Lil Mosey and two co-defendants must wait until 2023 to face trial for rape in Washington.
According to The Chronicle, Lil Mosey’s trial was rescheduled to February 5, 2023. The proceedings were previously set to begin on December 12.
Prosecutors asked for the delay after experiencing issues with witnesses. The defense agreed to move the trial to next year.
“Certain witnesses have provided information that was not known to the state throughout the pendency of this case until recently,” Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer wrote. “And the state has not had sufficient time to look into the statements.”
Lil Mosey’s trial was originally supposed to start in July. This past summer, defense attorneys were granted a delay due to scheduling conflicts.
Prosecutors accuse Lil Mosey and two other men of raping a woman at a party in January 2020. The alleged victim told police she blacked out after consuming alcohol at a gathering in Randle, Washington.
The 20-year-old rapper and a 19-year-old man named Francisco Prater allegedly had sex with the woman “while she was incapable of consent by reason of being physically helpless or mentally incapacitated.” Prosecutors claim a 20-year-old man named Joshua Darrow restrained the woman during the incident.
Lil Mosey, whose real name is Lathan Moses Echols, pleaded not guilty to second-degree rape.
Nuke Bizzle, a rapper who bragged about his COVID relief fraud, learned the punishment for his scam on Wednesday (December 7).
United States District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald sentenced Nuke Bizzle to 77 months in prison. The judge ordered the Memphis-bred rapper to pay $704,760 in restitution to the California Employment Development Department.
Nuke Bizzle, whose real name is Fontrell Antonio Baines, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud in July. That same month, he pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon in a separate case. He also pleaded guilty to possession of oxycodone with intent to distribute in August.
According to the Department of Justice, Nuke Bizzle scammed the government to obtain more than $700,000 in unemployment insurance money. He exploited the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance provisions of the CARES Act, which Congress passed in March 2020.
“Baines defrauded the program to obtain unemployment benefits administered by the EDD in the names of third parties, including identity theft victims,” the DOJ said. “The applications for benefits also included false statements about the work histories and in-state residences of the named applicants. Through his fraud, Baines turned the taxpayer-funded program into ‘his personal piggybank,’ according to a sentencing memorandum filed by federal prosecutors.”
Nuke Bizzle ran his scam from July 2020 to September 2020. He was arrested in October 2020.
Prosecutors asked a judge to not allow video cameras inside the courtroom for Young Thug’s RICO trial.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis filed a motion to prohibit video recordings of Young Thug’s trial on November 30. Prosecutors claimed video recordings would raise issues for witnesses in the case.
“Several witnesses have expressed safety concerns to the State and they are concerned about the safety of themselves and their families should they choose to testify,” Willis explained. “The State is concerned that video recordings of witnesses’ and victims’ faces could endanger these individuals’ safety.”
She continued, “Further, the State is concerned about the impact upon due process and the truth-finding function of the judicial proceeding; witnesses may be afraid to testify and provide full information if they are aware they are being video-recorded, and that their personal safety could be jeopardized as a result of their testimony.”
Willis and her team previously filed a motion to restrict juror identity in August. The district attorney’s office sought to block video recordings as it anticipates significant media coverage for the duration of Young Thug’s trial.
Prosecutors urged the judge to ban video to “protect the integrity of the trial process.” Willis had no objections to audio recordings of the trial.
“Permitting an audio recording while prohibiting video recording will protect the safety of witnesses and other associated parties while still recognizing and supporting this State’s policy favoring open judicial proceedings,” she noted. “This Court has the discretion to determine whether or not to allow electronic and photographic coverage of the proceedings; the State simply asks this Court to prohibit video recording of the trial, while permitting audio recordings so the process will remain open to the public.”
Young Thug, Gunna and other YSL members were indicted on racketeering charges in May. Their trial is scheduled to begin in January 2023.
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago rescinded an honorary degree given to Kanye West.
Kanye West received an honorary degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2015. The school announced it revoked the award from him on Thursday (December 8).
“The School of the Art Institute of Chicago condemns and repudiates Kanye West’s (now known as Ye) anti-Black, antisemitic, racist, and dangerous statements, particularly those directed at Black and Jewish communities,” the school said in a statement. “Ye’s actions do not align with SAIC’s mission and values, and we’ve rescinded his honorary degree.”
‘Ye lost his honorary degree after a group called Against Hate at SAIC asked the school to rescind his award in a petition. According to Change.org, the petition garnered 4,148 signatures.
“Kanye West’s hateful speech incites violence and does not represent the values of our community,” Against Hate at SAIC wrote.
The rescinded degree added to the list of consequences for Kanye West’s antisemitism and offensive remarks. Several brands cut ties with ‘Ye due to his hate speech. He lost his billionaire status after Adidas ended its longtime partnership with him in October.
Despite the backlash, Kanye West continued to spout antisemitic rhetoric and conspiracy theories in recent interviews. ‘Ye declared he liked Hitler and loved Nazis during an appearance on Alex Jones’ show InfoWars. He later told Jewish people to forgive Hitler in a conversation with Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes.
G DUBS is about to shake the industry up globally!
