Iyanna “Yaya” Mayweather was sentenced to six years of probation for stabbing a woman at NBA YoungBoy’s residence in 2020.
According to court documents obtained by KPRC-TV, Mayweather received Deferred Adjudication of Guilt on Thursday (December 15). Earlier this year, she pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
“We resolved the case between Iyanna and the State,” Mayweather’s attorney Kent Schaffer said in April. “The agreement calls for Iyanna to be on deferred adjudication for a period of six years after which she will have no felony conviction and the case will be dismissed. She is eligible to have the deferred adjudication end after two years pending her good behavior.”
The 22-year-old woman, who’s the daughter of undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather, stabbed Lapattra Jacobs during a confrontation in April 2020. Jacobs is the mother of one of NBA YoungBoy’s children.
A TMZ story claimed Mayweather, who was 19 at the time, referred to herself as NBA YoungBoy’s fiancée during an argument with Jacobs. The incident escalated to violence, resulting in Mayweather stabbing Jacobs with two knives.
Mayweather was arrested and booked in a Houston jail. She was released after posting a $30,000 bond.
Jacobs was taken to a local hospital following the attack. Her injuries were not life-threatening.
Last year, Mayweather gave birth to a son named KJ. NBA YoungBoy is the father of the child.
You have been building this career for quite some time now, and revealed an interesting origin story on your socials that doesn’t take you from the streets to the beats, but rather to university to complete a doctorate in pharmacology before mastering your musical craft.
AllHipHop: What side of this inspiring story did you choose to incorporate into the album?
Tef XL: Great question. I have a lot to unpack on my journey from the streets to where I sit today. Code Switch is a trilogy about my journey from the streets to being a successful executive and leader. Code Switch Volume I: The Prequel focuses on my awakening while in the streets and the struggle to rise above those hardships. On this album, I chose to take listeners back to my roots, Duval County, and speak on what was going through my mind when I was in the midst of hustling. Those experiences forced me to elevate my perspective on what I could accomplish with intention, money, and time.
AllHipHop: Listening to Serenity, I felt a powerful spiritual component in the lyrics that reveal a strong almost stoic perspective on how the character sees his environment and his struggle. Where did the inspiration for this mindset come from?
Tef XL: Thank you. Serenity was produced by MacTrakz and the heavy drums and soulful melody forced me to reflect on the purpose behind my street hustle. When I sat with myself I realized a common thread we all have or seek is a life of peace and freedom. The first thing that came to mind for the hook was the Serenity prayer and how it can exist as a relatable anthem to a street hustler. On this record, I share the vulnerable mindset of that hustle and fighting for what I wanted … the big American dream of wealth and prosperity.
AllHipHop: My favorite track is B.O.W, one of those powerful motivational beats that get you out of bed kicking. Does this “Eatin Sleep Repeat money on my mind” attitude follow you throughout the creative process? Can you run us through your daily ritual when writing a song like this?
Tef XL: Yeah man, B.O.W is one of my favorite records. When I wrote it I was literally writing as if it was my first and last to write or record. It’s just one of those tracks that as soon as I got it from Mactrakz I was itching to write the hook. I felt like the hook needed to drive the song and represent how I go about anything I’ve accomplished in my life. I focus on WHAT I want, HOW I’m going to get it and then ACT to accomplish it. I get obsessed with achieving “IT.” “Everyday I grind for a life I define …” I felt like the verses needed to reflect my winning mindset and attitude towards being in the music game. My goal is for the world to “feel” something when they hear my music and I felt B.O.W was the track to make that happen, “….now my name is international!”
AllHipHop: The song Pronto with WAX is a distinct product from the rest, are you the beat maker behind this ride-or-die track?
Tef XL: Pronto is a banger for sure! WAX and I grew up on the streets of Duval, he gifted me with the hook and a verse on the record, which was produced by MarcoSolo (from Duval), engineered by MacTrakz (from Duval), and hosted by OG Bigga Rankin (from Duval), the 904 dream team. As far as my role in production, my vision is present, however, I stay in my lane when it comes to music production. As a team, we are at our strongest when we come together and overlap our individual crafts to make the best record possible. We have so much mutual respect for each other that we are able to accomplish whatever we put our hearts behind when it comes to music.
AllHipHop: Duval county, which you mention in the track The Calling, is this the origin of the TEF XL sound or the TEF XL attitude? What lessons did you learn from this part of your life that you carry with you today?
