Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the same person responsible for indicting former President Donald Trump, is moving forward with charging Daniel Penny with the death of Jordan Neely, a homeless Michael Jackson performer recently killed on a New York City subway.
ABC News reports a spokesperson for Bragg said, “We can confirm that Daniel Penny will be arrested on a charge of manslaughter in the second degree. We cannot provide any additional information until he has been arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court, which we expect to take place tomorrow.”
Already, the 24-year-old former Marine’s attorneys, Raiser And Kenniff, P.C., have commented on the charges, claiming his innocence.
In a statement, the defense lawyers stated, “Mr. Neely had a documented history of violent and erratic behavior, the apparent result of ongoing and untreated mental illness. When Mr. Neely began aggressively threatening Daniel Penny and the other passengers, Daniel, with the help of others, acted to protect themselves, until help arrived. Daniel never intended to harm Mr. Neely and could not have foreseen his untimely death.”
Also, a crowdfunding effort for his legal expenses, set up by Raiser And Kenniff, P.C., has been set up via GiveSendGo.
Already, the campaign has raised $381,443, with multiple donations being one-time donations of $1000 or more. Many of those $1000 or more donations are anonymous.
Smitty is an anomaly in the music industry, someone who’s worked with all the greats and humbly stays behind-the-scenes while quietly celebrating his achievements. To date, Smitty has two Grammy awards to his name: one for “Shake Ya Tailfeather” with Diddy, Nelly, and Murphy Lee on the Bad Boys II soundtrack, and one recently with Nas and Dr. Dre on King’s Disease.
In describing himself, Smitty, real name Varick D. Smith states he’s “a child of God, gotta say that first and foremost. I’m a battle-tested creative, battle-tested songwriter, that’s been through quite a bit to get to the point where I have such a reference point musically. It’s turning me into a better person. The ups and downs I’ve had to go in the music industry have applied to life and made me a better human being. That’s why I hold the craft dear, at this point.
The true definition of a Florida boy, Smitty discovered his ability to rhyme and write after an accident at 10 years old when he lost his right eye. After battle rapping at Florida A&M, Smitty made the bold decision to go to Los Angeles, with 300 bars that he was ready and eager to spit for anyone who would listen. Coming from true humble beginnings, Smitty first got his start working directly with MC Lyte, who gave him his first check as a songwriter.
To date, Smitty’s impressive catalog of credits include the Training Day soundtrack, “Bump, Bump, Bump” by B2K and Diddy, “Mr. Jones” by Pop Smoke, “Diamond Mind” by Nipsey Hussle featuring Dr. Dre, “Ghetto” by John Legend, Kanye West, and Scarface, “Summertime” by Beyonce and Diddy, and many more.
AllHiphop spoke with Smitty in downtown Los Angeles to discuss his love for Hip-Hop, the making of “Ghetto,” getting his first Grammy, how he got tapped in with Dr. Dre and Jay Z, the new Dre and Snoop project, what happened with DJ Khaled, and more!
AllHipHop: Who were the artists you listened to growing up?
Smitty: I listened to everybody, from MJG & 8Ball to Trick Daddy to Nas. I’m one of those types of kids. They made fun of me because I was playing Nas’ Illmatic. They were listening to MJG, whoever was hot at the time. I was always one of those kids where I enjoyed all the music, but what turned it around and what made me realize okay, I’ma do this rap s###, one day I was riding the bus home. I didn’t know what rap was, but I had heard “I Used to Love H.E.R.” by Common.
Rap City was poppin’ at that time, so I went home and saw the video on Rap City. “I met this girl when I was 10 years old, and what I loved most was that she had so much soul.” I didn’t realize, his song to her made me say, I’m in love with this thing too. At that point, I wrote. I wasn’t just freestyling anymore. I said I’ma figure out how to write, to make music. Everybody at that time was poppin’, doing a lot of things. I remember Buckshot Shorty, Heltah Skeltah, all different types of things. The Roots, Jeru Da Damager. My roots run deep, no pun intended. I really am a student of Hip-Hop.
But who made me say listen, this is something. Before people were making millions, when my family was telling me to go to college, before it was cool to rap. It wasn’t cool. You were at the lunchroom table, that part was cool. But it wasn’t oh, you’re gonna make a living off this. My family and everybody’s like, “that’s nothing.” But inside, alright. I’ma do it on the level where it can be something. “I Used to Love H.E.R.”, that record planted the seed.
AllHipHop: Have you met Common?
Smitty: Let me see. I worked with Kanye and John Legend. We did a record called “Ghetto” with Scarface. This is before John Legend was John Legend. What happened was, the company I was signed to at the time was Breyon Prescott with Chamillitary Entertainment. But he had Jamie Foxx. They did “Marvin Gaye, Luther Vandross” [“Slow Jamz”]. At that time, I had signed my deal as a recording artist to Clive Davis. Kanye worked with me because of the success of that record. Ye really was like, “I don’t know.” Me and him became great friends, that’s what’s crazy. He wasn’t crazy about me when Peter Edge, who’s my A&R at the time, played him for me. He was like “he cool.”
What made him get in the studio with me was Jamie Foxx, that record had skyrocketed to #1. When he got in the studio with me, John Legend was just John. He was sitting on the couch. He was saying, “man, Common’s in town. Common might pass through.” Common never came through, but we created that record “Ghetto” which Scarface ended up getting on. That was a memorable moment for me. Because after that, “Gold Digger” took off, and we weren’t friends no more like that. [laughs] We weren’t talking no more, s### changed. I understood.