The combination of his music, versatility, and persona exemplifies his diverse background, being from Ghana, born in Canada, with roots in New York City.
His newest release, “Big Moreno” displays his catchy wordplay and unique cadence. Far from mumble rap, DUBS’ lyrics paint pictures for you to visualize as you listen!
From his singer-songwriter abilities, fashion designs, video directing and modeling, G DUBS (@gdubs.wp) is a unique talent that is shaking up the game.
Over the last several months, he has released several videos including “Incredible,” “Big Moreno,” “No Kizzy,” and “TSPD.”
Moreno’s songwriting abilities showcase a wide range of styles and genres ranging from Hip Hop to R&B, to pop music.
Modeling is also another avenue for G DUBS as he’s worked with top brands such as Spotify, New Balance, TSN, WedLuxe Magazine, and more.
When Marrell did not make her October 25th court hearing, a bench warrant was issued for her arrest. She was recently found by authorities and taken into custody in Memphis, almost 800 miles from her hometown of Detroit.
Back in July 2021, Marrell and another colleague Noelle Brown were both charged with aggravated identity theft, false claims, and conspiracy.
The IRS claims the two women were involved in a tax scam where they each claimed withholdings and refunds of more than $13.6 million from 2013 to 2017.
The IRS had paid out $5,539,049 to their accounts before realizing the two women were frauds.
“These returns were all identified as fraudulent because the returns claimed that the IRS had withheld large amounts of income tax from the trusts purportedly filing the returns and that those trusts were therefore entitled to large refunds of the excess income tax withheld,” IRS agent Tyler Goodnight.
Marrell is currently looking for an attorney. According to reports, her current lawyer is requesting to be removed from the case after a communication breakdown.
The Bay is home to a wide array of talent, from all genres across the board… and Rayven Justice is one of them. Born and raised in Oakland, California, the singer, songwriter, and rapper has been putting the work in independently for over two decades, first exploding onto the scene as a member of Justice Brothers alongside his brother Raymen.
In 2010, Rayven’s brother was unfortunately shot and killed, resulting in Rayven pursuing music full-time as a solo artist. To date, he’s collaborated with everyone from Mozzy and Keyshia Cole to French Montana and the Migos.
Now on the heels of his previous collaborative EP, “Once in a Lifetime,” alongside rapper Yhung T.O, Rayven Justice unveils his highly-anticipated new album titled Ray.
Speaking on the title, Rayven states, “It’s one of the names that when you get a chance to know me, you’ll grow to call me that. Anybody around me, that’s a thing. It’s been like that since I’ve been a kid. All my friends, you start off as ‘my name Rayven.’ After time, they start calling me Ray. I was thinking in my head one day, I need to do a tape named that. It’s self-explanatory, definitely a personal side of myself.”
AllHipHop spoke with Rayven Justice in downtown Los Angeles to discuss how he’s grown over Covid, working with Krayzie Bone, Sada Baby, Yungeen Ace, and Mozzy, new project Ray, an epic studio session with the Migos, goals, and more!
AllHipHop: How you been since the last time we chatted?
Rayven Justice: I just been working. I dropped my new album called Ray, then another album sometime after that. I don’t have a date for it yet. I’ve been working on that. Outside of music, I got my own trucking company started up. I’ve been doing a lot of stuff, getting my hands in stuff. Got my own clothing line, merch stuff. That’s one of the hats he got on right there. [points to friend]
AllHipHop: You holding it down in the Bay still?
Rayven Justice: Oh yeah, most definitely. I’m everywhere though. I’m in Vegas, I be out here. Oakland is home. I literally got back from Oakland, thanksgiving stuff. Both of my parents had surgery. Other than that, they’re good. I’d rather them go through that little bit of pain so they can live longer.
AllHipHop: How was it doing “Reach” with Krayzie Bone? Legendary.
Rayven Justice: I did the record with my boy Cypher, he’s Pacman da Gunman’s manager. I was over at their lab, we were working on a bunch of records. Did that one, then I asked him, who do you hear on it? He was thinking in his mind, he said “s###, Krayzie bone would work.” I said if you could set it up, let’s do it. He got to work on his phone immediately. He hit up whoever is connected to Krayzie Bone, asked them to come to the lab wherever Krayzie Bone was working at that day.
Went over there, chopped it up. He’s kinda quiet, but after a while he opened up. He allowed me to play the song. Played it and he loved it. He was grooving and moving, I knew he f##### with it as soon as he start dancing to it. He wrote about it on the spot, went to the booth, knocked it out. It was a gem right after that.
AllHipHop: Just like that?
Rayven Justice: Just like that. I was just talking to him when we released it, he hit me up like “man, this s### slap.” I said I appreciate you for jumping on it again, he said “it’s all good.” I said I still need you in the video though. [laughs] He said “I’m with it. Let’s do it.” Alright bet. We’re working it out right now. Shout out to Cypher, salute. He put this whole play together. He said “I’m working on the video for y’all right now,” so it’s definitely in the loop. I’m excited, can’t wait to do a movie with the OG.
AllHipHop: You just dropped the visual to “Cheated.” Is this inspired by a real story?