Tef XL: Yes, Duval County in Jacksonville, FL is where I’m from. I grew up on the southside of Jax and learned how to hustle in a project housing complex called Caravan. The bulk of my street experiences (being shot multiple times and the loss of close friends to street violence) occurred in Caravan or tie back to that period of my life. The Calling was a track produced by Dj Pain 1, a multi-platinum producer with a rich approach to his craft man – I felt like the voice of the beat was calling me to the table to talk about my journey from the streets of Duval “..TEF Go Head, Go Head, Go Head, Go TEF!”
In the first verse I talk about what it felt like to break away from the streets, clear my head, listen to my heart, and pivot. I didn’t want to die, I wanted to live and live big. On the second verse I share what it feels like to step back into the rap game after over a decade of being out and talking the real talk.
Yeah, Duval is an interesting city that has a melting pot of talent and has gained a lot of attention in the hip-hop space over the past few years thanks to artists like Nardo Wick, Yungeen Ace, Spinabenz, Lil Poppa, Seddy Hendrinx, and a host of other talented artist and musicians.
AllHipHop: There are a lot of sprinkles of wise quotes, in Bigga Speaks, its pure 16 seconds of wisdom. Why did you choose to put this in the middle of the album and what is the origin of this philosophical perspective?
OG Bigga Rankin is a lifelong friend of Jax. Bigga and I go way back to when he was running his clubs called Cool Runnings. I and my homies used to pull up to the club and I’d grab the mic and freestyle over tracks. Back in those days, Bigga would record the club music he played and distribute it as mixtapes. Shortly after he started producing WRNR mixtapes. We actually did a WRNR mixtape together back in the early 2000s called “Bulletproof” which received widespread praise by the local hip-hop scene.
Bigga is a very wise and spiritual person so, in the “Bigga Speaks” interlude I felt it was best to give homie his room to breathe and speak wisdom “…Only L’s are life lessons..”
AllHipHop: No pressure no diamonds Alonda Rich’s chorus repeated throughout the track “no pressure” was this a central theme to your experience working with Fat Joe? Was he the first legend you have worked with?
Yeah, No Pressure featuring Alonda Rich was another track produced by DJ Pain 1. Ms. Alonda Rich did her thing on the hook and inspired that “let it go” mindset around the pressure that comes with the relentless drive to be successful. Success is elusive to most because it comes with so many challenges and difficult decisions, overthinking and pressure can kill a dream. Big ups to Fat Joe for the tag on the introduction …”No Pressure, No Diamonds Right,” I mean what a surreal moment to have one of raps finest know your work. He knows the climb and approached our partnership with energy and respect, he’s solid.
AllHipHop: What’s next for TEF XL in 2023?
AHH, if 2022 is any indicator of what 2023 will be then I’d have to say let’s turn up! This year we dropped 4 singles and ended the year with my first album Code Switch Volume I: The Prequel. Our focus for the year was building out our TEF brand and setting the foundation for our sequel projects and live performances in 2023.
Thank you to all the contributors, music partners, and fans that have been on the journey with us this year. I appreciate each of you for the ongoing support and look forward to seeing you at a show in the coming year! Stay on the lookout for tour/ performance date announcements, they will be coming!
Donald Glover will star in and produce a movie based on Hypno-Hustler, one of Spider-Man’s lesser-known villains.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project will be part of Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man movie universe. Eddie Murphy’s son Myles Murphy is attached to write the film.
Donald Glover was reportedly drawn to the musical aspect of the Hypno-Hustler character, who hypnotizes people with his guitar. The villain first appeared in Marvel comics in 1978.
Hypno-Hustler’s obscurity also appealed to Donald Glover. The Hollywood Reporter noted he will have more freedom with the obscure character compared to the bigger attractions in the Spider-Man universe.
Fans famously campaigned for Donald Glover to play Spider-Man over a decade ago. The hashtag #Donald4Spiderman became a trending topic on Twitter in 2010. Andrew Garfield ultimately landed the titular role in the 2012 film The Amazing Spider-Man.
Since then, the Spider-Man franchise underwent a reboot and became part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tom Holland took over the role of Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider-Man in the live-action films.
Donald Glover never got to portray Spider-Man in a movie, but he did play the superhero on television. The Atlantacreator voiced the Miles Morales version of Spider-Man in Disney XD’s animated series Ultimate Spider-Man.
The trial of Megan Thee Stallion and Tory Lanez continued doing today – 4th day. There was more damning evidence that Tory Lanez did, in fact, shoot his former sex partner. But, there was an interesting development that no one really saw.
