Michael “Killer Mike” Render will release his self-titled solo album Michael on June 16. The Run The Jewels member prepares his fans for the project by presenting a two-part short film.
“PART 1: Don’t Let The Devil” and “PART 2: Motherless” arrived on March 10. “Don’t Let The Devil” features Run The Jewels rapper/producer El-P and Hip Hop artist thankugoodsir. EL-P (born Jaime Meline) also worked on the treatment for the Davi Peña-directed “PART 1: Don’t Let The Devil” video.
“El’s heard me talk about these bohemian-artsy-disco-infused parties my mom used to throw when I was a kid. I’d hear everything there- that’s where I first heard Grandmaster Flash, Kurtis Blow, and Whodini,” says Killer Mike.
The Atlanta native continues, “So when we were trying to figure out what the video for ‘Don’t Let The Devil’ should be – Jaime came back with this treatment written out and I cried at the end. What’s even crazier is he didn’t know what we were doing for ‘Motherless’ either, but that’s the magic I guess.”
Killer Mike Explains The Inspiration For His “Motherless” Song
“Motherless” features R&B musician Eryn Allen Kane. Shane Smith directed the visuals dedicated to Killer Mike’s late mother. The 48-year-old Dungeon Family collective affiliate provided more insight into the making of the song.
“When I first played [Dion “No I.D.” Wilson] the album, he said two things – one of which was that I was essentially holding something back and that was the song ‘Motherless,'” explains Killer Mike. “It was the last song made for the album because I hadn’t uttered these words out loud since her transitioning. When I tell the story of my mother, the tales told include one when I walked in on her attempting to take her own life – it gets to the heart of how deeply sensitive an artist and human she was.”
Mike adds, “She survived, was diagnosed bipolar and depressed; she fought that until the day she died. She lived a beautifully rich outlaw of a life and I am honored to show her as the total beautiful badass she was. These aren’t meant to be sad videos or eulogies. This is a celebration of a BAD ASS BLACK GIRL from the west side of Atlanta. She’s been affectionately called OG Mama Niecy by the many people she helped stay on their path.”
It appears Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, is ready to sue a fellow rapper, an NBA player, and a long-running music publication. The Ghetto Supastar album creator supposedly plans to file a defamation lawsuit against Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Kyrie Irving, and Rolling Stone magazine.
Pras took issue with a Rolling Stone article that apparently alleged the Brooklyn-born Hip Hop artist spent time working as an informant for the United States federal government. Attorney Jonathan Noah Schwart claims his client lost business deals as a result of those allegations.
Michel’s legal team sent representatives for 50 Cent, Kyrie Irving, and Rolling Stone notification letters on Wednesday. AllHipHop.com received copies of those letters addressing the pending legal action.
Pras Claims Rolling Stone Caused Him Significant Damages
“The false and defamatory statements falsely labeling Pras as being a ‘government informant’ made by Rolling Stone to its 50 million readers globally have caused significant damages to both Pras and Mr. Kenner,” reads part of Pras and attorney David Kenner’s letter.
Federal prosecutors accused Pras of working with Malaysian businessman Jho Low and the Chinese government in order to gain access to U.S. officials, including former presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
The jury found Pras guilty of conspiracy to defraud the United States, witness tampering, and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. He reportedly faces up to 20 years in prison. Representatives of Pras asserted that the government would not prosecute and threaten an “informant” with such a lengthy sentence.
50 Cent Labeled Pras As A “Rat” On Instagram
In addition to Rolling Stone, Pras and David Kenner contacted Hip Hop mogul Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson about his alleged defamatory comments. The letter focused on the New York City native’s April 24 social media activities associated with calling Michel an informant.
“50 Cent’s labeling of Pras as a ‘rat’ to his 29 million followers on Instagram was unsubstantiated and has caused significant damage to Pras and Attorney Kenner’s business interests and reputations, as well as placed their safety at risk,” reads the notification letter sent to Jackson.
An Alleged Defamatory Tweet By Kyrie Irving Is Still On His Active Twitter Page
Kyrie Irving’s online remarks also led to correspondence from Pras and David Kenner. The possible plaintiffs singled out that April 25 Twitter post about informants which is still visible on the @KyrieIrving Twitter page, as of press time.
“We are deeply troubled by this recent tweet made by Kyrie on Twitter to his 4.7 million followers accusing Pras of being an FBI informant. This comment was and is false and defamatory and has caused significant damage to the business interests and reputations of Pras and attorney Kenner, as well as has placed their safety at risk,” reads the notification letter sent to Irving.
The Pending Case Could Head To A Florida Court
Prakazrel “Pras” Michel and his legal team will likely sue Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Kyrie Irving, and Rolling Stone in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Apparently, Florida law requires plaintiffs to notify all possible defendants at least five days before filing a lawsuit via a letter that includes the alleged defamatory statements.
Each notification letter also included, “Pras and attorney Kenner are committed to seeing through all necessary legal action to protect their rights and interests. This includes following the 5-day period subsequent to the letter, which is prescribed by the Florida Statutes.”
Global megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter kicked off her highly-anticipated “Renaissance World Tour” in Stockholm, Sweden on May 10.
A reported 46,000 fans attended the first night of the “Renaissance World Tour.” The Houston-bred singer/songwriter gave the Swedish crowd a three-hour set.