Rayven Justice: It could have been. I’ve been cheated on before. It wasn’t related to this song, I just know the feeling of cheating feels like. Really, it got inspired because of Keyshia Cole song. “I should have cheated…” Shout out Keyshia Cole. You gotta have a male perspective for the song. I said let me make my own version of it.
I was talking to my cameraman about the song before we shot the video. He said “we gotta have the girl cheat on you in the video.” I’m like damn, that sounds f##### up to me right now. Matter of fact, I’m with that. Because honestly I’ve always been into acting. I’ve always thought that one day, I want to jump into that line of business as well. It made me think about that. That would be tight, I think people would be affected by me getting cheated on. Because I don’t normally do videos like that.
We did it. I showed it to a few people before it came out. Everybody was telling me they’re blown by the clip that’s in the video. If you ain’t seen it, you gotta see it. It’s basically me sitting in the bed, going through my girl’s phone. I see a video of her having sex with another guy. A lot of men have been through that…
AllHipHop: A lot of girls have been through that!
Rayven Justice: You right though! We know that, that’s a given. By now, we know all the hurtful songs from the Mary J. Blige’s, up and down. You know what us males did in this world to y’all, but somebody do gotta be the voice for men that’s getting treated as such as well. That’s how it came about. I gotta voice it. If no one is going to do it, let me be the guy to do it. Shout out Keyshia Cole once again, that’s where the inspiration came from first of all.
AllHipHop: What’re you doing if you catch your girl cheating?
Rayven Justice: Oh my God, who knows. [laughs] Who knows. It’s definitely going to be some heartbreak involved, I can tell you that.
AllHipHop: Is there a double standard when it comes to cheating?
Rayven Justice: There can be at times possibly. I know there’s guys out there who feel they’re the biggest player of all time. They feel their girl won’t do nothing to them probably based on what they got. It can happen to anybody. You can’t buy happiness, that’s the bottom line. That’s why you’re confident when (can’t make out this sentence) happiness is involved, depends how the levels are going on in the relationship. That’s where the loyalty lies at, you gotta be able to make your other person happy. That’s what it is, what it’s all about.
AllHipHop: How have you grown sonically?
Rayven Justice: I’ve grown tremendously since the last time we linked. Vocally, lyrically, all that. Honestly, Covid stuff really helped me out. I used to watch Dragon Ball Z as a kid. When they went into the castle, it’s a time castle. Time passes fast for them, but slower for people outside of it. When they go in and train, they come out and be super turnt up. Extra powerful, extra faster than everybody. That’s basically how I look at it. Covid was a time capsule for me to be able to work on and fine tune everything I needed to work on as far as my voice and lyrics. With the new music I got coming out now, I’m showcasing where I’m at and how I’ve grown. I’m excited for it.
AllHipHop: Any features on your new project, Ray?
Rayven Justice: Definitely, we got Krayzie Bone of course on there. We got Sada Baby on there. Shout out Sada Baby, he going crazy. We got my boy 24Hrs on there, shout out bro. We got two of my artists on there: Surfa Solo and Drenesse. Both two fire individuals, check them out. And a lot more, I’m excited for the music overall. It’s a dope body of work, it’s a rollercoaster ride really. I want it to showcase not only my vocals, but the production side as well. It’s a lot of different vibes on there, it’s dope.
AllHipHop: How did you tap in with Sada Baby?
Rayven Justice: I reached out to Sada on my own. He came down to the Bay, he always comes down to the Bay. He’s always in Oakland. I tapped in with some of his people I know he’s associated with in my city. They linked me with the right people. We got together on my birthday last year and did a single called “Doggin’,” with the video. You definitely gon’ see that. On my mind, let me double back on that bro. Reach back out, sent him a different type of record this time around. He f##### with it, so I’m excited. We would’ve done the video too, but he caught Covid or some s###. It’s coming though. We’re gonna wrap that up as soon as he comes back to town.
AllHipHop: Free Mozzy, how was it working with him?
Rayven Justice: Me and him, we got a genuine dope sound together. Shout out Daveo, he definitely connected those dots as well. We got a lot of records together honestly on ice. We’ve been locked in, but speaking on Mozzy, shout out to bro. Free the bro. I got another album after Ray, it’s me, Mozzy, Fetty Wap. It’s a slapper, free both the guys. I think Fetty still in jail, I got both of them on there. I got OMB Peezy on there. I’ve been working, I got lots in store. I’m just sitting back at this moment.
AllHipHop: How was it doing the music video with Mozzy?
Rayven Justice: It was a movie. I had got back from being out of town, he said “let’s do the video to the song.” I said let’s do it, I’m here. Came here real quick, they had it all set up. The whole cameraman, whole crew. It was a movie .It felt like I was on set of a movie. It was a dope situation, shout out to the guys. Right after that, we put out another song called” Tear Me Down.” We’re gonna keep on coming with them.
AllHipHop: What about “Ride” with Yungeen Ace? Love him.