I ran into him at the club, because the label at the time was trying to get him to shoot a video for “Ghetto.” He’s like “Smitty, I love you.” He took me to the side, like “a) you got too many chefs in the kitchen. Because I told y’all what the record ‘Ghetto’ was gon’ be, before. I told y’all this should have been the single. Now I’m on the road doing a million different things, I can’t stop.” Larry Jackson at the time, who’s the head of Apple, he was my A&R at the time. All these guys can verify, we were upset because we had missed. We should’ve been fashion forward and did the video when he wanted, but it wasn’t testing well at radio and all that label s### they have to do. They wasn’t feeling the streets were f###### with the record. In his defense, he let me down easy to not do a video for “Ghetto.” It’s all good. But through him, I could have met Common, and I didn’t. Shout out to Rhymefest, he was a part of those sessions too.
AllHipHop: Talk about getting your first Grammy for “Shake Ya Tailfeather,” with Diddy, Murphy Lee, and Nelly.
Smitty: That was a mistake because we didn’t understand the record. None of us understood it. We were writing so many different records. Doing records with Beyonce, Fat Joe, “Bump Bump Bump,” a lot of different records. When we were on Diddy’s plane, he’s like “I don’t get this record. You?” I don’t know, the beat is alright. I said just get Nelly verse, then we’ll try to match Nelly’s verse. We’ll write it together. He got Nelly’s verse. He gave me the melody. I started saying what about that word? He said “yeah that could work.”
By the time we got to LA, I was getting signed as an artist. I didn’t even know we got a Grammy for it. I had to find out while I was at a party for my own s###. I was too young to realize how special the moment was, I regret not celebrating it. Until I celebrated this time with King’s Disease, with Nas and Dre. Three years ago, I took the time to celebrate that. Even though I was in the studio with Dre when he won it, we didn’t expect him to win it. We took a moment and said I appreciate the moment. That moment was so weird, nobody even thought it would win Album of the Year.
AllHipHop: Really?
Smitty: Because Nas and Dre are close. Dre respects a handful of artists that whatever they say to him, he’s a fan first, before he wants to work. Those names are in his back pocket. I know who those names are, luckily, and Nas is one of those names. Nas is that guy. We’re working, he’s like “yo, pull up. Nas is gon’ come by. We gon’ have some dinner in the back, I want you to meet him.” F### yeah, Nas? So he goes downstairs like “wanna hear some s###? Because Nas is finishing King’s Disease. We play some s### we working on, he played some of King’s Disease. I’m just standing by the SSL like I can’t believe I’m in the room with these dudes.
He said, “you should put an outro on it for Hit-Boy. Hit-Boy wants you to put an outro on it, what do you think?” I f### with Hit-Boy. Dre sitting there, I go whisper: “Doc, you should put a little verse on there man. F### it.” Doc’s like “alright, I’ll put a little verse. But don’t put my name on it!” This is what he tells Mass Appeal, “I f### with Nas, I don’t want it to say featuring Dr. Dre. I just want to do it.” That’s why a lot of people didn’t know.
AllHipHop: Why?!
Smitty: I look at it like this, even I had to learn. It’s like playing with Tom Brady with Dre. We can’t really celebrate a win in the playoffs, I got six rings. You can’t come around Brady with that energy of “oh, I’m so happy we got a #1 record.” No disrespect to all the writers that just got their first Top 40 or Top 10, or first #1. But everybody that’s in that room with us, he labels it the ICU. We call it the ICU. Everybody in there is two Grammys are better. Everybody in there is three or four #1’s or better. The producers, Focus, Blue Tooth, Fredwreck, Kaan, Kion, Champ, Thurzzzz, Dem Jointz, Trev, Coco, Sly, Q, even the engineers, they’re all well-versed. For me to come to the table and celebrate something that might be good, it has to win in order for us to celebrate.
With Doc, it’s never that he’s downgrading it. He’s like, “you know I got bigger plans. I’m Brady, I’m trying to win three more rings. Right now, I’m trying to get a ring for Snoop. There’s no reason for us to celebrate a #1 record with Snoop.” Snoop doesn’t clean up at the Grammys, he feels that’s where we aim for. “Wherever we land is cool, but we aim for that.” So I had to adjust that thinking to get back to the Nas story, which I could see why he wouldn’t want his name on it.
The day we won it, it was COVID. Everybody wasn’t out and about celebrating. It just popped up. I had to call Doc like yo, let me know if it’s cool for me to post and be happy about this win getting Album of the Year. Because I know we didn’t aim for that. He’s like “nah, do ya thing it’s all good man. I love it, but we got bigger fish to fry. But that’s dope for my man.” I took it like that, I had a private celebration and kept writing.
AllHipHop: How did you get tapped in with Dr. Dre?
Smitty: That’s a good story. I done tapped in three times, which one you wanna to hear? The first time, the second time, or the third? I’m on my third run with him, it’s three stories to each one.
AllHipHop: I guess the first one because that’s how you guys first met?
Smitty: I’m tapped in with Will Smith now, with MC Lyte. His best friend is a guy named Charlie Mack, a staple in the Hip-Hop community. C-Love was a dancer for Whoodini that at the time, was styling the set of The Wash soundtrack. Calvin, the guy who met me at the church that took me to MC Lyte, said “yo, I need to get him in front of Dre.” C-Love’s like “alright, let me try to figure out a way. I’ma hit my man Charlie Mack.” Charlie comes to see C-Love’s house, and I rap for Charlie.
Charlie puts me on the phone with Jay Z, I spit the same rhyme for Jay Z. Jay Z says “yo, we gotta get him out of here.” While Charlie’s trying to figure out how to get me out to New York like “yo J wants to meet him, but Jay said two weeks.” C-Love’s like, “well, I’m still taking him to Dre.” I’m going along with the flow. Charlie takes me to Dre, they’re on the set of The Wash soundtrack. Dre’s seeing how long I can wait, because he’s already heard about “yo, we got this kid.” So I sit on that set, not knowing anybody. Just a young kid chillin’, anywhere from 12 to 16 hours.