Beyoncé ran through some of her classic hits like “Diva,” “Love on Top,” Crazy in Love,” and “Drunk in Love.” Queen Bey also performed tracks off her seventh studio album Renaissance.
The Friends Arena audience got to hear the Renaissance singles “Break My Soul” and “Cuff It” live. Both tracks peaked in the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 10 with “Break My Soul” reaching No. 1 on the U.S. chart.
Beyoncé’s Renaissance debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 332,000 first-week units. The project has remained on the rankings of the most popular albums in America for 40 weeks.
Additionally, Renaissance spent one week at No. 1 on the Swedish albums chart. Beyoncé’s award-winning studio LP also led official album charts in other countries, including the United Kingdom and Australia.
Beyoncé’s Renaissance won Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in February. “Break My Soul” won Best Dance/Electronic Recording. “Cuff It” won Best R&B Song. The Renaissance track “Plastic Off the Sofa” won Best Traditional R&B Performance.
“Renaissance World Tour” heads to the U.K. for several dates beginning May 17. The European leg of the trek will also stop in France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland. Beyoncé returns to North America in July.
Artist Partner Group and Universal Music Group unveiled the official tracklist for the upcoming Fast X movie soundtrack. Numerous contemporary Hip Hop stars contributed to the compilation.
In addition, Kai Cenat appears on the Fast X album’s opening track titled “The End of The Road Begins (Intro).” The New York City-raised YouTuber joins a star-studded list of contributors for the 21-track soundtrack.
NLE Choppa and Kodak Black teamed up with Jimin of BTS, JVKE, and Muni Long for the “Angel Pt. 1” single. A music video for that collaboration is on the way. Choppa shared a trailer for the forthcoming visuals.
The Fast X Album Samples Biggie & Bone Thugs
Plus, NLE Choppa linked with Nardo Wick. The southern rappers’ “Steppers” made it onto the Fast X album. Additional Hip Hop acts like 24kGoldn, G Herbo, Lil Tjay, Key Glock, Babyface Ray, and BIA have songs on the project as well.
There is also a posse cut on Fast X that features a deceased Hip Hop icon. YG and the late The Notorious B.I.G. are credited as the lead artists on a song called “Let’s Ride” featuring Lambo4oe, Ty Dolla Sign, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
Feuding Rappers Lil Durk & YoungBoy Never Broke Again Will Appear On The Same Project
Fast X: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack also includes records by longtime rivals Lil Durk and YoungBoy Never Broke Again. Chicago’s Lil Durk provided “Spinnin'” featuring EST Gee. Baton Rouge’s NBA YoungBoy shows up on “Won’t Back Down” with Dermot Kennedy and Bailey Zimmerman.
Fast X serves as the tenth installment in the Fast & Furious movie franchise. The Louis Leterrier-directed motion picture stars Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jason Momoa, John Cena, Jason Statham, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, Brie Larson, Rita Moreno, and more.
Consequence’s young son Caiden the Crownholder has caught the attention of Shaquille O’Neal. Earlier this week, the NBA legend shared a snippet of Caiden’s latest video, “FVC.” The short clip showed the prodigious young rapper firing off his lyrics as the video jumped around from a parking lot to a convenience store to a city street.
Consequence, always the proud father, re-shared Shaq’s post to his own Instagram account and added in the caption: “Ask my guy @shaq. He Know The VIBES. IT’S UPPPPP. Thanks for the post beloved. FVC (Facts vs Cap).”
Cons tells AllHipHop, “Year by year, Caiden has been working at his craft which has evolved from rapping to now producing as well. So to see his hard work be recognized by Shaq during the NBA Playoffs is a priceless co-sign that money can’t buy!”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CsBrbdtMKn-/?hl=en
As Consequence noted, it’s the middle of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Shaq’s former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, are working on eliminating defending champions, the Golden State Warriors.
As for Caiden, all signs are pointing to a promising future. Chris Rock is also feeling the video. On Wednesday (May 10), Rock shared a clip of it to his Instagram Stories encouraging his six million followers to watch it.
Many people in the Hip Hop world got excited after reading new reports that Jermaine Dupri and Sean “Diddy” Combs agreed to take part in a Verzuz event.
More speculation about the supposed musical faceoff began circulating online in the last few days. A video of Diddy speaking with New York City-bred emcee Busta Rhymes ignited the latest conversation.
“September 8, in [Madison Square Garden] – me versus Jermaine,” Diddy told Busta Rhymes in the viral clip. The billionaire mogul also added, “We’re gonna have you out the rafters, flying out the sky.”
Those comments from Diddy sent social media into a frenzy with pundits, podcasters, and other people sharing their takes on the potential Verzuz matchup. However, Jermaine Dupri may have thrown cold water on the growing anticipation.
“I’m trying to see who smart [for real] like, [especially] at all these blogs,” posted Jermaine Dupri in an edited tweet. “You think something of this magnitude that means this much to culture will be announced on somebody else page? 🤔.”
I’m trying to see who smart FR like,specially at all these blogs,you think something of this magnitude that means this much to culture will be announced on sum body else page ? 🤔
A Verzuz featuring Jermaine Dupri and Sean “Diddy” Combs would likely be one of the most highly-publicized installments of the live event series. Both Dupri and Combs have built entertainment empires off the creation of respective 1990s-founded record labels.