Rayven Justice: That’s my homie. I did the record in Oakland. I was in the studio with my partners, I asked who y’all hear on it? They were throwing out names. One of my boys said “you should do something with Yungeen Ace.” I like his music, so I reached out to him. He tapped back in saying “he’s with it. Send me some records over.” I sent him two different songs over, because I was confused. I can hear him on both of these. When I sent them over, he damn near loved both of them. He said “they both fire.”
I said choose the one you hear yourself most on out of both, and he chose “Ride.” I said let’s do the video, he gave me his free dates. Set it all up with the cameraman that I got. I flew him down to the Bay, we did the video in the Bay. I threw some b-roll scenes of LA in there, just to have this Cali feel. I wanted the whole Cali to win out the whole play, showcasing our side of this s###. He was down-to-earth, hella humble. Super humble. We were chopping it up on some real s###, he’s a real cool young dude. I definitely want to work with him again, and proud of his success.
AllHipHop: What’d it mean to do “Slide Thru” with Migos? Rest in peace Takeoff.
Rayven Justice: RIP big bro man. We was all cool, shout out the whole gang. I really knew Coach K and P. They reached out to me years ago when I dropped “Slide Thru” and wanted to sign me to QC. That’s how I got a chance to meet the Migos honestly.
AllHipHop: What happened?
Rayven Justice: They flew me to Atlanta, I sat down with them. They took me to Ruth Chris for the first time, I had never been. [laughs] It was exciting for me, like damn I heard a lot about this store. They was chopping it up with me. They took me around Atlanta, I got a chance to see their hoods. I got a chance to experience their lifestyle. They took me to the studio. At this point, the Migos wasn’t in town. They was in the Bay doing a show while I was with Coach K and P.
The very next day came, Coach called me like “the boys back.” I’m like oh word? He said “yeah, I’m about to come pick you up. We going to the studio.” I said alright cool. We went to the studio. Quavo was in there, he was already doing something on the computer. I didn’t know how fire he was until I was in the studio, he knows how to do more than just rap. I admire people who know how to engineer themselves, know the ins and outs of Pro Tools and all that. He know how to do all that by himself.
Offset had just got out of jail, he came in there with all his chains on. Takeoff had came in, all of them was cool. Quiet at first but when they opened up, it was all love. They welcomed me right on in, I remember vividly, Takeoff was high off some weed. He was sleepy, he had went in the corner of the studio and knocked out on everybody. [laughs] Quavo said “don’t trip off him, we gon’ make sure he does the verse tomorrow.” I’m like it’s all good, I’m not tripping. Appreciate y’all. I was living the moment.
The next day came, s### Takeoff did the verse for me [snaps] and the whole song was complete. The remix was complete, it was done. I released it, it was amazing support from the gate. From home and everywhere else, it was a dope opportunity that we did it together. RIP bro.
AllHipHop: Goals for yourself at this point of your career?
Rayven Justice: Just to be better every year I do what I do. That’s it, to be the best I can be while I’m alive. That’s my only goal, that’s my biggest goal.
AllHipHop: Anything else fans should know about you?
Rayven Justice: I’m hard working and I’m not going to stop till the day I die. More music on the way, stay tuned.
The federal lawsuit alleges Ye and Mooney discussed the basic terms of the agreement over text message and “confirmed that Ms. Mooney would be retained for a fee of One Hundred Ten Thousand Dollars ($110,000). Ms. Mooney was to be fully responsible for every aspect of the photo shoot, including but not limited to hiring models, reserving studio space, procuring lighting, catering, pre-production, and post-production.”
Lawyers for Mooney assert that on September 14th, she “delivered the final digital files and hard drive as agreed, completing her responsibilities under the agreement.
Yeezy had no issues with Ms. Mooney’s work or the final delivered product,” and two weeks later she submitted an invoice for $110,000 and her W9.
To date, Ye has only paid her $15,000. As a result, Mooney is suffering serious financial hardships.
“Ms. Mooney is a freelancer and mother of three: due to Yeezy’s failure to timely pay her, she has had to take out a significant loan and max out her credit cards just to cover her rent and other bills,” her lawyer Andrew Gerber said.
“Yeezy’s failure to timely pay her has forced her to incur significant debt in order to pay her rent and bills and support her three children,” Gerber added.
Pandora revealed the music streaming service’s 2023 The Pandora Ten. The list of emerging music acts includes rappers GloRilla and LaRussell as well as R&B singer/actress Coco Jones.
Memphis native GloRilla became a breakout Hip Hop star this year thanks to the viral hit “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” with Hitkidd. She followed that song’s momentum by releasing “Tomorrow 2” featuring Cardi B.
“F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” peaked at #42 on the Billboard 200 chart and earned a Grammy nomination for “Best Rap Performance.” In addition, “Tomorrow 2” debuted at #9. Billboard named the collaboration the 12th best song of 2022.
LaRussell dropped multiple projects over the last twelve months. For What It’s Worth, Justin Credible Presents: LaRussell, Days Like This, Champagne Gummies, 96′ Bulls, I Hate When Life’s Going Great, and 8 Hours in Brooklyn landed on DSPs this year.
The Bay Area rhymer also made headlines in October for offering a “pay what you want” deal at Momo’s Cafe in Vallejo, California. Momo’s Café owner Manny Melendrez is said to be a long-time fan of the Good Compenny collective member. LaRussell also helped renovate the restaurant.