He finally gets a break, it’s nighttime. Remember, I’ve been there since the morning. He goes “spit.” I spit in the hotel room. I remember even stumbling a little bit. He’s like, “I heard you stumble a little bit, but you fire though. Let me finish this movie, I’ma call you. We gon’ work.” Everybody’s seeing this, so Charlie gets the bright idea. “Well, Dre likes him. Jay likes him. Let’s go to the Jay Leno set, Diddy and Loon are up there.” Charlie takes me to the show. They’re doing “I need a girl!” Him, Loon, Usher. He’s like “yo, I got this kid.” I spit the same rhyme. [laughs] Diddy’s like, “take his beat and write to it.”
So I go home, I write to the Diddy beat. I’m still supposed to go to New York to meet with Jay. That happens, a whole nother story. Now, I’m waiting on Dre to give me the callback. That’s really how writing started because everything hit at the same time. After that, I worked with Dre on the Training Day soundtrack and The Wash soundtrack. We start writing. I fly to New York, I start writing with Diddy. Stuffed me in a room and I was writing to anything he was giving me, grooming me. Jay, that’s a whole story. He passed on me and wished me the greatest luck, but let me know how I can help.
AllHipHop: Wow, you’ve got stories for days. Can you summarize what happened with Jay Z?
Smitty: For days. Charlie says “listen, I’ma fly to Philly.” That’s Will’s guy, he runs Philly. We’re gonna drive up to New York for the Jay meeting. Mind you, I’m already in and out with Puff. To him, I’m still wanting to write as he’s trying to groom. But Puff’s not like “you’re my main writer,” like I became. It was “alright, write to this. Chill out, sit in the hotel and write.” We’re waiting for the Jay thing, this is really what set a fire in me to know that I can do this thing. We’re waiting on Jay. I got 300 new bars in my head because now I got the confidence of, I know I’m nice.
Jay comes and we go to Baseline. Who’s in the room at the time is Biggs, Jay’z main guy who found SAINt JHN. Jay Z, Charlie Mack, and Calvin, the guy who found me. Let me tell you, I spit all 300 bars. They keep flipping beats. Mouth is dry, I spit everything I got. It’s Jay Z. Charlie’s like “yeah baby, we gon’ get him.” So we go back to Philly, we on pins and needles waiting to see what Jay says. The last thing Jay said: ”I want to do it, gimme the weekend.” We go to Philly, it’s taking a lot longer than I anticipated. We go to the Philly game, Charlie is doing everything he can to keep me occupied.
I’ll never forget this, he had got us a room at the Marriott. It was a little suite with two different rooms. He’s like “man, Jay taking forever. Let’s give him his time.” I swear, 6:30 in the morning. He hit Charlie Mack with this long text. “Yo, I don’t want you to think I was playing with your time. I don’t want you to think I took dude lightly.” I had to read it, I’m like damn! “Dude is nice. But right now, it’s gon’ be a conflict of interest with Beanz. I don’t know if he’s doing something different.” I was that pitbull type of tooling at the mouth artists as well. He’s like “I’ma pass right now, but let me know if you need help with anything.”
I ended up needing help from him later on. I ended up signing with Scarface when he took over Def Jam South, he had a group called Facemob. I left, and obviously everybody was disappointed. But I had this smile inside of me like, he said I’m nice. And he don’t take me lightly, this is Jay. At that moment, the intensity and the aggression and the animal in my pen, it was a whole nother thing after that. That’s when all the #1 records started happening, “Burnin Up” remix. I had four #1’s in three, four months. Everything kept going.
Guess when I ran into Jay again? He doesn’t know I’m now Diddy’s head writer, so he comes to Diddy’s house and plays the Blueprint 2. Diddy makes everybody leave and texts me: “yo, come to Big’s room.” It was Room A and Room B, the room that Biggie likes recording in. Diddy says “Jay’s here. I want you to hear his s###, so we know where we gotta be.” I come to room B, it’s me Diddy, Jay, and his engineers. I’m sitting listening to Blueprint 2 for the first time, and he remembers me. ‘Cause I’m a Sag and he’s a Sag. Like a true Sag, he gives me his look like “damn, you Diddy’s man now huh?” Sag’s understand when we get respect, we don’t talk.
It was me, Diddy, him, his assistant at the time. We listened to the Blueprint 2 and that was our moment when he was right about me. I probably wasn’t necessarily ready for what he needed me to be, that doesn’t mean I was somebody to take lightly. Because I kept growing. I kept running into him again at Clive Davis, I kept running into him. But the reality is, now this time I’m looking to run into him again, not at the Roc Nation brunch and not as young Smitty the writer. And that’s why I’m so thankful for Dre, because Doc is putting me in a position where one day I can hopefully get those two together. Just be a fly in the room.
AllHipHop: What can we expect from the last Dre and Snoop Dogg project?
Smitty: Oh s###. A) it’s gonna be great music. That’s not even the given. What people won’t expect is the level of execution that Snoop is committed to. Snoop’s in his bag — it’s funny, I was in Hawaii working with other projects last week. He called me, I’m three hours behind. It has to be 8 in the morning. He’s like “man, this is Snoop. Little bro, I ain’t seen Dre this excited since The Chronic. He’s really excited about what we’re doing.” I said nah, you think? He said “y’all ain’t got what we got. Y’all go on trips on yachts with him, record and all that s###,” because that’s how we started.