Jermaine Dupri created So So Def Recordings in 1993. The Atlanta-based company helped establish the careers of acts such as Kris Kross, Xscape, Bow Wow, and Da Brat. Additionally, Dupri worked with superstars like Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, and Usher.
New York City’s Sean “Diddy” Combs (aka Puff Daddy) launched Bad Boy Records in 1993. Bad Boy served as the label home for The Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, Ma$e, The Lox, 112, French Montana, Machine Gun Kelly, and others. JD and Puff Daddy have released solo albums as well.
P from Quantity Control said he ain’t no snitch. The label boss talked to police in 2010 regarding a murder that he witnessed. Those that committed the murder did not know he was the one! But P is not even a street dude, he maintains, and never has been. He chided those that glorify “dumb sh!t” and said GT F OUTTA HERE with all that! He called it a “fraudulent incident report.” He said he’s never been a rat. I almost thought he was going the “I’m a law abiding citizen” route.
Check out this text thread about Chrisean Rock & Blueface:
Make it stop! Bruh said “You don’t want to be stuck with somebody like me” – WOW! Could you imagine having a kid with somebody that hates you so much? He’s telling her exactly what it is. They should be illegal.
I am not one to put too much time and energy into Chrisean rock and Blueface, but I guess I have to do it every so often. I am old enough to remember when Lisa “LeftEye” Lopes tried to burn down the house of Andre Rison, a football player at that time. That was a crazy situation that played itself out in the media. Here we are, 25 years later, and it is all playing out in the media once again.
Blueface put his Faux Bae on blast via social media because she apparently try to burn down his home. It did not result in any sort of disco inferno, but it did result in setting off the alarms in the home. This is crazy! A friend of mine, who is a psychiatrist recently talk to me about the troubling nature of the toxicity of their relationship. And he basically begged the media to stop covering their nonsense because it was a self-fulfilling prophecy. And here I am, clicks and viewing it up!
Anyway, I don’t know if that’s going to happen because there is an economic backdrop to all of this toxicity. And that backdrop is just money being generated from their behavior. Essentially, they are rewarded for acting bad. That is not to say that either of them is not in an abusive relationship, but it says simply that they are a toxic profit center.
Look at Soulja Boy dissing NBA Young Boy and Lil Durk for dropping albums at the same time as him.
Retailer DTLR enlisted Yung Joc to host its returning fashion show, which went on a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yung Joc will join Tiara LaNiece to co-host DTLR’s 2023 Fall Fashion Showcase: EXCEL. The event is scheduled to take place at the Georgia Freight Depot in Atlanta on June 11.
“DTLR has made its stamp on the fashion world and excelled through the years which made us name the show just that, EXCEL,” DTLR said in a press release. “We wanted to emphasize the letters ‘XL’ not only because we are moving on to bigger and better things, but XL is also the Roman numeral for 40. Rubies are the appropriate 40th Anniversary gemstone and perfectly coincide with our DTLR company colors, which have represented us throughout the years.”
Yung Joc hosted the last DTLR fashion show in 2019. The event featured performances by Megan Thee Stallion and Lil Keed.
This year’s fashion show will highlight brands such as Nike, New Balance and Goorin. DTLR booked Hunxho to perform at the event. More artists will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets for the Yung Joc-hosted showcase are on sale now. Early bird tickets are available for $30. VIP access costs $100.
After nearly a year of secrecy, the name of Rihanna’s baby son has been revealed exclusively by DailyMail.com through a copy of his certificate of birth.
The little boy’s name is RZA Athelston Mayers, a clear-cut nod to the genius producer, rapper and Wu-tang leader RZA.
Rihanna has worn clothing repping Wu-Tang Clan multiple times since giving birth, according to DM and has given us hints along the way. Fans previously speculated that the little boy might have been named Noah. They do not know RiRi like WeWe. LOL!
Lil RZA was given his father’s middle name of Athelston, which has also been listed as Rocky’s middle name in the past. The certificate also confirms that Lil RZA was born at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Rihanna’s level of fandom for the Wu-Tang Clan is not entirely clear, A$AP has collaborated with Raekwon. They could have called him lil illseed!
We should also note that Rocky is named after the great lyricist Rakim so the baby got that moniker honestly! Salute them! Lil RZA means he’s going to be the next generation of genius.
Wow!
We are still trying to figure this out. But this seems to be official!
Marley Green a.k.a. Nosey Heaux asked a judge to dismiss Nicki Minaj’s defamation lawsuit against the blogger.
According to Radar Online, Green responded to the lawsuit and denied any wrongdoing. The blogger claimed any damages suffered by Nicki Minaj were “the result of her own misconduct and action.”
“The complained-of-acts of these answering Defendants were justified and privileged under the circumstances, including but not limited to truth, fair comment and opinion,” Green contended.
Last year, Nicki Minaj sued Green after the blogger accused the rapper of using cocaine. The Republic Records artist asked for a minimum of $75,000 in damages.
“The Defendants herein have outrageously defamed [Nicki Minaj] by posting a video on their Twitter page in which Defendant Marley Green, who goes by the name of ‘Nosey Heaux,’ falsely and maliciously stated that [Nicki Minaj] is a ‘cokehead’ who is ‘shoving all this cocaine up her nose,’” attorney Judd Burstein argued. “Further, evidencing a fundamental lack of decency, Green has also posted vile comments about [Nicki Minaj’s] one year-old son. While these comments are not actionable, they nonetheless demonstrate why punitive damages should be awarded in this case.”
