Earlier this year, news broke that Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory faced criminal charges in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Law enforcement officials charged the BMF star with two counts of first-degree grand theft and one count of organized fraud.
Lil Meech was later released on a $150,000 bond. The case centered around Haimov Jewelers accusing the actor of trying to trade the brand’s $275,000 Richard Mille Roberto Mancini watch to another jeweler.
“You cannot trade a watch that wasn’t paid for to another jeweler. And take the next jeweler’s watch and not pay them as well. We all work hard for our money and do clean business,” stated Haimov Jewelers representatives back in May.
The company’s statement continued, “We reached out many, many times but you ignore [us]. If someone owed you $200K would you let that slide? We put our blood, sweat, and tears into making this business successful. We came from the [bottom].”
According to Lil Meech, authorities dropped the theft and fraud case. The 22-year-old son of infamous drug trafficker Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory took to his Instagram Story to celebrate his apparent legal victory.
The Shade Roomcaptured Lil Meech’s Instagram Story about the Haimov Jewelers situation. The social media clip included a caption that reads, “God is Good. Case Dropped. Please Don’t Play With My Top.”
Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory portrays his father, Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory, in the drama series BMF. The Starz network renewed the 50 Cent-produced program for a second season after airing one episode of the first season.
Tupac “2Pac” Shakur is widely considered one of the greatest rap stars of all time. The 1990s-era emcee helped elevate West Coast Hip Hop for future California-based artists like The Game.
The crew at Montreality recently spoke to The Game for a nearly 30-minute interview. During the sitdown conversation, the Drillmatic – Heart vs. Mind album creator compared modern-day rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again to 2Pac.
“NBA YoungBoy will be the 2Pac of this generation. Sometimes when you see an 18-year-old kid say, ‘NBA YoungBoy is better than 2Pac,’ it’s not because he actually is or 2Pac is better than NBA YoungBoy. It’s just the Michael Jordan/Kobe Bryant/Lebron James thing. It’s different eras of greatness,” stated The Game.
The 42-year-old rhymer continued, “You should just appreciate them now because an 18-year-old cannot appreciate or relate to Tupac because they weren’t even alive. 2Pac has been dead for 26 years, so an 18-year-old kid wasn’t even born for another six years after he died. So why would you expect him to relate to Tupac over NBA YoungBoy?”
YoungBoy Never Broke Again has built a loyal fanbase over the last seven years. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana native earned four #1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart. He also led the Billboard Artist 100 chart for two weeks.
Before his death in 1996, Tupac Shakur released classic albums such as 1995’s Me Against the World and 1996’s All Eyez on Me. The RIAA certified the latter LP as Diamond, signifying 10 million units sold. Numerous posthumous projects, like 1996’s The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, arrived after Pac’s passing.
The Game dropped the 31-track Drillmatic – Heart vs. Mind on August 12. The Dr. Dre protégé’s discography also includes 2005’s The Documentary, 2006’s Doctor’s Advocate, 2008’s LAX, 2012’s Jesus Piece, and 2019’s Born 2 Rap.
The girlfriend of U.K. rapper TKorStretch paid tribute to her “sweet beautiful boy” after he was stabbed to death at London’s Notting Hill Carnival this weekend.
Takayo “TKorStretch” Nembhard was confirmed dead by his manager, Chris Patrick, on Tuesday morning. The 21-year-old from Bristol, England, had begun to make a name for himself in the U.K. drill scene, amassing a following with nearly 11,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
Oshian Edwards – who said she was the rapper’s girlfriend and is carrying his child – penned an emotional tribute to the father of her unborn child.
“Takayo my sweet beautiful boy, all I can ask is why over and over again. You was the most kind hearted, loving, funny and caring person,” she wrote on Instagram. “I’m sat here with sore eyes and a heavy heart as I’ve cried consistently for the last 12 hours while carrying your unborn son. I will remind him daily about how great you were as a son, brother, boyfriend and friend too!”
She continued,” I held your hand yesterday for the last time as you led there lifeless and baby T kicked me straight away and it broke me.” She then thanked family and friends for their support. “I only wish you knew how loved you really was,” she added before concluding with, “This s### hurts.” Read her post in full below.