Additionally, Coco Jones established herself as a vocalist on the rise. The Def Jam recording artist let loose What I Didn’t Tell You via the label last month. Her self-titled, self-released debut EP came out in 2010. The star of Disney Channel’s Let It Shine also recorded numerous songs for the movie’s 2012 soundtrack.
The rest of The Pandora Ten for 2023 includes Álvaro Díaz, Ayra Starr, Fred again.., Jackson Dean, Jessie Murph, Kim Petras, and The Moss. The selections represent the Latin, Afropop, Dance, Country, Alternative, and Hip Hop genres.
“With so many new artists coming on the scene in every genre, it’s never been a better time to be a music fan,” said Steve Blatter, Senior Vice President/General Manager, Music Programming for SiriusXM Pandora.
Blatter continued, “We take a look at what our listeners are responding to and combine it with insights from our human curation team to come up with the artists that we think are going to make an impact the following year. Congratulations to everyone who made The Pandora Ten!”
Cardi B has admitted that she had booty shots in the past. Now there are a lot of different iterations of booty shots but hers are quite specific. She makes it clear that she didn’t have implants or fat transfer the way some others have. She admits that she recently had surgery. But not the surgeon might think. She says that she had the Surgery to remove the booty shots from her booty.
This is new mystery that she had some work done, but it does surprises that she’s so honest about it. She also explains why in our recent Instagram live interview she conducted. She basically says that when you’re younger, You’re skinny and thin. As you age, you start to fill out a lot more and justifies the shots in that way. BUT…she goes on to tell people, don’t do it.
She explained “a lot of people thought as soon as I gave birth I got my body done. No btch, I didn’t. In August I got surgery and removed 95% of my biopolymers.. if you don’t know what it is, it’s a* shots.”
“All I’m going to say is that if [you’re] young; if you 19, 20, 21, and sometimes you too skinny, and you be like ‘Omg I don’t have enough fat to put in my a$$ and result to a$$ shots, DON’T!“
She also explains her new nose. For the life of me, I will never understand those jobs. Noses, especially the African ones , are beautiful. I suppose, if you do not like your nose, your fathers nose, you could decide to get surgery. That’s exactly what Michael Jackson did. He didn’t like his nose at all and he also didn’t like his dad. So he got a job on his nose. Cardi B might like her dad. I don’t know. But she definitely doesn’t like the nose. Her dad gave her.
“I got my nose done, I don’t give a f#ck, b#tch.” I had my daddy’s nose. That sh#t had to go!,” Cardi said.
Atlanta-based rap star 21 Savage found himself on the social media hot seat when he suggested that Queens legend Nas is no longer relevant. Fellow East Coaster Styles P has now shared his opinion about 21 Savage.
“I don’t feel like he’s relevant,” said 21 Savage about Nas while on the Clubhouse app. “He’s not relevant. He just has a loyal ass fanbase. He just has a loyal fanbase, and he still makes good-ass music.”
The Slaughter Gang leader later went on Twitter to post, “I would never disrespect Nas or any legend who paved the way for me y’all be tryna take stuff and run with it 🤦🏾♂️.”
Styles P showed up on a recent episode of Math Hoffa’s My Expert Opinion podcast. At one point, The Lox emcee shared his thoughts on 21 Savage’s lyrical ability.
“I like 21 Savage. I don’t love him, I like hima lot,” said Styles P. “The s### he says tickles me pink and I’m like, ‘I can’t believe this n#### said that. It’s dope. I f#### with him. My n####, you’re not a lyricist. F### all that.”
Styles continued, “Drake’s supposed to tell this n####, ‘Chill, that’s Nasir Jones.’ My n####, you are talented, you are dope, you are f###### fly, your flavor, you mean a lot to the culture, you are important. You ain’t one of them. You ain’t a three-point shooter from deep. Nas is. Drake’s supposed to say, ‘I am. Kendrick is. Cole is. You are not. Leave him alone, that is our OG.'”
21 Savage teamed up with Drake to release the Her Losscollaborative album. The 16-track project arrived on November 4. Her Loss opened at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 404,000 first-week album-equivalent units.
Will 21 “Give A F###” About What Styles Has To Say?
Styles P also predicted that 21 Savage likely “won’t give a f###” about what the “Good Times” hitmaker has to say about him. However, Styles made it clear that his critiques are not centered around 21’s age. The Hip Hop veteran admitted he is not a fan of all seasoned rappers’ lyrics.
“There’s a lot of legends I think suck, lyrically,” stated Styles P. He added, “If you older than me, my peer, or younger than me, there’s some of y’all n##### that I will run circles around. You don’t even deserve to be next to me. But if you earned your keep, guess what? I’m gonna step right here. And they feel a certain way. Who the f### am I egoistically to step on that?”
WNBA star Brittney Griner has been freed from a Russian prison camp, thanks to the Biden administration.
According to the White House the swap for “The Merchant of Death” and Griner took place in Abu-Dhabi. Bout went back to Russia and Griner is on her way to San Antonio in the U..S., where she undergo a medical examination.