Burstein sought a default judgment in February. Nicki Minaj plans to call an expert witness to explain how her reputation was tarnished if the case goes to trial.
T.I. and Tiny Harris returned to court to battle toymaker MGA Entertainment over the company’s OMG Dolls.
According to Rolling Stone, opening statements in the couple’s new trial began on Wednesday (May 10). T.I. and Tiny’s case originally went to trial in January, but it resulted in a mistrial.
A judge declared a mistrial after jurors heard from a customer who accused MGA of cultural appropriation. Judge James Selna refused to allow cultural appropriation claims to be used as evidence in the trial.
“Because of the incurably prejudicial cultural appropriation deposition testimony played to the jury by [T.I. and Tiny], this Court must declare a mistrial,” the judge wrote. “The previously excluded testimony was nothing less than a rant by the witness about how she ‘stopped purchasing’ the OMG Dolls ‘because [she] did not want to support a company that steals from African Americans and their ideas and profit off it and don’t give African Americans the profit.’”
T.I. and Tiny sued MGA for stealing the name and likeness of their OMG Girlz group. Tiny created the pop group in 2009. MGA released its OMG Dolls in 2019.
Earlier this year, Tiny said she was “fighting for what’s right” regarding her lawsuit. MGA denied any wrongdoing.
Days after rapper EverybodyKnowsLo was murdered inside a South Beach nightclub, his mother and sisters are speaking out and asking “Why?”
AllHipHop.com reported that Lo was fatally shot on Sunday, May 7, at the Gala Nightclub in Miami. Two others were injured in the melee, prompted by a gunman that still authorities have no lead to.
The rapper, who recorded with artists like Tyga, Hitmaka, and Chris Brown, was deeply loved by his mother, Alexandria Derossi. She flew in from California to attend a vigil that was set up by friends and fans.
“Why he’s not here with us? Why someone would take away our joy?” She asked, continuing, “Take away someone that we love so deeply.”
The mother recalled the last words her son said to her, a gift she will never forget. Over the telephone, she said her son told her, “I love you. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
According to Derossi, her son lived his life with “fearlessness.”
“Lowell did everything his way. He lived his life to the fullest and even though he was born and raised in California, Miami was his place. This was his home.”
His sisters added that he was also a protector that looked out for them and “did an amazing job taking care” of them.
While the shooter is still on the loose, the mother said she is “ praying for their soul.”
“I’m praying for their conscious I want them to know that they took my most precious jewel from me and from all of these people,” she said.
No details on his homegoing services have been shared at the time of publishing.
Quality Control CEO Pierre “P” Thomas responded to snitching accusations after his alleged paperwork surfaced online.
YouTuber 1090 Jake detailed how Thomas allegedly snitched on a man named Anterioes Keon McClinton in a video published on Wednesday (May 10). Thomas downplayed the claims and referenced the $300 million sale of Quality Control in an Instagram Stories post.
“I see that [$300 million] got all them hating ass n##### mad back home,” Thomas wrote. “Anybody know me know my character. Our culture so f##### up it’s sad y’all living this imaginary street dream. I’m changing lives and changing my family curse.”
The Quality Control executive didn’t mention McClinton by name but appeared to reference the deadly attack that led to McClinton’s arrest. Thomas allegedly spoke to police and identified McClinton as the man who killed the CEO’s friend Q.
“I don’t got no love for no n#### that try to kill me or mine,” Thomas wrote. “I ain’t in the streets. [Never] wanted to be I played the hand I was dealt and made something out of it, y’all bum ass n##### should do the same. Stop glorifying dumb s###.”
The Quality Control boss continued, “RIP to my dawg Q a innocent man with 5 kids who lost his life to a bum ass n#### who didn’t value his own. I’m a [GOAT] don’t ever confuse me with a [rat]. Now take that fraudulent incident report and stick it up y’all ass. I love my freedom so stop playing with it.”
McClinton reportedly pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He died several months after his release from prison.
Hip-Hop photographer Jamel Shabazz, known for documenting the start of the culture in the early 80s and 90s, is collaborating with renowned textile artist Anders Jones. The two have combined their talents to create toile-style wallpaper for people’s homes or workspaces with images of old school Hip-Hop scattered throughout.
The project is called “Back In The Days.”
According to Ivy Nicole Jones, the wallpaper tells a story “that celebrates Black and Brown inner city youth culture.”
In some of the scenes, folk in B-boy stands basically ooze the energy of New York City, and seems to be a perfect move to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop.
The Welancora Art Gallery announced that the two artists a part of an exhibition at a museum that is celebrating the culture.
On Instagram, the gallery said, “An exhibition series titled ‘About New York Now: A Photography Triennial’ is currently on view at the Museum of the City of New York. The Museum plans to put out a newly themed photographic exhibition every three years; this year, the theme is ‘home’, posing the questions such as ‘what does home in New York City look like today?’ and ‘who fits in that family photo?’”