Cops Launch Investigation Into Murder Of TKorStretch
London’s Metropolitan Police launched an appeal for video and photo evidence. Detectives investigating the murder of TKorStretch called for witnesses to come forward.
“At around 20:00hrs on Monday, 29 August, officers became aware of a stabbing in Ladbroke Grove,” cops said in a statement. Officers provided emergency first aid to 21-year-old Takayo until the arrival of paramedics. He was taken to a west London hospital where, despite the best efforts of medical staff, he was sadly pronounced dead.”
DCI James Shirley of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command said: “I know that there were several hundred people in the immediate area surrounding the murder and while the carnival environment made the management of and access to the scene difficult, it also meant that there were likely to have been a number of witnesses.”
50 Cent is dealing with the aftermath of his Tycoon Weekend, and one person who is no longer welcome is Trey Songz.
As usual, the G Unit boss used his Instagram page to air out his grievances calling out the R&B singer for his “Crazy” behavior at his Houston event. 50 Cent shared a photo of Trey Songz, declaring the crooner is “BANNED FROM TYCOON.”
“Last TYCOON he crashed a Wraith,” 50 wrote. “This TYCOON he was acting crazy, wanting to fight and s### over the girls. He broke some s### up in his room. Nah tell @treysongz he can’t come. SMH.”
One anonymous accuser filed a $20 million lawsuit against the recording artist but later dropped the suit. A judge dismissed the sexual assault and emotional distress legal action against Trey Songz at the accuser’s request in July.
Then, last month another woman came forward claiming that she was approached by one accuser’s attorney to make false accusations against Trey Songz in exchange for cash. She claims her lawyer offered her up to $200,000 to lie and say she witnessed the singer assault her friend, Jauhara Jeffries.
50 Cent Defends Trey Songz
50 Cent came to the defense of Trey Songz when the “Neighbors Know My Name” hitmaker was accused of domestic violence. Andrea Buera claimed the singer attacked her at a party during the 2018 NBA All-Stars Weekend.
He shared a photo of Buera alongside a money bag emoji, writing: “This stripper joint Andrea got Lisa bloom talking bout Trey hit her, everybody know he ain’t hit her this a money play smh anything to get the Bag. #thesehoescrazy.”
Trey Songz denied the allegations against him, stating, “I am being lied on and falsely accused for someone’s personal gain.”
Kanye West announced his plan to open Yeezy stores all around the world a day after calling out GAP after the company allegedly held a meeting about Yeezy Gap without him.
The multihyphenate took to Instagram with a series of posts revealing his plans to open Yeezy stores across the globe.
“The Vision will be realized Let’s start with stores in Atlanta,” he began sharing a speech of himself explaining his vision.
“We are going to open a Yeezy stores world wide,” Kanye West penned in another post. “Starting in Atlanta.”
He continued: “Who would be the best to open it? I’ll buy the land and building then we gonna open up in every state and then internationally.”
Ye also put a call out for staff, asking his followers with more than ten years of retail experience to get in touch.
“Anyone who has over 10 years [of] retail experience and is ready to change the world, post your Instagram handle or store location in the comments and we’ll find you,” Kanye wrote.
The “Eazy” rapper also fired a shot at Gap and Adidas after calling out Gap the day previous and Adidas earlier this year.
“I signed with both Adidas and Gap because it contractually stated that they would build permanent stores which neither company has done,” Kanye claimed. “Even though I saved both of those companies at the same time.”
“Chainz said he got the mayor(‘s) number,” Ye wrote in the caption.
The Yeezy boss then shared multiple screenshots of people reaching out to open a Yeezy store, including Pusha T.
“Well since we doing every state…And we talking over 10yrs of retail experience…😎 Put us down for Virginia and Pennsylvania @creme321 @shopcream @kanyewest” King Push wrote.
Jay-Z rarely hops on Twitter, but when he does, the Hip-Hop world listens, and Wednesday evening was no exception after Hov shared some details about how he recorded his ‘God Did” verse.