He took us on a yacht trip to Croatia. We were recording every day, we had three records for Snoop. When we came back, Snoop said “Yo, this could be something!” That’s what set the plug, that’s what started it. That’s the last thing Snoop said to me, “man, he’s really excited.” And Snoop’s commitment to execution makes us all humble. I’ve seen Snoop come in and not be in the mood to record, and he’ll still give it his all. Because a lot of people are intimidated to record with Dre. I’ve seen some of the biggest names not want to record with him because he’s that meticulous. He’ll make you do the line over and over a thousand times, then tomorrow say, “yeah, I was wrong.”
That’s him, it takes a certain level of commitment to even rock with him. That standard we’re all used to, some people don’t come in prepared for that. So to see Snoop who’s on TV every five minutes, I got the Doggystyle chain on right now. We get all the bags and gifts to come in and watch him humble himself, and say, “I’m down to execute, and the results are in God’s hands,” is humbling for us all. It makes us show up every day like, I don’t care what we’re working on. This is God’s plan, keep working.
AllHipHop: How’d it feel for them to shout you out on Drink Champs?
That was cool, because I’m cool with them before Drink Champs. I know Norega, EFN. Even me and Khaled have a rich history. Much like Kanye, he’s different. I used to record at Khaled’s house. If you go back and look at his first mixtape, I had a record called “Dade County / NY State of Mind.” I was spazzing. I wrote that with him, he had a studio in his garage. This was before he’s Khaled Khaled, he’s just becoming Khaled. I’m not scared to put this out there, our relationship changed because of a label mistake. I’m not blaming anybody, I’m just telling you.
We were tight, I was coming to the radio station all the time. He’d play all my new stuff. It was great. The business of the label got in our way. Maybe someone in the culture reading this can say “damn, I gotta watch that.” I had a record called “Diamonds On My Neck.” Biggie was on a sample and they wanted to remix. Lil Wayne and Twista ended up getting on the remix. Khaled says, “I’m telling you, let me talk on the beginning of it.” Before he talked on anything. This was not a thing how it is now, he hadn’t talked yet. He was just putting out mixtapes. I remember there were big dog pitbulls, it was DJ crews at the time.
He’s like “Smitty, you gotta let me talk on it. You my boy!” I’m your boy, I’ma let you talk on it. I go to the label: “nah, because we don’t want to disrespect other DJs. Other DJs won’t play it.” Okay, this is my home market Miami. You gotta have a version where he talks on it! The suits at the time felt it wasn’t a good idea for him to talk on the front of it. We put the remix out. He plays it because it’s a hot record, but I could feel the shift of “we don’t believe.” when Khaled’s saying “they don’t believe,” I’m giving you an example of the they he’s talking about. They didn’t put it out. The record did what it did, it didn’t reach its potential in my humble opinion.
It changed because at that point, as my record’s not reaching its pinnacle, he’s now talking on other records that are reaching their pinnacles. From “all I do is win!”, the same thing he offered us first, which we fumbled the ball. I’m not complaining, but a lot was fumbled. Which they’ve apologized to me privately. After that point, he takes off. He’s talking on everything, and I have no choice but to eat it. Because me not being primed enough in this industry to understand, I should have forced my hand at that point. Not only as a creative or artist, but as the relationship we were building at the time, that’s a chance I should’ve took on him because he took the chance on me.
He broke “Diamonds On My Neck” in Miami with all his DJs before it took off, so I didn’t see it like that. I’m young, I’m trying to figure this thing out. They’re telling me one thing. By the time I looked up, I hadn’t talked to the man in a couple years. It turns into “yeah Smitty, I remember.” But this is the real undertone of why our relationship didn’t go where it could have went. Hopefully me giving truth like this, turns it around. I ran into him at the Roc Nation brunch, we were cordial. But it wasn’t like that time, and I get that. At the end of the day, when they mentioned on Drink Champs, they were interviewing him. His response was “yeah I remember Smitty,” but it’s a lot behind that.
EFN almost knew what he was doing, because EFN knows I got a lot of footprints in the Dade County music scene. I took a lot of arrows, I was the first Indian over the hill in the Miami scene of Hip-Hop. Coming with a typical backpacker type of energy, into a scene that was booty-shaking and dance music. For me to go over that hill first, I had a lot of allies, and a lot of people who didn’t believe. That whole table at Drink Champs, they know my story, but it’s up to me to sit down with you can tell the people why they know my story. It’s nothing to go into unless Smitty feels we should go into it, which is what I just did.
Rapper Young Thug’s hospitalization for the second day in a row has led to further delays in the YSL RICO case, a high-profile trial in which he is a defendant.
The Atlanta-based artist, whose real name is Jeffrey Williams, was reported to be unwell before his scheduled court appearance.
Consequently, his legal team informed Judge Ural Glanville, postponing Friday’s pre-trial hearings.
This disruption follows an earlier suspension of court proceedings on Thursday, May 11, when Young Thug was first hospitalized for an undisclosed illness.
The rapper was expected to appear in court for the latest round of jury selection but could not attend due to his health.
Although Thugger’s attorney, Keith Adams, expressed concern for his client’s well-being, he also indicated that the rapper’s condition was not severe after Thursday’s trip to the hospital.
Adams noted that after being seen by a doctor, Young Thug was alert and not severely ill. His condition today is not known as of press time.
His legal team argued that he was “languishing” in the Cobb County Jail, with his diet consisting mainly of junk food such as chocolates and chips.
Young Thug is one of ten defendants in the YSL RICO case. The trial has been underway since January, with jury selection ongoing, but no jurors have been seated yet.