Griner was released in exchange for Viktor Bout, who served 11 years of a 25-year sentence in the United States for dealing arms to Colombian rebels.
Griner was initially detained in March when officials found vape cartridges with hashish oil in her luggage as she passed through customs at the Sheremetyevo airport.
She went to trial over the charges in July and pleaded guilty to the charges. Griner noted that she did not know she was breaking the law.
Griner was convicted of the crime in August and sentenced to 9 years in a brutal prison camp.
Griner appealed the sentence in October, but the appeal was rejected.
After months of intense negotiations, Britteny Griner is finally free and will be returning to the U.S. immediately.
President Biden is holding a press conference this morning to address the prisoner swap.
“Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner. She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home,” President Biden said.
Unfortunately, U.S. citizen and Marine Paul Whelan remains detained in Russia, where he is serving a 16-year sentence after he was convicted of spying in June of 2020.
Artist Julius Dubose prepares to release his next full-length body of work. The Bronx native, better known as A Boogie wit da Hoodie, will drop Me vs. Myself this Friday, December 9.
Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe caught up with A Boogie wit da Hoodie to discuss his upcoming LP. The conversation included the Highbridge The Label representative explaining why he believes Me vs. Myself is his best project.
“It was a lot of negative things going on at the time I was making the album. I appreciate everything that literally happens in my life towards bringing it out to the music anyway,” said A Boogie wit da Hoodie.
He continued, “This feels like my best project in that way where I can really listen to something in the car, something in the crib at the same time I was going out, still hearing it in the club. This is my favorite vibe right now.”
Roddy Ricch, Tory Lanez, Kodak Black, G Herbo, Lil Durk, Don Q, and H.E.R. will appear on A Boogie’s Me vs. Myself. Eleven of the songs are presented as tracks by Artist. Eleven of the songs are credited as A Boogie tracks.
Me vs. Myself Tracklisting
A Boogie Clarifies Why The Late PnB Rock Will Only Appear On The Deluxe Version
“When it comes to PnB Rock too, that was a big one right there,” A Boogie told Zane Lowe. “That was the end of my album. I didn’t expect that right there. I had to put him on the album at the same time as not making it.”
The New Yorker continued, “I don’t like to do that when it comes to people passing away, putting their music [out]. It feels like a weird tension towards that. And I don’t like that at all so I separated his song from my album and I’m dropping it solo as a deluxe.”
Me vs. Myself will join an A Boogie wit da Hoodie studio album discography that contains 2017’s The Bigger Artist, 2018’s Hoodie SZN, and 2020’s Artist 2.0. The 2x-Platinum Hoodie SZN spent three weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Both The Bigger Artist and Artist 2.0 earned Platinum certification from the RIAA. The Bigger Artist single “Drowning” with Kodak Black crossed the 7x-Platinum mark in June. A Boogie wit da Hoodie’s 2016 mixtape titled Artist also scored a Platinum plaque.
The HBO Max streaming service announced the cancelation of several original programs. The Issa Rae-created Sweet Life: Los Angeles is one of the series that will not return to the platform.
Sweet Life: Los Angeles ran for two seasons on HBO Max. The reality show featured a cast of mid-20s Black residents living in South L.A. as they pursued their respective dreams and careers. Season 1 premiered in 2021, and Season 2 debuted earlier this year.
Viewers of Sweet Life: Los Angeles expressed disappointment on social media about the cast not being able to film another season for HBO Max. Issa Rae reacted to the fans feeling let down by the news.
“Me, reading y’all comments telling me to ‘do something,’ like I’m not,” wrote Issa Rae on her Instagram Story. The theme song for Sweet Life: Los Angeles played in the background of her video.
In addition to Issa Rae’s Sweet Life: Los Angeles, HBO Max also canceled Legendary. The subscription streaming service presented three seasons of the Ball Culture-themed reality competition series between 2020 and 2022.
Hip Hop recording artist Megan Thee Stallion served as a judge on Legendary for the first two seasons. Nope actress Keke Palmer took on the role for Season 3. Legendary also featured Dashaun Wesley, Jameela Jamil, Law Roach, and Leiomy Maldonado.
Amanda Scott, Briana Jones, Cheryl Des Vignes, Jaylenn Hart, Jerrold Smith II, P’Jae Compton, Rebecca Magett, Rob Lee, and Tylynn Burns made up the Sweet Life: Los Angeles cast. Credited executive producers included Issa Rae, Montrel McKay, Jimmy Fox, Sheri Maroufkhani, and Leola Westbrook.
Previously, the HBO network aired Issa Rae’s Insecure for five seasons. The award-winning dramedy starred Rae, Yvonne Orji, Jay Ellis, Natasha Rothwell, and Amanda Seales. Insecureclosed out its run on December 26, 2021.
According to NBC News, government records reveal Ye’s Yeezy brand is in debt to the state of California. Tax lien notices reportedly show the company owes around $600,000 in unpaid taxes.
“Multiple California tax liens, adding up to $600,000, that’s certainly a sign of either extreme incompetence or extreme cash problems,” USC law professor Edward McCaffery told the outlet. “That is kind of an Amber Alert for the financial health of the enterprise.”