Her friend Kelsey Nicole decides to admit some thing that I had long forgotten. She wrote a rap song dissing her friend. “Bussin Black” came out in 2020. This was after the alleged shooting of Megan Thee Stallion. However, when asked about the lyrics, Megan‘s former best friend didn’t seem to have a clue about what she had previously said in the song.
On top of that, it really seems like the friend perjured herself on the stand. And the judge reminded her her “immunity” does not allow her to lie. In fact, it negates it. Also, she has repeatedly said she doesn’t remember things. However, we know that she probably does! She simply doesn’t want to admit to anything on the stand. Right now, it seems to look like she might be in jeopardy of being guilty of something.
She says that they had been drinking a lot of alcohol that night and didn’t remember a lot. In a text message, she definitely said that “Tory shot Meg.” Not good. Right now Tory Lanez faces 25+ years in jail, deportation, and even more. I’m thinking she needs to remember some things. Even if he’s guilty, just speak the truth! Brooooooooos and girls, stay in school, study business and learn a trade. If you rap, be like J. Cole and Kendrick. Don’t be scared! You can do it!!
Kelsey Nicole better keep using the fifth amendment!
Here are the lyrics to “Bussin Back” if you wanted them.
Who I’m taking shots at? B####, I’m busting you (Brrat, get money) I’m talking to that same b#### that crashed that boat on 42 (Get money, huh) It’s a shame we here today, truth be told, it’s ’cause of you (Get money, b####) Couldn’t control your little feelings, look what dick is costing you It was all good, yeah, about a week ago (About a week ago) Shout out Bobby Shmurda but this b#### is really tweaking, bro If I was the one with the gun you would’ve heard about a murder (R.I.P.) Said her back was turned but that girl know who really hurt her (I ain’t hurt you, b####) Never been a jealous friend and the people really know it (Nah never been) If you would’vе kept it silent then I would’vе been told it (B####) See I really thought I knew you, thought that you would keep it G If you wanna talk gangsta, b####, I’m really from the street Imagine lying to the D.A. saying I took some hush money (Huh?) Put a muzzle on your friends, y’all acting like some crash dummies (Skrrt) Got my chain snatched? Damn, here you go lying To be an A-list celeb, you doing too much trying Where I get this money from? B####, you knew I was a hustler Way she did 1501, should’ve knew I couldn’t trust her Protect black women, huh? But you sending threats to me Damn, I thought that you was solid, now the joke’s on me Damn, I ain’t wanna have to do this but you steady shooting shots (Brrt, brrt) Dez said if I spoke that a sex tape could drop Was never supposed to be against each other, this what y’all made it (Ah) I’ma still live it up, yeah, I know y’all really hate it (Ha) Sucking dick behind my back, who really on they knees? You an overachiever, all you do is suck seed Claiming you a pimp, huh? But you slippin’ on your mackin’ (Damn) Are you lying to your label? Do they really know what happened? (Who shot ya?) ‘Cause you know it wasn’t me I was 10 toes down whenever you had beef It’s a g####### shame All you had to do was clear your best friend’s name (Yup) All you had to do was keep it real and stay the same (Ah) But you switched up on me for the money and the fame Who shot you?
Prosecutors played a recording of a September interview with Megan Thee Stallion’s former friend Kelsey Harris at the Tory Lanez shooting trial on Friday (December 16).
Harris explicitly claimed Tory Lanez shot Megan Thee Stallion in the interview with prosecutors. Harris provided a detailed account of the shooting, which was in stark contrast to her confusing testimony in the trial.
According to multiplereporters, Harris recalled an argument that led to the shooting in the recording. She accused Tory Lanez of threatening to shoot her while they were in a car together with Megan Thee Stallion.
“If you shoot me, you shoot me, I guess it’s my time to go,” Harris allegedly told him, per Law & Crime’s Meghann Cuniff.
Harris said the shooting began after Tory Lanez instructed his driver to stop the car. Harris described what she saw once shots were fired.
“I get out of my side and no sooner do you know, you start hearing gunshots going off,” Harris explained, per Rolling Stone’s Nancy Dillon. “I looked up maybe about the second or third gunshot. You see Tory, he’s now in the front seat. I guess he must have jumped over in a smooth transition and he’s leaning over the door.”
She continued, “He’s shooting over the top of the door. He was leaning over the front passenger door and he was shooting the gun … [Megan] was walking away when this happened, but by the [third] or [fourth] shot, she was facing towards us. And I would describe it as like a deer in headlights.”
Prosecutors asked Harris if Tory Lanez was pointing the gun at Megan Thee Stallion during the shooting. She said he “definitely” aimed the gun at the 27-year-old rapper.