The rapper’s consecutive hospital visits and the resulting trial delays have introduced an unforeseen element to a complex and high-profile case.
The GOP is stepping into the artificial intelligence space.
On Wednesday, May 10, the Assembly Republican Office dropped a new single called “Murphy’s Money.” The song was made by AI technology and a royalty-free beat off the internet.
The “rapper” who performs the song tries his best to incorporate a Jay-Z-ish sound to clearly attract an urban audience or tickle the funny bones of those who see the satire for what it is.
The song is based on campaign statements made by Democratic New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and has a lyric video on YouTube.
A funny bit, the ditty does address some politics, like the governor’s involvement in the West New York mayoral race and his support for former United States Representative Albio Sires. Sires is currently running for re-election to the United States Congress.
The Republicans get gully and use the lyrics to shred Murphy’s spending, adding that taxpayers are the ones actually lifting the load of his liberal political agenda.
Within a couple of days, the video doesn’t seem like it has been a big hit. Only 1,000 people have viewed it.
Check out the lyrics to “Murphy’s Money:”
“Listen up y’all I got something to say/ ‘Bout the taxes you pay/ Every single day/ You may think that cash belongs to you/ But Phil Murphy says it’s his to pursue/ With a fresh new cut/ And a sleek new style/ He will spend all your money/ And do it with a smile/ You may not like it/ But that’s just the way /Your money, his power/ That’s how he’ll play/ He’ll say it’s for schools/ Or maybe the roads/ But, c’mon now, you know/ Where your money really goes/ He’ll say it’s for the state/ Or for the greater good/ He’ll keep taking and taking/ Like a politician would (break)/ So let’s all stand up/ And make our voices heard/ Go tell Phil Murphy/ His spending is absurd/ We’ll hold him accountable/ Every step of the way / That money’s not yours/ That’s all we gotta say.”
Police have arrested the woman who allegedly administered butt injections to Christina Ashten Gourkani, the OnlyFans Model who reconstructed her face and body to look like Kim Kardashian and died last month from complications due to the procedure.
According to TMZ, Vivian Alexandra Gomez, 50, was brought in and charged with involuntary manslaughter and practicing medicine without a license.
Gomez allegedly illegally gave the now-deceased model “several injections” of a substance said to be silicone inside of a Burlingame, CA hotel room on April 19.
Gomez was arrested on April 20 at the Fort Lauderdale Airport, as she returned back to her city. San Mateo County authorities have extradited the Florida woman to face charges for Gourkani’s premature demise, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Memphis-based rapper YNC Crashout has unveiled his latest single, a gritty, uptempo track titled “On The Wall,” which premiered alongside a compelling visual representation.
The single was produced by none other than Memphis Track Boy, a platinum-certified producer with a reputation for creating hits with some of the biggest names in the industry. With a track record that includes collaborations with Moneybagg Yo, Finesse2Tymes, Blac Youngsta, and Block Boy JB, among others, Memphis Track Boy’s involvement adds a layer of heat to the new release.
“On The Wall” delves into the realities of street life, featuring lyricism that captures the raw essence of the struggle and confrontations that often define this lifestyle. By employing an uptempo rhythm, YNC Crashout injects an unexpected vitality into the narrative, creating a juxtaposition that is both provocative and engaging.
Accompanying the song is a powerful music video directed by @ftystudios1, known for its ability to translate musical narratives into captivating visuals. The video complements the song’s themes, bringing to life the experiences shared in YNC Crashout’s lyrics. By spotlighting the Memphis landscape, the visuals further ground the narrative in the place YNC Crashout calls home.
YNC Crashout’s lyrical prowess and unique delivery have steadily cemented his place in the Memphis hip-hop scene. With “On The Wall,” the rapper continues to challenge the conventions of the genre while staying true to his roots.
The new single is a testament to YNC Crashout’s evolution as an artist, showcasing his ability to narrate complex stories with authenticity and flair. His collaboration with Memphis Track Boy ensures a high-quality product that matches the intensity of his lyricism, resulting in a track that resonates with listeners and stands up to repeat plays.
No one hearing Partyat4’s single, “To Da Moon,” can deny this. That includes Toosii, who, after hearing the Rhythmic Top 30 hit for himself, had to jump on a remix of the song. Milwaukee is perhaps best known for its beer, the Bucks, or being next to a Great Lake (Michigan).
But not its Renaissance Men. Well, Partyat4 is just that. He’s an artiste with talents ranging from singing/songwriting and musical production; to drawing, painting, fashion design, and sewing. Add to that list cooking and baking (he was a Hyatt chef for a whole year), and it’s not hard to tell the kid is “creative.”
Now calling the music mecca of Atlanta home, Partyat4 took his name from an early mixtape release. He says the moniker gives props to those that have encouraged him to keep pursuing music since he was a child.
Or, as he puts it, his “Day ones.” If the response he has received so far from the Chart topping Single “To Da Moon” & its remix are good barometers, it appears those early cheerleaders were truly onto something. Partyat4 is destined to be up top Cream City style, like the head of a cold glass of beer!
Only The Family boss Lil Durk has been in a lot of news headlines over the last several days. His apparent feud with YoungBoy Never Broke Again continued to play out on social media.
Meanwhile, Lil Durk also dropped new music on Friday in the form of the Dr. Luke-produced “All My Life” featuring J. Cole. Apple Music 1 host Zane Lowe spoke to Durkio for New Music Daily Radio.
“I just be moody. Whatever mood I’m in, I just go to the studio and just make the music,” Lil Durk told Zane Lowe about the “All My Life” single. “I just feel like a positive vibe went up with Dr. Luke. That’s the first song he played and I just felt it. I’m like, ‘Man, I want J. Cole On this.’ And I made it happen.”
Durk added, “I’ve been talking to [Cole], checking up on him, just seeing how you’re doing. You wait for the right moment for him to ask to be on the song. The song [gotta] be big. I just wanted to be like, ‘I want J. Cole on the song.’ So when we do the song, the first person popped in my head, I’m like, ‘I got to get J. Cole on this.'”
Lil Durk Discusses How J. Cole Provides Him With Positive Messages
Additionally, Lil Durk talked about building personal connections with other music stars. The 30-year-old Alamo Records-supported rapper also mentioned J. Cole, Swizz Beatz, and Jay-Z (aka Hov) as foundational Hip Hop creators.
“Yeah, he’s one of them. Definitely. He’s one of them. He’s like one that I looked up to that gives out a positive message,” said Lil Durk about J. Cole being one of his cornerstone artists. “Him, of course, like Hov and Swizz.”
The Chicago Drill veteran also known as Smurk continued, “Yeah, Swizz got me and Hov connected, so that’s how we started talking. It’s just about relationships, about energy, and about keeping the vibes together.”
Lil Durk plans to release his next studio LP, Almost Healed, on May 26. Some of his followers expected the project to drop today (May 12), the same day as YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s Richest Opp. YoungBoy used that mixtape to subliminally diss J. Cole on the “F### The Industry Pt. 2” track.
Spotify kicks off its celebration of Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary by presenting a ranking of the 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Beats of All Time. A song produced and performed by West Coast icon Dr. Dre sits at No. 1.
Plus, Dr. Dre scored another song in the Top 15 of Spotify’s 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Beats. The Aftermath Entertainment label founder’s “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang” collaboration with Snoop Dogg received a No. 12 placement.
Brooklyn-bred billionaire Jay-Z and his Chicago-raised The Throne partner Kanye West also had multiple tracks make it onto the scoreboard. Ye’s self-produced “Power” just missed the Top 5 by coming in at No. 6.
The Hit-Boy-produced “N##### in Paris” by Jay-Z and Kanye West took the No. 14 position. Plus, Spotify listed Jay’s Timbaland-produced “Big Pimpin’” featuring UGK as the 17th best Hip Hop beat in the culture’s history.
There is plenty of Southern representation on Spotify’s 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Beats playlist. In addition to Louisiana’s Lil Wayne, songs by Texas natives Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Slim Thug, and Travis Scott turned up in the Top 10.
“Still Trippin” by Mike Jones featuring Paul Wall and Slim Thug secured the No. 8 spot on Spotify’s rankings. Travis Scott’s chart-topping “Sicko Mode” featuring Drake followed behind “Still Trippin” at No. 9.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Missy Elliott had the highest-ranked song by a lead female artist. “Get Ur Freak On” closed out the Top 10 at No. 10. Lil Kim contributed to the 7th ranked “It’s All About the Benjamins (Remix)” from Puff Daddy & The Family.
The Notorious B.I.G also appears on the “It’s All About the Benjamins (Remix)” posse cut, giving the late emcee two Top 10 showings. Additionally, 27-year-old Chief Keef is the youngest act on the list with “I Don’t Like” featuring Lil Reese landing at No. 50.
As far as producers, Dr. Dre & Mel-Man (“Still D.R.E.”), Havoc (“Shook Ones, Pt. II”), The Neptunes (“Grindin'”), Sean “Puffy” Combs & Nashiem Myrick (“Who Shot Ya?”), and Bangladesh (“A Milli”) controlled the Top 5.
YoungBoy Never Broke Again had some things to get off his chest about other rappers. The Baton Rouge native used his new Richest Opp project to take aim at Drake, J. Cole, and Lil Yachty.
“Talked to Drake ‘cross FaceTime. He wasn’t feeling me. Told me that he f### with Durk, damn, that s### getting to me,” raps YoungBoy Never Broke Again on his “F### The Industry Pt. 2” song.
The 23-year-old Billboard Hot 100 chart record-breaker continued, “Told me that he like the s### I’m doing, but can’t do s### with me. So when we cross our ways, f### what you say, b####, you my enemy.”
In addition, YoungBoy took a subliminal shot at J. Cole. Again, Cole has musical ties to Lil Durk. The Dreamville Records leader appears on Durk’s “All My Life” song which dropped the same day as Richest Opp.
“J a ho. That n#### played it cold like he was gonna do a feature. So I texted his line, a muscle sign, I swear it’s gonna be nice to meet you. P#### n##### tryna close the door. B####, you ain’t heard back from Baton Rouge, to that Nola, yeah, we cutthroat,” says NBA YoungBoy on “F### The Industry Pt. 2.”
Lil Durk & NBA YoungBoy Will Appear On The Same Soundtrack
YoungBoy Never Broke Again also dissed Durk’s “Till The Morning” collaborator. He rapped, “Lil Yachty mad about JT, f#####. B####, play with me. Half of y’all ain’t got more money than me. B####, I’ve been stacking.”
Artist Partner Group and Universal Music Group will release Fast X: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack next Friday, May 19. Both NBA YoungBoy and Lil Durk contributed to the project. Durk’s “Spinnin’” and YoungBoy’s “Won’t Back Down” made the tracklist.
Many fans of Lil Durk expected the Chicago-bred rapper to drop his latest album today (May 12). However, Almost Healed will not land on DSPs until May 26. Soulja Boy reacted to the move.
This past week saw Lil Durk involved in a social media feud with Soulja Boy as well as longtime rival YoungBoy Never Broke Again. Both Soulja and NBA YoungBoy released projects at midnight.
Some Hip Hop followers looked forward to Durk’s Almost Healed, YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s Richest Opp, and Soulja Boy’s Soulja Season competing for sales and online attention.
While listeners were ready to compare those bodies of work, Soulja Boy took issue with Almost Healed and Richest Opp possibly dropping on the same date as Soulja Season. In fact, the Twitch streamer called out Durk and YoungBoy.
“Nobody trying to hear that s###. Drop that s### next month. Matter of fact, don’t even drop that s###. Unrelease that s###. Take that s### off iTunes. Y’all n##### in the way,” ranted SB in a video posted to the internet.
Soulja Boy went on to predict that Soulja Season would outsell Lil Durk and NBA Youngboy’s respective projects. Now that Durk’s album is officially set to arrive on May 26, Soulja again addressed the “All My Life” rhymer.
“Shoutout Durk for pushing his album back. Real N#### 💯‼️” tweeted Soulja Boy overnight. Additionally, Soulja responded to a viral message from YoungBoy Never Broke Again.
A clip of Soulja Boy telling his fans not to compare him to Lil Durk or NBA YoungBoy spread across the internet. SB also pointed out that neither man have a hit as big as his “Crank That” record from 2007.
In response, YoungBoy Never Broke Again commented, “That’s a fact! I swear it’s [going to] be nice to meet you too.” Soulja fired back, “N#### this ain’t no meet and greet.”
Chinx’s estate announced a new album ahead of the eight-year anniversary of his death.
The late rapper’s posthumous project Cocaine Riot 7 drops on Friday (May 12). Chinx’s manager Douglas “Biggs” Ellison reflected on releasing more of the slain artist’s music in a press statement.
“Each time we sit down to do a project, I can’t believe how much work was put in to achieve his ultimate goal of releasing the first album,” Ellison said. “After eight years we have not only released the first album but keep delivering current timeless gems to the people. CR7 is no different, it’s pure and unadulterated Chinx speaking to the fans! I’m so glad that he can continue to live through the music. Cutting through the noise. What an accomplishment!”
Chinx’s latest album features guest appearances by French Montana, Offset, Jim Jones and more. The project serves as the follow-up to 2022’s CR6.
Cocaine Riot 7 arrives less than a week before the May 17 anniversary of Chinx’s death. His family continues to wait for a conviction in his murder case.
Chinx, whose real name was Lionel Pickens, was shot and killed in a drive-by in 2015. He was 31.
Last year, the 50 Cent-produced series Hip Hop Homicides covered Chinx’s murder. The episode is available to stream on ALLBLK.
Hernandez Govan, the man accused of orchestrating Young Dolph’s murder, posted bond on Thursday (May 11).
Govan spent months in jail without bond after his November 2022 arrest. His bond was set at $90,000 on Thursday.
Court records did not reveal if Govan has been released from jail. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office lists his bond status as paid. Govan will be under house arrest while he awaits trial.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed on the bond for Govan. Young Dolph’s family was made aware of the agreement.
“Our focus is on what’s going to happen to best put the case forward and make sure that justice is done,” Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy said, per the Daily Memphian. “We’ve come into some information about Mr. Govan’s role and medical conditions that make us think that this is the best resolution in order to get justice for the case.”
Young Dolph was shot and killed at a Memphis bakery in November 2021. Prosecutors say Govan ordered the hit on the rapper.
Govan was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Authorities accused Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith of carrying out Young Dolph’s murder.
Johnson and Smith faced charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, unlawful carrying and possession of a firearm, employment of a firearm with intent to commit a felony and theft of property. A fourth man named Jermarcus Johnson was charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder for allegedly providing payments to the gunmen.
Roc Nation published an open letter to New York City as part of its efforts to open a casino in Times Square.
Jay-Z’s company pushed back against the opposition to the casino in the letter. Roc Nation insisted its plans will benefit New Yorkers.
“A gaming license is going to be awarded to New York City,” Roc Nation noted. “A bill was passed in the state legislature confirming it. The question is: which applicant will get the license? Some conflicted parties have attempted to spread misinformation, so we wanted to speak to you, New York City, directly.”
Jay-Z’s team intended to commit $115 million to “diverse theater programs” in its bid to open Caesars Palace Times Square. Roc Nation claimed the casino will help mass transit, protect Broadway and invest in sanitation.
“The winning licensee must always put the wellbeing of New Yorkers at the top of their agenda and do right by its residents,” the company contended. “This is too important of a moment in our city’s illustrious history. Times Square, the epicenter of entertainment with a palpable energy, is unmatched. Roc Nation and our partners are here to ensure Times Square remains connected to all facets of clture. There’s no better location for a Caesars Palace entertainment destination than the Crossroads of the World.”
Judge Ural Glanville suspended court proceedings in the YSL RICO case after Young Thug was taken to the hospital on Thursday (May 11).
According to multiplereports, Young Thug was scheduled to appear in court for the latest round of jury selection. He never showed up to court due to an undisclosed illness.
“I’m obviously concerned about his wellbeing,” Young Thug’s attorney Keith Adams told Judge Glanville.
Last month, Young Thug made a desperate plea to get out of jail. He requested bond for the fourth time since his May 2022 arrest.
Young Thug’s legal team claimed he was “languishing” in jail as he relied on eating junk foods like chocolate and chips to survive. But Adams did not think the rapper was dealing with a severe medical condition.
“My understanding is when he went to go be seen by a doctor, he was OK, he was alert,” Adams told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I don’t have any reason to believe he is in any serious condition. He just wasn’t feeling well.”
Thursday’s court proceedings could have continued without Young Thug, but Adams opted to not waive his client’s presence. The lawyer said it wasn’t in the 300 Entertainment artist’s best interest.