Earlier this week, during a filmed conversation with Rob Markman and Frazier Tharpe II, Young Guru, Hov’s long-time engineer, explained the Roc Nation boss spit his verse in one take. “[Jay-Z] walked in… he’s spitting the verse to me. One take.”
However, Jay-Z said that wasn’t exactly how it went down and clarified how it came together during a Wednesday night (Aug. 31) Twitter Spaces chat with DJ Khaled, Lenny S, and Rob Markman.
While Jay-Z was waiting for Khaled to send the “God Did” instrumental, Guru fashioned a makeshift track for him to practice on.
“So while we was waiting for you to send the beat, we was just playing the [loop] inside the control room; so I was going through it a couple times,” Jay-Z explained. “I was just rapping over like, any part, it kept looping and drops was happening in the wrong place.”
“I think I sent it to you like that, right?” Khaled said to Jay-Z. “Hov rapped over the hook, breaks — ’cause Guru was waiting for me to send the instrumental,” he explained. “When you sent it back, I was like, ‘This man rapping over the hook.’”
Jay-Z continued: “So I cheated a couple times before I went in the booth, I was playing it in the control room; so when I went in the booth it was pretty much a done deal.” Listen to the conversation below.
“My only goal is to make the real “ones” feel seen,” Hov replied. “forgive me that’s my passion talking ….. haa ,” Jay-Z added, quoting a line from “God Did.”
My only goal is to make the real “ones” feel seen , forgive me that’s my passion talking ….. haa . https://t.co/yRzFlyie3f
This time, King spent some time behind bars and has come out to say, “F### 12!!” though he did not say why he was arrested. He took to his Instagram stories to post a video following his release. His companion in the video reveals they received one violation for not wearing a seatbelt, while King says he “got four.” He added, “A lil minor set bacc fa a major come bacc f### em.” A photo posted to his IG Story shows King throwing up the middle finger while stating: “I’m bacc. F### 12!!”
Once home, King took a bubble bath, sharing his agreement that he should not be getting locked up. “Y’all right,” he penned. “We too rich fa da s###! I agree,” followed by two crying with laughter emojis. “I’m sorry that a muthafucka caught me while I was on my way to vacation. I’m sorry, I thought I was doing what a young n#### was supposed to do. I ain’t wanna be in there.
The 18-year-old also had a few words for anyone claiming that he’s “trying to be gangsta.”
“Everybody that’s say n#### tryna be gangsta. I ain’t ask for the police to pull me over, y’all b#### ass n#####,” he added. Check out the video below.
Young Thug resurfaced on Twitter with a question for Olympian Michael Phelps, who provided an answer.
Although Young Thug is in jail, the YSL rapper managed to send a few Twitter posts on Wednesday (August 31). Thugger questioned if Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps could pull off a specific feat and tagged the gold medalist in the tweet.
“I’m talking with my roommate and we’re wondering if you could swim 100 miles from the middle of the ocean back to shore – @MichaelPhelps,” Young Thug wrote.
Roughly an hour and a half later, Phelps responded.
“Yeah,” he replied. “I think I could make it.”
Young Thug quickly sent a follow-up to Phelps.
“How long do you think it would take?” he wrote but received no answer.
Young Thug remains in jail following his arrest on gang-related charges in May. He and Gunna were the most notable figures indicted in a sweeping RICO case against YSL members.
Thugger was denied bond on three occasions. He was initially charged with conspiring to violate Georgia’s RICO Act and participating in street gang activity.
He was hit with an additional charge of participating in street gang activity, possession of a firearm while committing a felony, possession of a machine gun and three counts of violating Georgia’s controlled substances act in August.
Talib Kweli accused Eothen “Egon” Alapatt of stealing MF DOOM’s rhyme book, among other allegations, in an Instagram post on Wednesday (August 31).
The Black Star member referred to Madlib’s longtime business partner as a culture vulture. Talib Kweli listed examples of Egon’s alleged misdeeds, which involved notable figures such as MF DOOM and J Dilla’s mother.