Harris also accused Tory Lanez of assaulting her by dragging and pulling her hair. The recording was introduced as evidence in the trial after Tory Lanez’s defense implied prosecutors pressured Harris in the interview.
Reporters didn’t notice anything in the interview that indicated Harris felt pressured to share her story. A judge allowed prosecutors to play the recording following two days of testimony in which Harris often said she couldn’t remember details on the stand.
Tory Lanez pleaded not guilty to assault and firearms charges. If convicted, he faces more than 22 years in prison.
Big Sean is a father now. How dope is that. The Detroit rapper had a baby this year with his long-time boo Jhené Aiko. Anyway, you know all of this. My dude is back at his music and he’s still remarkable as a lyricist. But I noticed something as he was rapping. He had a bit of a “pouch.”
And guess what? He recognized that he had a “dad bod” and commented on it.
Keep it a buck, he is still skinny compared to me, but noticeably bigger compared to the Sean Don we have known in year past! Fortunately that is what life is about. AND having a queen and a baby to boot has got to be wonderful. But the way, he’s gotta feel a way about getting to the money now too. That is what men do when they have kids. They go get it!
Glad I don’t have any seeds. I am sitting here typing rumors!
A 22-year-old named Ivory Duke Williams, who is barely old enough to drink, has been charged with the murder of Snootie Wild.
The rapper, who hailed from Memphis killed on the southside of Houston at the top of the year on February 25th, 2022.
According to ABC 13, the Houston Police responded to 4213 Alice Street around 2 a.m. after receiving a disturbance report. They arrive to find Porter in a ditch with a gunshot to his neck.
A woman’s vehicle was stuck in a ditch, and she needed someone to help her, according to police reports.
Snootie Wild came up to her while she was in the ditch with her car, but instead of helping her, the 36-year-old rapper pointed his gun at her.
Frightened, the woman ran away.
After running some distance, she heard shots fired and called 911. She saw the suspects in the shooting speed off in a dark-colored sedan and informed the officers.
To her chagrin, she would later learn the victim was Snootie Wild, who initially flashed his weapon at her.
An investigation discovered Williams was the suspect, and he was arrested on Wednesday, December 14th, for the crime.
The man who attacked Dave Chappelle during his Hollywood Bowl show earlier in the year has been charged, accepted a plea deal, and sentenced to 9 months behind bars.
Dave Chappelle, his friends, and his security acted swiftly and handled Lee on the back of the stage for the offense.
Later it was discovered by law enforcement that Lee had a replica gun on him. The fake gun was a knife and could have seriously caused harm if he had used it on Chappelle.
According to TMZ, on Thursday, December 15th, the 24-year-old was sentenced to 270 days in Los Angeles County jail after pleading no contest to a pair of misdemeanor counts.
The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office said his crime was entering a restricted area during a live event and battery. This is not the end of Lee’s legal woes.
He is also facing an attempted murder charge for a non-related incident where he allegedly stabbed his roommate.
Lee told the press, after being incarcerated, he was bisexual and that Dave Chappelle’s comedy about the LGBTQIA community triggered him, and he came to confront him.
Gunmen killed rapper Jahseh “XXXTentacion” Onfroy on June 18, 2018. Broward County, Florida authorities charged four men with XXXTentacion’s murder.
One of those defendants looks to prove his innocence by calling other Hip Hop artists to testify at trial. According to the Miami Herald, Dedrick Williams’s legal team wants Aubrey Drake Graham as a potential witness in the case.
Apparently, the desire to have Drake take the stand stems from years-old internet rumors. Some XXXTentacion fans believe the OVO Sound co-founder had something to do with the death of the 20-year-old rapper.
The lawyer for Dedrick Williams also requested to hear from Daniel “6ix9ine” Hernandez and Joseph “Joe” Budden as well as Quavious “Quavo'” Marshall and Kiari “Offset” Cephus of the Migos. Deceased Migos member Kirshnik “Takeoff” Ball was mentioned as well.
Prosecutor Pascale Achille pushed back on defense attorney Mauricio Padilla’s move by suggesting the late disclosure of possible celebrity witnesses was an attempt to “create a trial by ambush.” Padilla argued the delay was the result of the difficulty involved with subpoenaing someone as high-profile as Drake.
Some Fans Believe Drake Rapped About Killing XXXTentacion
So far, neither side of the murder case has presented evidence to prove Drake had any involvement in the killing of XXXTentacion. However, there was some public tension between the two Hip Hop stars prior to XXX’s death.