NBC News also discovered seventeen California government-imposed liens against three of Ye’s businesses and one charity. Apparently, the state still has four of the liens labeled active. There is presently no confirmation those supposedly active liens were terminated or paid.
Many of the corporations once aligned with Kanye West cut ties with the 45-year-old entertainer/entrepreneur. Both Adidas and Gap had a business relationship with Yeezy before Ye’s recent tirade against the Jewish community.
In addition to his antisemitic comments, Kanye West recently met with Donald Trump at the former U.S. president’s Mar-a-Lago resort. Alt-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes joined Ye and Trump at that meeting.
As one of the most successful among today’s generation of independent rappers, Russ knows a thing or two about recording music without the benefit of major label support.
The “Are You Entertained,” hitmaker has learned a few tricks of the trade, including recording on the go. On Wednesday (Dec. 7), Russ took to Instagram to share a tip with his fellow “DIY artists.”
In the video, Russ demonstrates how he records when he’s on the road, traveling between hotel rooms. Thankfully, the indie rapper has a mobile setup that compacts into a suitcase so he can make music wherever he’s at.
The clip begins with Russ opening up his suitcase and going through the list of gadgets inside.
“One plug. Boom, that’s it,” Russ said while assembling his gear. The New Jersey native pointed out that he chose his Neumann mic for its easy setup. “Screw it on the mic stand, and that’s that,” he said before adding the pop filters and connecting the headphones.
“And I just sit there and engineer myself,” Russ added, pointing to the hotel bed. Before ending the video Rus revealed a “fun fact” about his appearance on the upcoming Ab-Soul album, Herbert.
“The verse I did on there,” Russ said, referencing “Go Off,” which also features Big Sean, “I recorded just like this in Rio.”
In the caption, Russ also disclosed a few other hits he recorded using his hotel studio kit alongside a handy tip.
“For the DIY artists…this is the setup I used for psycho pt 2, aint nobody takin my baby, me you and a couple others. Also, turn the air off if the vents are noisy,” he added. Check it out in the clip below.
Meanwhile, last month, Russ revealed he’s working on the follow-up to his 2021 project, Chomp 2. Like the previous installment, Chomp 3 looks set to include an “ambitious” lineup of guest artists and producers.
When a fan asked for an update on the project, Russ replied, “Idk but I wrote to two alchemist beats today.” he added, “I gotta ambitious feature lineup so bare with me but 2023 is the for sure goal.”
Idk but I wrote to two alchemist beats today
I gotta ambitious feature lineup so bare with me but 2023 is the for sure goal https://t.co/gUSAXixV1M
A follow-up tweet revealed he was “writing to Boi1da Alchemist & Jake One beat,” while on a flight. “CHOMP 3 otw CHOMP 2 > everything that’s dropped since,” Russ declared.
Chomp 2 included features from Jay Electronica, Westside Gunn, Jadakiss, Big Sean, Snoop Dogg, and a slew of others. The production credits were equally stacked, with assists from Hit-Boy, The Alchemist, DJ Premier, Boi-1da, Statik Selektah, Bink!, and Mr. Porter.
Nicki Minaj has cause to celebrate this week, reaching a milestone birthday as she turned 40 on December 8.
Like any famous star in the social media age, the Hip-Hop icon has her fair share of trolls and haters who came out in force for her birthday. Her critics planned to troll Nicki Minaj by making the hashtags #Shes40 and #FatAndForty trend as soon as the clock struck midnight. However, her loyal army of fans had other plans.
The Barbz countered the negative posts with tributes to Nicki Minaj, sharing posts in tribute to the female rap icon on her birthday.
One fan pointed out Nicki Minaj is still one of the biggest-selling women in Hip-Hop who pens her own hits. “Shes 40 and STILL THE REIGNING QUEEN OF RAP!!,” the tweet read before adding, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICKI😘”
“The obsession is real,” wrote another of the Barbz. “Everyone loves the queen and if today she turns 40, the F###### QUEEN OF RAP. DOMINATING AND BEING THE MOTHER OF ALL THESE B###### WHO ARE OBSESSED. HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICKI 👑👑👑👑 #Shes40”
The obsession is real, everyone loves the queen and if today she turns 40, the F###### QUEEN OF RAP. DOMINATING AND BEING THE MOTHER OF ALL THESE B###### WHO ARE OBSESSED HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICKI 👑👑👑👑 #Shes40pic.twitter.com/POTLwr0rdg
Others pointed out the trend to criticize women simply for growing older.
“Ah, yes, another hashtag full of people who apparently think women shrivel up and turn into desiccated hags the minute they turn 40,” one tweet read.
*sees SHES 40 trending*
*clicks*
Ah, yes, another hashtag full of people who apparently think women shrivel up and turn into desiccated hags the minute they turn 40.