“Works on view include an installation featuring ‘Back in the Days,’ which is a collaborative wallpaper project between artist and textile designer Anders Jones and iconic photographer Jamel Shabazz. Jones’ renderings of a curated selection of Shabazz images, paired with a classic design and textured layers of subtle color, come together to create a warm and elegant tribute to the thriving of inner-city youth culture,” it continued.
Jones is currently selling the wallpaper so anyone can have the wallpaper in their spots. It sold on Jones’ Ether and Earth Design’s website.
Bankrol Hayden has released his long-awaited, critically-acclaimed project 29, and fans couldn’t be happier. After three long years of patience, the 19-track project serves as a reminder of Bankrol’s place in the rap game: someone who overcame the odds and never lost sight of the hard work it takes to achieve one’s wildest dreams.
Bankrol Hayden states, “29 is my divine number. It’s a number that brings the worst and best memories. And a number that follows me, guides me. I had the opportunity to work with some of my close friends on my second mixtape and I’m proud of the different layers fans will get to experience of me. It represents the peaks and pits of my life the last three years and I was fortunate to work with producers, writers who helped me display my duality on this project.”
Boasting an incredibly loyal and dedicated fanbase, Bankrol Hayden is a Modesto, California native who has one hell of a story to tell. Having survived a near fatal car accident at age 16, one that left him on life support for six days, Bankrol truly sees music as an outlet to express himself. His unique vocals stand out no matter the production, and his vulnerability allows fans to listen and relate.
Plus, having accumulated a billion streams to your name is no easy feat — but Bankrol is here for a billion more. He’s currently on the road for his first ever headlining tour, and he can hardly contain his excitement to meet his fans in every city he touches.
AllHipHop spoke with Bankrol Hayden in downtown Los Angeles to discuss his 29 tour (he’s currently on now), the new project, getting Blueface, Ohgeesy, and Maxo Kream on “Bop Slide” himself, linking with Lil Skies, throwing the first pitch at the SF Giants game, goals, and more!
AllHipHop: How are you feeling? It’s been a minute.
Bankrol Hayden: I’m feeling good. I’m a little nervous right now, ready for tour.
AllHipHop: You’re nervous?!
Bankrol Hayden: A little bit. Just packing enough clothes, suitcases, all this stuff I need. I feel like once I’m on the road. I’m gonna be like man! I forgot this back home, I need this. They ain’t gon’ have that at Target. That’s been what I’ve been worried about, but just been doing rehearsal every day getting ready.
AllHipHop: First headlining tour ,I’m sure you dreamed of this growing up.
Bankrol Hayden: Definitely, s### is surreal. F###, we get our own bus. My old friends coming with me. Everyone coming together, it’s gonna be crazy. I never thought I’d have a headlining tour this soon, it’s wild.
AllHipHop: You recently dropped 29, how you feeling?
Bankrol Hayden: I’m feeling good. 29 out now, all platforms! It’s about all the highs and lows of my career. The number 29 is the day of my accident, it’s the day my grandma passed away. It’s an angel number for me.
AllHipHop: Why’d it take three years?
Bankrol Hayden: Man, it was really so much stuff changing from team to A&R to management. So many pieces moving that the music got delayed. So many people left my side and came back, that it took that long to really make the album. I had the music in a year or two, but it was so much other details that were slowing it down.
AllHipHop: How hyped were your fans when you dropped it? Because they’ve been waiting.
Bankrol Hayden: They were hyped! They like it forreal. The most fan favorite is “2001,” the first song on the album.
AllHipHop: You got a favorite?
Bankrol Hayden: Honestly probably that one. I like “2001,” it’s more of a real side of me. You get to know me on a deeper level, rather than songs like “Cabo” or “Costa Rica.” The songs people mostly know me for. “2001” gave you a deeper, more personal meaning of me.
AllHipHop: I’ve been bumping “Bop Slide.” You making club bangers now?!
Bankrol Hayden: Yeah, that’s what we was trying to go for on that. We were trying to make a West Coast club record. At first, it was literally just me, then I got Blueface on it. I literally got everyone on it by myself. For Blueface, we’ve always been cool. I tapped in with him. I tapped in with his homie to get it to the finish line. Wack 100 also helped out a lot. Shout out Wack.
For Maxo, we met at Complexcon in Long Beach. Just buying clothes. We chopped it up, I sent him a record. He liked that one. How OHGEESY got on, was due to a producer friend of mine named Diego. He said “pull up, OHGEESY’s cutting it right now. Come through.” I watched it in person.
AllHipHop: Bring us back to when you came up with that hook, that’s a bop in itself.
Bankrol Hayden: Shoot, I was in the producer’s house, we’re sitting on this couch. We were trying to go for something catchy. We literally recorded it in his living room, never re-recorded it. That was the same vocals of mine, s### was crazy.
Producer credits: Alex Goldblatt (Roddy Ricch), Tom Levesque (Roddy Ricch, YG, Ty Dolla $ign), Callan Wong (Lil Mosey, Lil Tecca) and Diego Ave (Megan Thee Stallion, Wiz Khalifa, Kali, Doechii).
AllHipHop: That’s gonna be a fun one to tour too.
Bankrol Hayden: Hell yeah. For LA, I’m thinking about doing something real special. I don’t wanna spoil it too much. I’m thinking Arden Jones to do “Can’t Change For You” live, bring out charlieonaafriday. I’m bringing my brother Zzz. out to do “Penthouse.” Maybe OHGEESY, Blueface, if that works on their schedule. I haven’t asked them yet, but shouldn’t be a problem forreal.
AllHipHop: I was just at Babyface Ray’s show at The Novo, he brought out OHGEESY.
Bankrol Hayden: That’s hard. He’s lit! They sleeping on OHGEESY. He got a core, cult fanbase.
AllHipHop: Best memory from that video shoot?
Bankrol Hayden: It was so long. I was so hungry, I was so out of it. It was just snacks, I was eating Doritos all day. I’m like bro, I need some real food. Best memory, they had me on this ladder, 10 feet in the air. Not even strapped on to anything, doing my own stunts for the video. [laughs] That was cool. Other than that, Chrisean being there was funny. It was cool seeing them interact in person, after seeing all the videos on the internet.
AllHipHop: How’d you feel about Chrisean making the song s###?
Bankrol Hayden: S###, that was hard. When I first got it, wait what? No he didn’t! This is gonna go crazy. I liked it.
AllHipHop: Blueface did the verse on his own and sent it to you?
Bankrol Hayden: At first, it’s crazy. We were in the studio a year ago. That’s how long I’ve had this song, a year ago. I’m like “Bro, you gotta hop on this song.” “Yeah this is a banger Bro,” he was gonna hop on it. We’re literally in the studio, engineer’s playing the beat. He’s writing the verse. He’s like “Bro, you wanna go to the club right now? I’m not even trying to record tonight.” [laughs] I swear, we just go out to the club. I’m like alright yeah, let’s go out.
We went to somewhere on La Brea, this small spot up top. It was lit. Literally a year later, we finally get him on the song.
AllHipHop: You didn’t even get him on the song that night?
Bankrol Hayden: Not that night. We went to the club. Time went by, we didn’t really push the issue on it. But I always knew it was gonna be somebody from the West Coast, someone on them club type of records.
AllHipHop: Those features I feel like were perfect for that record.
Bankrol Hayden: Forreal man. A&Red by me man! We in here, put it in motion.
AllHipHop: I know you got Lil Skies on the project too.
Bankrol Hayden: Lil Skies goes hard on “Deep End,” that was a special one. That one really connected with the fans, everyone related to it. That s### was dope. Skies is the first big artist that ever reached out to me. When I dropped “Costa Rica,” he hit me up. “Keep going bro, keep doing ya thing.” It was cool when we did “Deep End,” it was genuine. It wasn’t just “let’s pay this guy for a feature,” it was some real genuine friendship s###.
AllHipHop: What would 15-year-old Bankrol Hayden say to you now?
Bankrol Hayden: I be thinking about that, it’s so crazy. I’ll probably be like nah, you’re lying. That’s not true.
Man, I always knew I was gon’ be something. I didn’t know what, or how I was gon’ do it. I always was a dream type of kid. Growing up, it was skateboarding. Thinking I’ma go pro skateboarding. Then playing basketball, I’ma go pro playing basketball. I’m hella short, it’s not even realistic.
I always had the mindset of chasing a dream over a job, a 9 to 5. I’m not knocking the 9 to 5, everybody’s gotta get it the way they get it. I’d probably tell myself, man look how far we came. S###’s crazy, it’s really happening. Not everything’s happening yet, but we’re on our way.
AllHipHop: Anything else you’re excited about?
Bankrol Hayden: Tour, meeting fans face to face. VIP, and traveling around these cities. Drop more music, and get to the next chapter of this s### forreal. Start dropping new music.
AllHipHop: How was it throwing the first pitch at the Giants game?
Bankrol Hayden: Nah that’s hard. That s### was crazy. I literally f##### up, I threw the pitch and the ball hits the dirt. This was so bad, it bounces off the dirt and hits the camera lady in the head. Hella hard bro. It was on the news in San Francisco: “rapper Bankrol Hayden throws the first pitch and hits her head.” [laughs] She was mad too. It’d be like if you were at home plate filming me throwing it, and it hits you in the head. She was for sure embarrassed, I felt terrible.
AllHipHop: Did you laugh?
Bankrol Hayden: I don’t even remember what happened, what I did. I’m like, oh I’m sorry.
AllHipHop: That’s a lot of eyes on you.
Bankrol Hayden: For sure, I’m always more nervous for s### like that. Even in Atlanta, we recently did courtside at the Hawks game. They put the camera on me, I don’t know why I’d be more nervous in a sports environment. I’ll walk out at Juice WRLD’s show, 20K people I’m not that nervous. But then
sitting at the Hawks game, them putting the spotlight on me, I’m like ugh. Sports be different, it’s a different crowd. That’s probably what it is too, it’s not my typical supporters. They’re on rap music and stuff.
AllHipHop: Giants is dope because that’s the Bay!
Bankrol Hayden: Nah forreal, I’m from Modesto. Man, I played on the Junior Giants baseball team when I was a little kid. Used to go to Giants games, me and my family. 49ers games. It’s complicated because people think Modesto — out here, I have to say the Bay Area. If I say Modesto, people aren’t gonna know where it is. But in the Bay Area, if you were to say “this is The Bay,” never gang. This is not The Bay, you are the Central Valley. [laughs] But out here, you have to describe it as The Bay almost. But technically it’s not.
AllHipHop: Any goals for yourself at this point?