“One day the hiphop community is going to have to discuss what a lying, stealing, conniving culture vulture Eothen Apalatt AKA Egon from Now Again Records is,” Talib Kweli wrote. “This is a non Black person who routinely takes advantage of Black artists and brags about it.”
Talib Kweli specifically emphasized a claim about Egon stealing MF DOOM’s rhyme book. According to the post, Egon allegedly refused to give the book to the late rapper’s family.
“Today all I want to know is why Egon stole MF DOOM rhyme book and refuses to give it back to DOOM family, even after MF DOOM passed away,” he wrote. “MF DOOM officiated this mans wedding FOR FREE, but then later stopped rocking with him because of his devil ways. Someone tag nowagain and asking Egon why he stole MF DOOM rhyme book, he got me blocked. The era of the culture vulture is OVER.”
Read all of Talib Kweli’s accusations about Egon below.
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Charlie Makoa has called other places home, including Delaware, Salisbury, Maryland, and the Eastern Shore. All have impacted his life and led him to become the lyricist and flow-bending artist known globally as, C-Mack.
His craft is unique, holding a particular introspective view that creates portraits of his life through his wordplay and dynamic sound. Ever evolving and growing, he has added a new talent to his music that gives fans a glimpse of his versatility as an RnB artist.
All in all, his music is relatable and influences his fans, just as peers like his day one brother, friend, and favorite artist, Slimeyy Tana, has impacted him.
C-Mack’s hard work and talent have helped him achieve milestones like surpassing 100K streams on his project, “Lightning in a Bottle,” but that is only one of his accomplishments.
More than an artist, C-Mack is an activist in his own right. He is part of the collective responsible for a non-profit organization, The Mizzlehouse Foundation, which dedicates itself to spreading culture to the Eastern Shore and beyond.
Through The Mizzlehouse Foundation, C-Mack has raised over $250,000 to benefit his community and hosts events like his staple festival, MizzleFest, which is projecting an attendance of 3000 plus patrons in its 3rd year.
While helping uplift and better the lives of others, C-Mack has still been hard at work recording his new album, Rose Colored Lens, which is in stores and streaming on all platforms.
The project takes on many forms, giving fans a taste of our “Rose Colored” optimism before removing the “glasses” and revealing the dark unfiltered reality of life at its core.
Show some love and support for the genius that is C-Mack, and stream his new album to connect with the troubled yet talented artist.
MSNBC’s Ari Melber analyzed Jay-Z’s “God Did” verse to examine America’s war on drugs.
Ari Melber’s special report featured a clip of Mike Wallace interviewing Louis Farrakhan on 60 Minutes in 1996. The interview is referenced by Jay-Z on “God Did.”
“[Louis Farrakhan] dispatched the contradiction between America’s reality and perhaps her selective vision of herself,” Ari Melber noted.
Ari Melber then explored how Jay-Z’s verse encapsulated America’s failed drug war. The Beat anchor highlighted several portions of Hov’s lyrics, exploring everything from the legalization of marijuana to Roc Nation’s Emory Jones serving 10 years for drug dealing.
“Those lines quickly go from prohibition to a war on street drugs associated with minorities … to fentanyl, a huge driver of drug problems and deaths, which politicians do not treat criminally the same way they attack the drugs that Jay or others once sold,” Ari Melber said. “I can tell you corporations have made over $10 billion selling addictive painkillers legally, so that’s a contrast.”
Ari Melber concluded his breakdown with a callback to the Louis Farrakhan interview. He mentioned a straightforward reading of Jay-Z’s bars before pointing out his interpretation regarding the hypocrisy of the war on drugs.
“Decades in, this billionaire entrepreneur with proven success – measurable success – in music, media, sports, business, law and politics still finds he must explain basic facts about American corruption and racism to elite and white society,” the MSBNC host said. “And many leaders and people still don’t see or refuse to face it. That kind of entitled ignorance, which can cause real damage to real people’s lives, well that might raise your ire. It might get your passion talking.”
Watch Ari Melber’s full segment about Jay-Z’s “God Did” verse below.