In 2017, XXXTentacion accused Drake of stealing his “Look At Me!” flow for the More Life track “KMT” featuring Giggs. The controversial 17 album creator called Drake a “b####” and proceeded to repeatedly troll him online.
Many XXXTentacion followers went into an uproar following the release of Drake’s “I’m Upset” in May 2018. On the song, Drake raps, “End up getting loose and getting pictures from my ex. SMS, triple X. That’s the only time I ever shoot below the neck.”
Then, on June 29, 2018, Drake dropped his Scorpion album. The studio LP hosted a track titled “Mob Ties” where the Grammy winner says, “Louis bags in exchange for body bags.” Reports claimed that XXXTentacion’s killers stole a designer Louis Vuitton bag from him at the murder scene.
Investigators believe Dedrick Williams, 27, served as the getaway driver during the daytime robbery and shooting of XXXTentacion in 2018. Prosecutors charged a total of four people with first-degree murder in the case.
Dedrick Williams, 27-year-old Michael Boatwright, and 24-year-old Trayvon Newsome face murder and armed robbery charges. Robert Allen, 26, pled guilty and agreed to testify in court against the co-defendants. His sentencing is scheduled for February 23, 2023. Williams’s trial will begin on January 9.
2022 has been a standout year for Cardi B when it comes to features. Following her well-received contributions to Kay Flock’s “Shake It” and GloRilla’s “Tomorrow 2” singles, the American rapper linked with Spanish singer Rosalía.
The original “Despechá” lives on the deluxe version of Rosalía’s third studio album, Motomami, which landed on September 9. The Cardi B-assisted remix to the record arrived on December 16.
Rosalía released Motomami in March. The LP received a Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album nomination at the upcoming 65th Annual Grammy Awards. Motomami already won Album Of The Year at the Latin Grammy Awards last month.
The “Despechá RMX” track includes Rosalía singing in Spanish while Cardi B raps in English. Cardi, who is of Dominican and Trinidadian descent, has a long history of working with Spanish-speaking acts.
French music producer DJ Snake recruited Cardi B for “Taki Taki” which also features American singer Selena Gomez and Puerto Rican singer Ozuna. The official music video for “Taki Taki” has surpassed 2.3 billion views on YouTube.
In addition, Cardi worked on several multilingual songs with other acts throughout her career. 2017’s “La Modelo” by Ozuna, 2018’s “Mi Mami” by El Alfa, and 2020’s “Me Gusta” by Anitta all feature the Grammy-winning rapper.
West Coast emcee Ab-Soul finally returned with his fifth studio LP, Herbert, today (December 16). The Top Dawg Entertainment representative became a trending topic on social media following the project’s release.
To help promote Herbert, Ab-Soul recently sat down with the Rap Radar podcast. The discussion included the show’s co-host, Brian “B.Dot” Miller, asking the Black Hippy member about an apparent lyrical shot on Herbert.
“It seems like you still have the competitive spirit on there like you’re firing some shots off in the verse… It sounded like you were talking about Kid Cudi. You mentioned a name, and you said a lot of things in there,” offered B.Dot.
“You think I would diss Kid Cudi? The great Kid Cudi? On a song called ‘Church on the Move’? Peace be unto you. Come on, B.Dot. And y’all trust this guy with the lists?” responded Ab-Soul.
The first verse on the “Church on the Move” track has Ab-Soul repeatedly mentioning the word “cuddy.” The 35-year-old rhymer gave some clarity about the terminology. He said, “Cuddy is a term that we use. It’s kinda on some Crip s###.”
Ab-Soul’s Herbert arrives with guest features from Joey Bada$$, Jhené Aiko, Russ, Big Sean, SiR, and more. The album joins a discography that contains 2011’s Longterm Mentality, 2012’s Control System, 2014’s These Days…, and 2016’s Do What Thou Wilt.
The last six years have seen Ab-Soul show up on projects by Rapsody, Jhené Aiko, Russ, and others. Soulo also teamed with Anderson .Paak and James Blake for “Bloody Waters” off the Kendrick Lamar-produced Black Panther: The Album.
Nigerian breakout star Asake’s London show ended in disaster after fans rushed the venue leaving eight people in hospital, with four in critical condition.
According to multiplereports, police responded to requests for help at around 9:35 London time on Thursday (Dec. 15), where a large crowd of people attempted to force their way into the Brixton O2 Academy during the Asake concert.