Young Thug is one of 10 defendants awaiting trial in the YSL RICO case. Jury selection began in January, but no jurors have been seated.
It seems weeks after being fired from FOX News, where for years he was the top-paid anchor, is now relaunching his show on Twitter.
The controversial conservative announced the news on Tuesday, May 9, saying he chose the platform because in his opinion it is the only one that still allows free speech.
It is not that shocking since Elon Musk now owns Twitter and, in the past, has urged his millions of people to vote Republican.
There also seems to be a relationship between Musk and Carlson, as he appeared on his Fox show right before he got axed.
Carlson started off the clip by saying “The news is full of lies.”
He said that as a 30-year vet in newsrooms, he says the news is usually filtered by some other partisan entities with agendas.
The pundit said just because a media source’s lawyers fact checks the stories and gives you those facts, “doesn’t make it true,” and hiding behind such lies is one of “the stealthiest and most insidious kind” of lies.
In fact, he says, there are outlets deliberately lying to the public.
“You know, that if you bump up against those limits, often enough you will be fired,” he said, adding that he should know because he was fired too.
“Twitter has long served as the place where our national conversation incubates and develops. Twitter is not a partisan site everybody’s allowed here and we think that’s a good thing,” he continued.
Carlson ended his video by saying, “We’ll be bringing a new version of the show we’ve been doing for the last 6 1/2 years to Twitter. We bring some other things too, which we’ll tell you about. But for now, we’re just grateful to be here free speech is the main right that you have.”
Jamie Foxx has been hospitalized for weeks, but it feels like forever! The talented singer, actor, comedian, talk show host and much more has a mystery ailment and we want to know what it is! The problem is, for us, those close to Foxx have better security than the president. Nothing has come out, except the rumors that he suffered from a massive stroke. By the way, this seems to be what it is. BUT, at the end of the day, we do not know!
Dude has a million followers and also has a number of images with Foxx. They are like best buds. I guess I will roll with what he calls “fake news.” Give us the real news then, brother!
Most recently Adidas has been talking about new ways to engage the brand without Ye, even as its shareholders are looking to sue over allegations, they were left out of the dark on how bad the relationship between parties had broken down.
Now, according to the Straits Times, Bjorn Guldren, the chief executive, has announced on Thursday, May 11 at the company’s annual general meeting, when it resumes selling merchandise from the Yeezy line, the proceeds will be donated to a variety of international organizations that fight against antisemitism and other forms of hate.
“We are working on these things. Burning the goods would not be a solution,” Mr. Gulden said.
These donations will be in addition to the $1.3 million the brand shelled out in November to the Anti-Defamation League, an international Jewish non-governmental organization based in New York.
The ADL is all for this idea, saying, it “stands ready and prepared to work with Adidas.”
While it seems to be an altruistic effort, this too comes down to dollars and sense (oops cents).
If the company did not sell Yeezy sneakers and apparel, the company is poised to lose $1.7 billion in revenue.
Already, the company dropped substantially when Kanye made his comments, and then when his fans stopped supporting the brand when he was let go.
A new book, “King: A Life,” has unveiled a historical mistruth. Basically, author Jonathan Eig, in his research, reveals that a famous criticism of Malcolm X by Dr Martin Luther King Jr in 1965 was falsified! WHAT? Said interview was with Playboy magazine and was conducted by Alex Haley.
King reportedly said that Malcolm’s “fiery, demagogic oratory” was the reason that there was a chasm between the men philosophically. This deep divide was a construct. The narrative has always been that King and Malcolm X had irreconcilable differences in their approaches to the civil rights movement. Now we find this is nonsense. We knew it was always BS, because if you study them, you know they were more similar than different.
Journalist Alex Haley, who was 43 at that time, conducted a long interview with Martin Luther King Jr., who was then a mere 36, for Playboy magazine. This interview was published and republished time and time again through the years. It essentially caused a huge beef between the two leaders. The book “King: A Life”says that King was misquoted.
Eig discovered an 84-page RAW transcript of the full interview and it says that King was way more open-minded about Malcolm X than advertised by the government. King does not agree with all of Malcolm’s views, but he stated that he might have the answers in that Islamic brain of his. The published interview makes it seem like he was dissing Malcolm. The is a cardinal journalistic sin and Haley is once again maligned as a write and author. We should not forget it was Haley that co-wrote “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” and The Roots saga, boy have had questions around the works for historical inaccuracies and as well as plagiarism.
OY VEY!
The big question is WHY? Did Alex Haley do this himself? Was it Playboy that did it or somebody more sinister like J. Edgar Hoover?
Gangsta rapper-turned-league owner, Ice Cube is heading over to Great Britain, looking for some royal love.
According to The U.S. Sun, the N.W.A. founding member is taking his Big3 basketball competition to London and hopes to host the newly crowned monarch, King Charles at one of the events.
The star-studded 3×3 exhibition is scheduled to grace the 02 Arena on Aug. 26.
“We want it to be star-studded. We want it to be the place to be in London on August 26,” the “Jackin’ For Beats” rapper said.
“We want people to feel like there is no better place to be in the city than the O2 Arena. Maybe the King might pop through and check it out, you never know!” he continued.
Adding, “I’ve got a seat next to me, [King Charles] can come down there and kick it with me and we can check out some Big3 basketball. I think he’ll dig it!”
No word if the offer was sincere or if he was just joking around.
Cube does intend to have some basketball royalty in the house. Two names that have been dropped to be in attendance his summer are Julius “Dr J” Erving and Clyde “the Glide” Drexler.
Do you think the King and his Queen will make an appearance, or will he have better luck getting Harry to fly over quickly?
