push through and keep going. This is a tired that you have no control over it. Your body is shutting down,” Rihanna told Vogue. “And just recently, I pushed through three days at the studio in a row – like, slept in the studio – to get a song done because it’s a project that’s really important to me coming out. I believed it, and I wanted to be a part of it, so I got it done.”
However, her son’s smile makes it all worth it. “He is the happiest baby. No matter what you’re doing or what you’re feeling, when he smiles at you everything else just goes away. It’s the best,” she continued. “Of course, being a new mom is insane. It is lovely. It is epic, honestly.”
Some fans say her new baby is responsible for her recent hairstyle.
“The baby was fussing so she had to leave mid appointment 😂” penned one Twitter used, defending Rihanna’s hairdo. Check out some of the responses below.
The baby was fussing so she had to leave mid appointment 😂
Lil Baby has been recognized by his hometown, receiving his own day during a ceremony on Sunday.
The Grammy Award-winning rapper took to Instagram on Sunday to share photos from the celebration. He received his own day – November 13, now known in Atlanta as Dominique “Lil Baby” Jones Day. He accepted a proclamation marking the honor from the Atlanta City Council.
“November 13th Is Officially Dominique “Lil Baby” Jones Day In Atlanta !! Thank You ……🙏🏽🙏🏽” Lil Baby shared.
In addition to recognizing Lil Baby as a “musical ambassador,” the proclamation also recorded his philanthropic contributions to the city, including pledging $1.5 million of the proceeds from his 2020 single, “The Bigger Picture.”
Lil Baby also donated 10,000 winter coats and launched a $500,000 back-to-school festival as well as a $100,000 Booker T. Washington high school scholarship fund.
Meanwhile, a hairdresser recently shared a heartwarming story about the ATL rapper after she cut his hair during his “One Of Them Ones” joint tour with Chris Brown. The stylist was left overwhelmed after Baby “took care” of her with his payment.
“I had a lot of stuff going on and it’s been a rough two months,” the hairdresser explained. “He took care of me. I literally just took care of his whole entourage, and they were so nice and so cool. He literally took care of me.”
While she did not disclose the sum, she revealed, “He paid me, and he paid me a substantial amount.”
The hairdresser then showed the interviewer her bank account admitting her recent financial struggles. However, she says Lil Baby blessed her without knowing her issues. “He didn’t know any of it,” she said. “He was just being genuine.” Watch the clip below.
Lil Baby changed this hairdresser’s life after he paid her extra for doing hair for him and his crew.
The hairdresser said Lil Baby did this without knowing her current financial situation. 🙏💯 pic.twitter.com/CWgZ1faNH7