So the police have locked off Asake and have left a bunch of people in an alley in the freezing cold. It is well. pic.twitter.com/NSuu2MudHK
The gig was the third of the Nigerian hitmaker’s sold-out shows at the venue, with the previous two passing without incident.
Various clips circulated on social media show a large crowd gathered outside the venue. Shouts and screams were heard as fans visibly struggled in the crush.
People have had enough and are breaking in to the venue to see Asake 🤣 can’t make this up pic.twitter.com/Gt6W1LVCWf
Asake previously asked fans not to try to enter the venue if they didn’t have a ticket, as the show was sold out.
Journalist and author Jason Okundaye was outside the venue and reported “unsafe” conditions. He claimed “the lions share of blame falls on security,” with many fans citing lax security measures.
In response to a complaint about “unruly people” causing the crush, Okundaye said “multiple” things went wrong.
“Multiple things are true,” he tweeted Friday morning. “People were unruly and turned up without tickets, true. Security was also extremely lax, failed to properly check tickets, and even reportedly took bribes to let people in.”
He also backed up attendees’ reports that security failed to properly scan tickets.
“The majority of people waiting outside *had tickets*,” the journalist explained. “The problem was security had already let in a lot of people without tickets so capacity was reached with angry and confused ticket holders left outside with zero communication. Again, multiple things true at once.”
Asake offered apologies to concert-goers and prayers to the injured via a statement on social media.
Aubrey Drake Graham made headlines earlier this week thanks to a new piece of jewelry. The so-called “Previous Engagements” had a lot of people talking.
Toronto-bred jeweler Alex Moss revealed Drake’s latest high-priced item on his Instagram page. The post included a video showcasing the diamond-filled necklace.
“New piece titled ‘Previous Engagements’ for all the times he thought about it but never did it. 42 engagement rings, 351.38 carats in diamonds. By Alex Moss New York & Drake,” read a caption on the @alexmoss account.
Drake reportedly rocked the “Previous Engagements” piece at Lil Baby’s birthday concert in Atlanta. As of press time, the Honestly, Nevermind album creator has not publicly commented on the attention garnered by the bling.
Hell of A Week host Charlamagne Tha God shared his thoughts on Drake’s “Previous Engagements” necklace on Thursday’s edition of the Comedy Central program. The longtime television and radio host was not a fan of the concept.
“First of all, this is maniac behavior. Second, just when I start giving beige brothers the benefit of the doubt, this is the most waffle-colored negro thing anyone has ever done in the history of waffled-colored negros,” joked Charlamagne.
The Moncks Corner, South Carolina native continued, “Third, Drake, seriously, you have to let that hurt go. You got more almost-rings than LeBron James… You had 42 different women that you wanted to propose to? 42?!”
Young Thug secured a small legal victory during Thursday’s pre-trial hearing ahead of the upcoming YSL Rico trial starting early next year.
The trial got off to an unusual start with an unexpected interruption. As Thugger’s lawyer Brian Steel argued for suppression of evidence, a video of a naked man flashed across courtroom screens.
However, the broadcast, with the message “Free Young Thug” displayed across the screen, was quickly shut down by security, and the trial reconvened.
Young Thug was seeking to exclude evidence obtained from cell phones seized during a search of the rapper’s home in 2015. A judge tossed the charges stemming from the raid ruling the search unconstitutional.
Thug’s lawyer argued the devices seized in that raid were suppressed by written order in April of 2017 and should have been returned to the rapper, but never were.
Judge Glanville sided with Young Thug, making the evidence inadmissible by prosecutors.
“You didn’t have the right to keep that,” the judge stated. “You didn’t have the right to keep that particular evidence.”
Young Thug just took a massive W in his Rico case today after the judge dismissed illegally obtained evidence by the State of Georgia where in 2017 they illegally accessed Young Thugs phone 💪🏾 pic.twitter.com/A2u8jLsihh
Young Thug appeared in court for the first time since Gunna and YSL co-founder Walter Murphy secured their freedom after entering plea deals on Wednesday.
Despite accusations of Gunna snitching on Young Thug, the “Pushin P” hitmaker’s lawyer claims the rumors are false.
Gunna entered an Alford Plea allowing him to maintain his innocence. The judge sentenced him to five years with four years suspended with credit for one year served.
During the hearing on Wednesday, Gunna admitted YSL is a gang and attested to having “personal knowledge” of their criminal activity.
Gunna’s lawyer said any suggestion that his client snitched is false.
“Gunna did not snitch to get out of jail,” Steve Sadow wrote on Instagram. “He has said nothing and is not cooperating. His plea statement cannot be used in court against any other defendant. So please stop spreading lies.”
Meanwhile, Young Thug returns to court for his pre-trial hearing on Dec. 19 before RICO trial begins in January 2023.
Although Gucci Mane once claimed he had been intimate with Nicki Minaj, their former manager says that’s cap. She claims the “Serial Killers” hitmaker didn’t like Nicki because she wouldn’t sleep with him.
During a recent episode of Math Hoffa’s My Expert Opinion podcast, famed music manager Deb Antney recalled working with both artists early in their careers.
“You know what hurt me? Gucci couldn’t stand her. He didn’t like Nicki,” she revealed before explaining, “Because he couldn’t f### her.”
According to Deb, Gucci Mane intensely disliked Nicki Minaj and “had a fit” when she put the NYC rapper on a record.
“I wanted all of them to work together, because we’re family,” she continued. “So we all have to be together. It can’t be any of this.”
Deb also said the Atlanta-based rapper “is very selfish,” and struggles to understand how he signs artists to his label. “Because you got to understand. The artists ain’t never gonna let another artist become bigger than them.” Check out the clip below and watch the episode at the end of the page.
Gucci Mane caused a rift with his former collaborator in 2013 when he claimed to have slept with Nicki Minaj. She responded to his bizarre Twitter rant, denying his allegations and calling him ugly and irrelevant.
“May God strike me dead if I ever had sex wit that man,” Nicki wrote at the time. “Lmfaoooooooooo. N#### da way ya #ugliness is set up #BubbaGump #Crackhead”
She later added, “He’s fighting so hard for one more ounce of relevance. Tyga and I turned down his feature request last Thursday.”
While Gucci apologized to some of the people he targeted in his tweets, blaming his lean addiction, he failed to mention Nicki, leading some to believe their issues remained unresolved. However, the pair eventually squashed their beef years later, reuniting in 2017 on “Make Love.”
Ab-Soul has returned after a six-year hiatus with his highly anticipated comeback album, Herbert.
The 18-song project arrives via Top Dawg Entertainment and clocks in at just over an hour long. Guest appearances include Joey Badass, Big Sean, Jhené Aiko, Russ, Fresh, Ambré, and Alemeda. Fellow TDE hitmakers SiR, Punch, Zacari, and Lance Skiiiwalker also feature alongside production assists from DJ Premier, Sounwave, James Blake, Hit-Boy, Boi-1da, DJ Dahi, and more.
“‘Gotta Rap’ Was A Dream Come True”
Ab-Soul recently revealed working with DJ Premier “was a dream come true,” despite the famed producer asking him to re-record their “Gotta Rap” collaboration “five or six times,” something the rapper has never done before.
“I knew I needed him this time around. He definitely put me to work. I had to do it about five or six times until he found the right frequency,” Soul admitted to Vulture. When questioned if Preemo’s issues were lyric-related, Ab-soul explained he had to get the “frequency” right.
“No, not rewriting. He liked the verse, but I had to match the frequency of the record, because I guess that was one of his favorite beats. So he wanted to make sure I came correct. That was the first time anybody ever made me re-record. So that was humbling. But it’s Preemo.”
Working with DJ Premier has been a lifelong dream for Ab-Soul. Although he had met the producer before, he recalled finally getting the opportunity to work with him while working on a Royce Da 5’9″ record at Mac Miller’s house.
“‘Gotta Rap’ was a dream come true. Before I even had my official stage name, when I was just Snap G, I knew I always wanted a Preemo beat,” he added. “Preemo keeps his ear to the streets. I can honestly say I do get the respect of being the last of the lyricists, that cloth. I’ve met him in passing before, but we connected when he did PRhyme.”
Ab-Soul continued, “I was at my brother Mac Miller’s crib. We was working on some other stuff, and Royce sent me the record. I was like, ‘Yo, Mac is over here, too.’ He’s like, ‘What? Oh yeah, y’all go crazy.’ And we did that off of the love, so Preemo hit me immediately like, ‘Yo, you went f###### crazy. You know I got you. I owe you one.’ I said, ‘Okay, yeah. I’m going to hold you to that.’”
According to Deadline, 50 Cent will executive produce a boxing drama titled Fightland. The scripted series comes from the writing duo Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan and Marlon Smith.
The show tells the story of a retired fighter who takes action following the disappearance of a childhood friend and training partner. The disgraced world champion must return to a corrupt British boxing scene in order to help his friend.