Gap has drawn the ire of Kanye West, much like Adidas did earlier this year.
Kanye West publicly called out Gap, voicing concerns about his partnership with the retailer on Instagram. ‘Ye initially took issue with the company excluding him from a meeting about their Yeezy Gap collaboration.
“Gap held a meeting about me without me?” he wrote on Tuesday (August 30).
Kanye West continued to scold Gap via social media on Wednesday (August 31). He shared a screenshot of a text message, which claimed the company copied his Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga design. He also said Gap canceled a photoshoot involving his children.
“But they canceled the photo shoot with my kids in Japan without me knowing,” he wrote on Instagram.
Kanye West’s issues with Gap emerged a few weeks after he blasted Adidas over the brand’s Yeezy Day sale. He accused Adidas of moving forward with the idea without his approval, among other grievances.
“Even though [Adidas] did a Balenciaga collaboration they completely slowed down production on the shoes me and Demna developed for Gap by trying to bully Gap even though my contract states I can do casual shoes which I was doing when I did fashion shows,” ‘Ye wrote earlier this month. “When I originally ordered adidas to make more Yeezy slides the GM lied to my face and said they didn’t have the capacity meanwhile adidas was copying my slides and making their own version of the Yeezy slide Yeezy is 68% of adidas on line sales God step in.”
Read more about Kanye West’s problems with Adidas here.
Sharon Stone has revealed the cosmetic procedures she needed to help restore her face after the stroke she suffered in 2001.
The “Casino” star spoke to Vogue Arabia for an interview published on Tuesday about her experience with cosmetic procedures, including Botox and fillers.
“There were periods in the super fame when I got Botox and filler and stuff,” she began. “And then I had this massive stroke and a nine-day brain hemorrhage, and I had to have over 300 shots of Botox and filler to make the one side of my face come up again.”
The actress suffered a near-fatal stroke in 2001 at the age of 43.
Sharon, 64, continued that before her stroke, cosmetic surgery seemed like a “cute luxury,” whereas afterward, it was “some kind of massive, painful neurological need,” so she stopped using it for aesthetic purposes.
She also revealed that a younger man she was once dating dumped her for her refusal to get any more Botox.
Judgemental Records dropped some fire with the new song “Goodfellas” with sonics crafted by in-house producer Lino3X, taken from the upcoming release “A Goodfella’s Cadence.”
The label recently teamed with Grammy-winning producer Tone the Beat Bully for another new joint collaboration, which will drop soon. Tone and Judgemental’s critically acclaimed collaboration “NOGK” is now streaming on all platforms.
Take a listen to “Goodfellas” on Soundcloud below.
Kesha’s lawyers have accused Dr. Luke of “obstructing her efforts” at holding their defamation trial on time.
The TikTok singer’s legal team submitted a filing to a New York judge, claiming producer Dr. Luke, real name Lukasz Gottwald, was stalling proceedings.
The two are scheduled to go to trial on February 20th to settle a defamation suit that the producer filed against Kesha in 2014.
His suit claimed Kesha’s allegations were constructed to extort a better contract from him.
In Kesha’s legal team’s Tuesday filing on the suit, her lawyer Leah Godesky wrote: “Kesha has an overwhelming interest in having the trial proceed as scheduled on February 20th, 2023, not only so that she can seek vindication but also so that she can get this ordeal behind her and move on with her life.
“Kesha has accordingly done everything in her power to try to ensure that trial will begin as scheduled, including by seeking to expedite proceedings in the Court of Appeals. Dr. Luke has obstructed her efforts at every turn.”
Kesha’s legal team has two appeals pending to be resolved. Dr. Luke’s lawyers have stated that he is “ready and willing to proceed with the trial” with the appeals still pending, but Kesha’s team warned in their new filing that the decision may result in a re-trial.
British singer-songwriterStrategy KI is best known for his popular song ‘Slowly Drifting’. He has achieved significant success onSpotify, where he has amassed a committed and steady fan base in more than 72 nations.