— @alishagrauso.bsky.social (@AlishaGrauso) August 2, 2022
Others plan on ignoring the haters and celebrating Nicki Minaj all day “Y’all might as well! mute me now because this is a NICKI party all day!!” tweeted a fan “Let me start it off!! LOOK at where we started from! This shxt ain’t new to her shxt is just new to y’all!!😭🥳#HappyBirthdayNickiMinaj #Shes40 🥳💕🔥
Y’all might as well! mute me now because this is a NICKI party all day!! Let me start it off!! LOOK at where we started from! This shxt ain’t new to her shxt is just new to y’all!!😭🥳#HappyBirthdayNickiMinaj#Shes40 🥳💕🔥 pic.twitter.com/kRzUjyf6jo
Yeah Nicki is 40, Beyonce is 41, Christina is 41, Britney is 41, Usher is 44, in a few more years Drake will be 40. Is there something wrong with 40? #Shes40
Cardi B opened up about the delay over her highly anticipated sophomore album, revealing her anxiety is causing a hold-up.
Fans have waited for more than three years for the follow-up to 2018’s Invasion of Privacy, and the pressure to create is affecting the NYC rapper.
“Before, I’m not even gonna front, like around 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, I used to love to make music, but now, making music to me has become a job that gets me anxiety,” she explained. “Because everyone just critique everything that I do. Sometimes you don’t want to do something that makes you feel that much anxiety.”
Despite recording multiple tracks for a new project, Cardi B remains unsatisfied. “I feel like I got so many songs and I just don’t like nothing,” she explained before adding, “I feel like nothing is good enough. I got so much f#####’ money saved up that I just be like, yeah, whatever the f###.”
However, her anxiety hasn’t affected her passion for performing, as Cardi B noted, referencing her heavily criticized “little show” at Art Basel, which earned her a cool $1 million for a 35-minute performance.
“Every single time I perform, something wakes up in me and I remember why I do this. Because I love this,” Cardi explained. “I love to perform. Performing is my passion.” Check out her comments in the clip at the end of the page.
Earlier this week, Cardi clapped back at a fan questioning her love of music, suggesting she should have stuck to reality TV.
“I am passionate,” Cardi B replied in a since-deleted tweet. “I’m actually overly passionate that’s why I don’t drop lackluster music. And if I drop something that ain’t my best I make sure the next song or verse is my BESTEST.”
Kanye West has dropped a new song addressing the controversy surrounding his recent antisemitic remarks and the resulting backlash.
The song marks his first in months and sees Ye go back to his early soul sampling days, featuring Donny Hathaway’s 1973 song “Someday We’ll All Be Free,” heavily sampled throughout the track. It also includes a sample of his recent Infowars interview, where he praised Hitler and the Nazis.
Kanye West shared the song on Instagram Wednesday night (Nov. 7), though he has since deleted the post. He added the caption: “Censori overload. The variable epitope library from the antigen promotes an immune response in the body.”
Kanye References “Death Con 3 Tweet” On New Song
The G.O.O.D. Music founder references the antisemitic “Death Con 3” tweet that got him banned from Twitter and caused a slew of companies and brands to sever ties with YE.
“Jackson if you’re nasty/ Tweeted Death Con now we passed three/ Tweeted Death Con now we passed three,” he raps on the track fans have taken to calling “Someday We’ll All Be Free.”
Kanye West also vowed to abstain from sex before marriage and alludes to his recent divorce from Kim Kardashian.
“Waking up to / I can’t do this anymore text,” Ye raps on the new song. “And The Bible said / I can’t have anymore sex / Till marriage.”
Elsewhere, Kanye West references the criticism over his antisemitic and anti-Black statements:
“Everyone’s a Karen / Claimin’ that they care and / Wasn’t given a fair hand.”
The song’s outro samples his Infowars interview but cuts off before Ye declares his love for Hitler. Kanye told Alex Jones “There’s a lot of things that I love about Hitler.” However, Kanye ends the new song with the word “love,” which he repeated multiple times.
https://youtu.be/AVTsksZT7-c
Kanye West last released music in February with DONDA 2, although he featured on more recent songs by Cardi B, Pusha T, and DJ Khaled.
“Jewish people can’t tell me who I can love and who I can’t love,” Ye told Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes. “You can’t force your pain on everyone else. Jewish people, forgive Hitler today. Let it go, let it go, and stop trying to force it on other people. Goodnight.”
With press coverage from some of the most famous media sources in the tattoo industry, Kristian Vendler is no stranger to the spotlight. Combined with a six-figure Instagram following, his growing popularity is a testament to the widespread appeal of his artwork. Today, he boasts one of the highest engagement rates on the platform from an ultra-loyal following. As a result, marketers and fans alike have been wondering what the “secret” is behind his social media success.
When asked to comment, the celebrity tattoo artist stated:
“For me, I’ve always put my artwork first. Now that I’ve seen the positive feedback online, I’m even more motivated to continue doing what I love. It’s all about the moment when a client lights up after seeing my work… that means everything.”
As he continues his 2021 tour throughout Europe and Dubai, Vendler’s notoriety is only growing. With each viral post on Instagram and Facebook, the demand for his work is quickly growing as well. His current client base includes celebrities, producers, and athletes alike, bringing even higher levels of hype and attention to his Urban Art-inspired work.
“I’m focused on growth,” Vendler says. “The results are what count.
The only official Instagram account of Kristian Vendler:
