The Hip-Hop community continues to mourn the passing of Migos rapper Takeoff, with those that knew him best still struggling to come to terms with the loss.
Earlier this week, fellow Migos hitmaker and Takeoff’s cousin Offset took to his Instagram Story with a request regarding tributes to the slain rapper. “Don’t post Takeoff unless it’s in a positive light please!” he wrote on Dec. 6.
Just a few days later, Offset shared his despair on social media, admitting he was not coping well. “In a dark place 🖕🏾” he tweeted on Thursday.
Last month, Offset revealed his “unbearable” pain at losing Takeoff in a heartfelt Instagram post. “My heart is shattered and I have so many things to say, but I can’t find the words,” he wrote. “I’ve been going to sleep and waking up hoping that all of this is a dream, but it’s reality, and reality feels like a nightmare.”
Two men have been charged in connection with Takeoff’s death. Patrick Xavier Clark, 33, has been charged with murder. 22-year-old Cameron Joshua was charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon and a felon in possession of a weapon.
Takeoff was only 28 years old when he was killed outside a Houston Bowling alley on November 1.
“We not in the mood to be f###### playing around with y’all, deadass,” she said in a voice note. “I will deadass kill y’all. Stop f###### playing.”
She also revealed she was “feeling so hopeless” trying to console her husband following Takeoff’s death. “We’re living our life normally, but deep down inside, our hearts have been so heavy,” Cardi B added.
Long after his untimely passing, The Notorious B.I.G is being honored in a big way in the form of an interactive statue in Brooklyn.
Coming in at over 9-foot-tall, the towering sculpture is installed at the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge. The new piece is housed at the northeast corner of Prospect Street and Washington Street.
The artwork, designed by local artist Sherwin Banfield, also celebrates the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop. The steel and bronze structure features the crowned head of Biggie on top. Among the many decorations embellishing the piece is a heart that reads “spread love.” As The Notorious B.I.G. put it, it’s the Brooklyn way.
Visitors can also hear some of the NYC icon’s biggest hits played through the speakers, with a few of his albums adorning the sculpture itself.
Banfield set out to pay homage to Biggie and challenge “the traditions of western public sculpture by representing his African American artistry, lineage and evolution,” according to an official press release.
“’It was all a dream,’ the opening lyric from The Notorious B.I.G.’s#### track ‘Juicy,’ exemplifies my dream of creating this monument,” the artist explained. “Delivering this project means so much to me personally, my story and artistic development as well as countless fans of Hip-Hop Culture who continue to be positively affected and influenced by the communal experiences and sonic frequencies of B.I.G.’s artistry. I cherish the significance of the potential impact on young children of color who will have an opportunity to experience a public sculpture that represents and reflects their identity, circumstance and/or dreams.”
The new public art installation will be available for visitors and fans to see the spring of 2023.
The striking sculpture is one of a number of tributes to The Notorious B.I.G. commissioned in Brooklyn this year. A pair of murals were erected in Bed-Stuy in May, marking the 25th anniversary of his passing.
Budah The Rueger, known to the world as Swag God, is a Bronx-born, Harlem-raised drill rapper from Edenwald Projects with many influences including Method Man, Notorious B.I.G., Max B, and his favorite artist Tupac Shakur.
Swag God comes out the gate with his own sound, high energy, and unique flow to every track he raps on. He’s extremely diverse and gives each song exactly what it needs.
He’s totally engulfed and hands-on in the process of his music and sound by mixing and mastering. He also sits through the production process to make sure that his sound is effective and efficient.
His diversity also allows him to be able to dominate other styles of rap such as Jersey Drill, U.K. Drill, Trap, and Boom Bap.
With such diversity, he exudes versatility and the ability to touch other genres of music such as R&B, Dancehall, Afro-Beat, Rock, and Heavy Metal. In his latest release “RnB Doo Da Dooh”, he remixes his original “TikTok” cessation, “Doo Da Dooh”, by adding a Drill and RnB twist. Swag God has a little something for everyone, as time will tell when he becomes a household name. Stay tuned for Swag God and his team Megahertz…
Drake continues his run as one of the most successful artists in the world, racking up another impressive accolade after earning ten new plaques from the RIAA (Record Industry Association of America) and the title of the highest-selling artist in their history.
Champagne Papi sold 184 million singles, surpassing Eminem, who held the honor since March after selling 166 units across his singles catalog.
.@Drake is now the highest certified singles artist in @RIAA history, passing @Eminem (184 million units as a lead).
Furthermore, Drake becomes only the third-ever act to achieve at least five diamond-certified singles. “Hotline Bling,” “One Dance,” “God’s Plan,” “SICKO MODE,” ft. Travis Scott, and “Life Is Good,” ft. Future each racked up sales of at least 10 million copies in the United States. Bruno Mars occupies the top spot with six diamond singles, while Post Malone is second with five.
Drake’s biggest-selling song is his 2018 Scorpion hit “God’s Plan,” which rocketed to 15X platinum status on Thursday (Dec. 8).
Drake’s record breaking streak looks set to continue as he is on course to break the record for the highest-certified RIAA song. Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower,” jointly shares that honor with Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.” Both singles are currently sitting at 17 X platinum.
In addition, Drake’s 2021 album, Certified Lover Boy remained one of the most popular projects a year after its release. Drake’s sixth studio album is ranked at No. 9 on the Billboard 2000 Year End 202 albums.
In November, Drake tied with Jay-Z for most R&B/Hip-Hop Album chart-toppers after earning his 14th with Her Loss, his joint project with 21 Savage.
Drizzy is also hot on the heels of Hov’s record for the most No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart for a solo artist. Jay-Z is in the lead with 14, with Drake right behind at 12.
Snoop Dogg and Master P claim Snoop Loopz “disrupted the cereal industry” to the extent they’ve been blocked from using the name.
The Hip-Hop icons launched Snoop Loopz in August as the first offering under their new venture, Broadus Foods. However, Snoop and Master P are already rebranding the cereal, claiming they have been blocked from using the Snoop Loopz name.
“They don’t want us to use Snoop Loopz,” the Broadus Food founders announced, without specifying who “they” is, although Kellog’s is presumably threatening litigation over their Froot Loops cereal.
In a new video shared by both artists, Master P says they have “come a long way” while “feeding the community” with their new cereal. He claimed his competitors are “not used to seeing African Americans owners of cereals” and are trying to “take us off the shelves.”
“We’ve built a national brand and disrupted the cereal industry,” Snoop Dogg and Master P wrote in a joint caption. “We did it with hard work and integrity. I know they’re uncomfortable and scared. But our mission is to build diversity and economic empowerment. Times have changed. There’s enough room for all of us to be successful. This is bigger than us, we are fighting for the next generation of entrepreneurs.”
The pair say they have moved from being “consumers” to “building our own brands, and passing down generational wealth,” adding, “Broadus Foods is all about helping the community.”
Nonetheless, Snoop and Master P say, “we’re taking over the breakfast foods industry. They can’t stop us. It’s David versus Goliath,” and they have a slingshot.
Snoop Dogg & Master P Ask Fans To Rename ‘Snoop Loopz’
“This is a minor setback for a major comeback,” they stated before appealing for fans to suggest a new name for Snoop Loopz. Check out what Snoop Dogg and Master P have to say in the post below.
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.