Bankrol Hayden: Own properties. Take care of my family and my kids, generational wealth. I don’t have kids, but my unborn kids.
AllHipHop: How many kids you want?
Bankrol Hayden: 3 or 4. But I don’t want no kids right now. I got a dog, that’s enough. I got a little puppy, he’s coming on tour with me. A little fluffyFrenchie, Deebo.
AllHipHop: You named him Deebo from Friday?
Bankrol Hayden: That, and the 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel. It was both. Ain’t gon’ lie, it was probably Deebo Samuel just because in the moment we were watching football. Also bro, this is Friday too. This is a go. It’s my first dog on my own, so this s### a lot.
AllHipHop: Man, my dog changed my life.
Bankrol Hayden: I love my dog. You love your dog? It’s crazy how attached you get to it.
AllHipHop: Mine just needs a little bit of training…
Bankrol Hayden: Mine too, it’s terrible. They said if he pees on the tour bus, it’s a $1,000 fine. He’s ruthless, he’ll chew up all the puppy pads. He’s gonna be in jail the whole time. He’s gon be in the cage, we probably won’t let him out. [laughs] It’s a joke.
AllHipHop: Any other goals?
Bankrol Hayden: Whenever I get to the point where money’s not an issue at all, it don’t matter what I do, I want to start foundations and give back to people in need. My characteristic is giving, it’s my personality. Something within that, giving back to people in need or homeless shelters. Creative stuff for kids, stuff to do for people in cities that don’t have stuff to do. Stuff like that is what I want to get into it, and it makes sense.
AllHipHop: Anything else you wanna let us know?
Bankrol Hayden: Man, get your tour tickets. 29 Tour, come through. We gon’ see ya’ll there.
For more information on Bankrol Hayden, 29 tour tickets, and more visit https://www.bankrol.co/.
Well, now we have the video and it is interesting. The most interesting thing is that the actor calls himself a minor in the arrest video. He’s young, but definitely a grown man. At the time of the arrest, he was 22, according to googles. Anyway, he is really not feeling getting arrest and messing up his life. He vehemently states that his security guards are to blame and that he’s down with 50 Cent.
He was busted at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport December 13th with a Glock 19 9mm inside his carry-on luggage. YIKES! The gun was not loaded but it did have a 15-round magazine. I do not mean GQ or VIBE either. Even worse, the BMF star did not have a permit to carry the gun
Bruh footage of lil meech getting arrested for having a gun in his bag at the airport has been released
“I’m a minor sir I have security guards and they left that in there….can I call my mom or somebody” pic.twitter.com/T15cTyjB85
— Shannonnn sharpes Burner (PARODY Account) (@shannonsharpeee) May 10, 2023
As the world is celebrating rapper and NCAA women’s championship basketball player Flau’jae Johnson success, there are those who taking a closer listen to everything the teen says. And like most teens (and rappers) that includes controversial lyrics that sound fire when said— but could have other inferences to different communities listening.
An example is her new song, where she spits on top of Latto’s “Put It On Da Floor,” according to TMZ.
The 19-year-old ROC Nation signee, whose father is deceased rapper Camoflauge, rapped, “In this 911 blowing smoke just like them towers.”
The 911 she was talking about was not the devastating terrorist attack on America on Sept. 11, 2001, but the slang for a Porsche.
Many people took to social media to blast her and LSU for the insensitive lyrics.
"In this 911 blowing smoke just like those towers." – Flau’jae Johnson.
Take a bow @LSUwbkb. A player on your team mocked those who died on 9/11 by comparing it to a Porsche.
Disgusting. I know people who still struggle to sleep at night because of what they did in war after… pic.twitter.com/AFmw2zK6mf
In response to the backlash, LSU has issued a statement apologizing for the line in the song.
“While she never intended to offend or upset anyone with her lyrics, she expressed sincere remorse for any possibility of a misunderstanding and immediately took the video down,” LSU shared with FOX News in a statement.
“We will learn and grow from this experience together.”
Logic recently sat down with MSNBC‘s Ari Melber for an episode of The Beat. They covered a myriad of topics, including his 2020 decision to retire only to return a year later with Bobby Tarantino III, thoughts on Joe Budden, one of his most outspoken critics, and protecting his mental health.
The 33-year-old rapper often finds himself at the mercy of the internet, most recently in March when he released a lounge cover of Ice Cube’s “It Was A Good Day,” which prompted Cube’s son, O’Shea Jackson, to respond.
“I respect Logic,” he tweeted at the time. “I think he can rap. And that’s all I really need. But bruh… if [I] ever hear you sing about my mother again… it’s gone be a misunderstanding lmaoooo.”
That essentially sums up Logic’s career. There’s no doubt he has rhyming skills, but people love to make fun of him. The seemingly endless ridicule is primarily what prompted the Maryland native to retire in the first place.
“Hip-Hop is a beautiful place,” he tells Melber. “It’s a culture of people that accept all people—every color, creed, race, religion, sexual orientation—Hip-Hop is all loving, all encompassing, all knowing. It’s like the perfect mother; always there for you. Now, media and other people can kind of sway how Hip-Hop is perceived. ‘You gotta be too tough, you gotta be this, you gotta be that.’