“Fightland embodies the stakes, swagger and ambition that collaborations between Starz and 50 Cent have come to represent,” Starz president of original programming Kathryn Busby said. “We are excited to be working with Daniel and Marlon who are brilliant writers and whose authentic take will bring this global story to life.”
Starz gave the green light to Fightland a few months after 50 Cent’s exclusive partnership with the network ended. The G-Unit artist said it was the final series he pitched before his deal concluded in September.
“This was the last show i had to pitch to STARZ first before my deal ended,” he wrote in an Instagram comment. “FIGHT LAND!”
Fightland joins 50 Cent’s already expansive roster of Starz shows. The 47-year-old rapper produces the network’s BMF series and the entire Power franchise.
Megan Thee Stallion’s former friend Kelsey Harris continued to testify in the Tory Lanez shooting trial on Thursday (December 15).
Harris provided confusing testimony when she took the stand on Wednesday (December 14). She tried to avoid answering questions and recanted some of her past statements to prosecutors.
Prosecutors questioned if Tory Lanez offered Harris a bribe on Wednesday. She responded with a muddied denial, adding another perplexing layer to her testimony.
Harris denied the bribery allegations in clearer terms when she returned to the stand on Thursday. Tory Lanez’s lawyer asked Harris if his client ever paid her.
“No,” she said, per Law & Crime’s Meghann Cuniff. “I would actually like to make that very clear. I’ve seen some things … And I’m tired of that line.”
Prosecutors took issue with Harris’ testimony, which was drastically different from what she told them in September. The prosecution recorded an 80-minute interview with her and asked to play it for jurors. According to the Los Angeles Times’ James Queally, a judge will allow the entire interview to be played in court.
The interview may impact how jurors assess Harris’ testimony. She accused Tory Lanez of threatening her in the interview. Harris also said she saw him point a gun at Megan Thee Stallion.
Harris changed her story on the stand, saying she struggled to remember what happened that night. She admitted she sent a text saying Tory Lanez shot Megan Thee Stallion, but she claimed it was based on “assumptions.”
Prosecutors accuse Tory Lanez of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in July 2020. If convicted, he faces up to 22 years and eight months in prison.
Young Thug’s court hearing was disrupted when a naked man Zoom bombed the proceedings on Thursday (December 15).
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Zoom bomber interrupted the hearing while Young Thug’s lawyer Brian Steel argued for evidence to be suppressed in the YSL RICO case. A video of a naked man with the message “Free Young Thug” was displayed on screens in the courtroom.
Deputies rushed to turn off the screens. The Zoom bombing took place after the hearing was already delayed for hours due to technical difficulties.
The hearing marked Young Thug’s first in-person appearance in court since his May arrest. He scored a key victory when Judge Ural Glanville granted the rapper’s motion to suppress evidence in the YSL RICO trial.
Judge Glanville barred prosecutors from using cellphones and other evidence taken from Young Thug’s home without a search warrant in 2015. Prosecutors planned to introduce the evidence at Thugger’s upcoming trial, which begins in January.
Young Thug went to court a day after his longtime collaborator Gunna accepted a plea deal in the YSL RICO case. Gunna entered an Alford plea, which allowed him to maintain his innocence. He was released from jail on Wednesday (December 14).
YSL co-founder Walter Murphy also took a plea deal in the RICO case. He pleaded guilty to racketeering and was released from jail on Tuesday (December 13).
YSL co-founder Walter Murphy accepted a plea deal in the RICO case against Young Thug and other YSL members.
According to multiplereports, Murphy pleaded guilty to racketeering and was released from jail on Tuesday (December 13). He was sentenced to 10 years with one year commuted to time served and nine years of probation.
Murphy’s probation will be suspended after five years if he satisfies the conditions of his deal. He must avoid violations of the law greater than a high and aggravated misdemeanor.
Gunna also took a plea deal in the RICO case, securing his release from jail on Wednesday (December 14). Gunna insisted he didn’t snitch on Young Thug or any of his co-defendants.
“While I have agreed to always be truthful, I want to make it perfectly clear that I have NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed to testify or be a witness for or against any party in the case and have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way,” Gunna said in a statement.
Murphy, who cannot contact Young Thug or any YSL co-defendants, agreed to “testify truthfully in any further trial as it may become necessary re: State of Georgia and the other individuals.” He will be required to complete 300 hours of community service.
Prosecutors said Murphy co-founded YSL with Young Thug and Trontavious Stephens in 2012. Murphy claimed YSL wasn’t a gang in a June interview with WSB-TV.
Young Thug appeared in court for a hearing in his RICO case on Thursday (December 15). His trial is scheduled to begin in January.