“A lot of my career I was told I’m not good enough, not Black enough, not this enough, not that enough, not cool enough—whatever. I am enough. I learned from legends in the game who’ve told me that. People like the RZA, members of the Wu-Tang Clan, Big Daddy Kane, Nas. I could go on. My heroes. For me, I stepped away from ‘Hip-Hop’ because of the negative aspect of things.
Logic continues, “A lot people say you gotta have tough skin, but it’s hard to have tough skin when people say they hope your baby dies or call your wife ugly and you have to subject yourself to this on camera. That’s why I left for my mental health. At the height of my career, I stepped back and realized that all I wanted to focus on at that time was my wife and my baby. I ‘left it all.’ Even though I didn’t realize I was lying to myself and I would be back in a year.”
He also admits he suffered from imposter syndrome at the onset of his career but ultimately realized he was trying to please all the wrong people.
“I think in many ways, I was lying to myself,” he says. “I just wanted to find peace and I did find it. For years, I was looking for the acceptance of others because in a big way I felt like a phony, a fraud, an imposter for whatever reason—and I don’t know why. Honestly, screw those people, if I’m being blunt. It’s a real mentality like, ‘Yo. I’ve made it. I’m here and all that matters is my baby is healthy and my wife loves me and I have a great family. So, all the other outside noise just doesn’t matter.”
Logic also talks about his next album, College Park. He explains: “College Park takes place in 2011. It’s a day-in-the-life with me, Castro, my producer Six and my best friend Big Lenbo who let me sleep on his couch when I was homeless and took me in. It’s like a day-in-the-life of us on our way to an open mic show in D.C. These aren’t skits, these are like scenes. It’s an audio-cinematic experience, and it’s just a different perspective.
Toward the end of the conversation, Melber has Logic participate in a lightning round of questions and one of them involved Joe Budden. In a 2019 episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, Budden described Logic as “easily one of the worst rappers to ever grace a microphone.” He’s encouraged his retirement since day one and the Ice Cube cover only made it worse. In fact, he called Logic’s music “really, really bad!!!”
But, with a smile on his face, Logic continues to transcend Budden’s criticism and instead, describes him as “a hurt man, a very smart man and a f###### hater.”
The Beat‘s interview with Logic airs on Thursday (May 11).
Now, Snoop Dogg has weighed in on the technology. During The Milken Institute’s 2023 Global Conference in Beverly Hills, the West Coast rap icon sat on a panel and spoke about generative AI systems such as ChatGPT or Bing Chat.
“Well, I got a motherf##king AI right now that they did made for me,” Snoop marveled, according to Business Today. “This could talk to me. I’m like, man this thing can hold a real conversation? Like real for real? Like it’s blowing my mind because I watched movies on this as a kid years ago. When I see this sh*t I’m like what is going on?”
The Death Row owner, speaking as an artist and executive, added, “And I heard the dude, the old dude that created AI saying, ‘This is not safe, ’cause the AIs got their own minds, and these mother##kers gonna start doing their own s**t. I’m like, ‘Are we in a f##king movie right now, or what?’ The f**k man? So do I need to invest in AI so I can have one with me? Or like, do y’all know? Sh*t, what the f**k? I’m lost, I don’t know,.”
Multiple artists have spoken out. AllHipHoppreviously reported Pete Rock saying to use it is “mad disrespectful.” He tweeted, “AI is mad disrespectful and if y’all don’t see that but think this AI stuff is dope then you are a part of the problem. They can’t beat Black culture, so what do they do when they can’t measure natural talent? Silly s### like AI! AI is such a cowardly act that bears no real soul or feeling.”
AI is mad disrespectful and if yall dont see that but think thisAI stuff is dope thenyou are a part of the problem.They cant beat black culture so what do they do when they cant measure natural talent?Silly s### like AI!AI is such a cowardly act that bears no real soul or feeling
Hip Hop legend Ice-T married Nicole “Coco” Austin in 2002. The couple has one daughter together, 7-year-old Chanel. But why did the rapper/actor decide Coco was the woman to be his wife?
Ice-T appeared on a recent episode of the That Moment with Daymond John podcast. The iHeartMedia-backed show included a conversation about the 65-year-old entertainer’s love life.
“When I was going after Coco, I was watching a lot of The Osbournes,” said Ice-T, referring to MTV’s 2000s-era reality show starring Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. “And I was looking like, would Ozzie have a mansion if it wasn’t for Sharon Osbourne?”
The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit cast member continued, “This woman is running all the tours, running all his businesses. It doesn’t even seem like Ozzie would know how to pay a phone bill. Ozzy is something different. But he’s wealthy because he got a woman to hold it together.”
Ice-T then went on to recall his early encounters with his now-spouse. Apparently, Coco Austin, a former swimsuit and lingerie model, was enamored with the Rhyme Pays album creator’s fashion sense and overall swagger.
“When I met Coco, she was fine, I told her, I said, ‘Yo, I mean I’m not really trying to get just another number in my phone. I’m really trying to find someone that wants to ride.’ She dug the flyness of me. When I met her I had on a red snakeskin suit, so she was like, ‘Ooh, that’s fly,’” recalled Ice-T.
Previously, Shark Tank star Daymond John spoke with Ethiopian-born celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson for the May 2 episode of his podcast. That Moment with Daymond John is part of iHeartMedia and Charlamagne Tha God’s The Black Effect Podcast Network.