As his name suggests,Strategy KI is the person with the plan to introduce the UK rap culture to the rest of the world. Recently, he has been successful in doing so, even catching the attention of devoted hip-hop heavy hitters likeT-Pain,50 Cent and others.
His music is a combination of various musical styles, including dancehall, contemporary trap, and the well-known sound of UK grime. It is reasonable to assume that Strategy KI is an artist who has everyone’s attention after returning to his roots and composing music that fuses musical genres.
After the success of his summer EP release ‘Eye For An Eye, Tooth For A Tooth’, Strategy KI and the ESC team are now preparing for the launch of his new single ‘Tell Me’ which is scheduled for release on the 9th Sep 2022.
This time, he approached it in a very different way from how we are used to seeing him, which is only one example of his dynamism and variety. With the remixed version of ‘With the Weather‘, he adds distinctive UK grime to the melody that is imbued with UK garage. This upbeat song will unquestionably make your summer in the most alluring ways.
Here atallhiphop.com we had the chance to get an exclusive interview with Strategy KI in this Q&A. Please read below.
How did your name come about?
“Well, you need a strategy to survive in this game called life. I had to find mine early and implement it into my everyday life. As for the KI, I guess I was born with a Killer Instinct, we all were, it’s the fight or flight that keeps us alive”.
Who is your biggest inspiration for music?
“Boy, that’s a hard question as I get inspired from so many but if I was to break it down to one it would have to be 2 Pac. He was the first rapper I listen to, some of my earliest memories in life out of me and my older cousin listening to old-school 2 Pac cassette tapes. From then it’s been a wrap”.
How long have you been writing music?
“I started writing music when I was 16 years old. Before then I use to produce beats so I had an understanding of music and bar count, but it got to the point where I needed a rapper to jump on the riddim’s. I didn’t know any, so I did it myself”.
What would you say is your greatest strength as an artist?
“I’d say my greatest strength as an artist is the capability to wear all hats if necessary. I don’t rely on no-one, I get it done myself from the writing, recording, mixing, mastering, graphic designs, music videos, distribution, the lot!”.
The question that everyone is eager to know is, who is the man behind the music?
“I am Reuben ‘Strategy KI’ Kennedy. I am a Son, a Brother, a lover and sometime’s a fighter. I am just like you, but maybe a lil-weirder from time-to-time. I am misunderstood”.
How can people find your music?
“Boy you can find me on Instagram andTikTok @strategykiofficial on both. As for my music, you can find me on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, the lot, just search Strategy KI”.
Strategy KI was born Reuben Leighton Kennedy, in Southend-on-sea (Essex), on 5th November 1992. He was raised by his single mother and has never met his father due to him serving a life sentence for murder.
In 2016, Strategy KI made a reputation for himself in the business by over-saturating the internet with music. He consistently recorded and released new music because of his love for and understanding of music, which helped him develop a devoted following.
Strategy KI and the ESC team performed as the headlining act at theO2 academy in Islington back in April 2019. (London). This was the last time KI took to the stage but is eager to headline again in the near future.
He improved his poetic skills during the 2020 Lockdown (caused by COVID-19). He began to have an impact on the UK Drill music scene after shifting away from the “wave auto-tune” music he had previously been pushing since 2017.
With his songGet This, he secured a synchronization deal for the Netflix original movie The Beast (La Belva 2020). However, he told us that he is still yet to receive proper payment from the company and may be seeking legal advice if the dispute is not settled.
He made his initial appearance on Link Up TV in 2021 alongside Arno, an ESC member. Shine was the name of the music video. This video was taken down and is no longer accessible due to an ongoing police investigation.
He also released the videos forGhost (Link Up TV),ESC(Link Up TV),Ops Go (GRM Daily),Organic (P110), andH.M.B the same year (VEVO). That year, it was a strong sign that no matter what, this amazing musician is here to stay!
He collaborated with the top-charting rapper and singer T-Pain to releaseThat’s Just Tipsthis year. Simple Life (another ESC member) is featured in this song.
In terms of harmonic melodies, it is the ideal mix. Jumble Beats, a producer from the Netherlands, created ‘That’s Just Tips’ with elements taken from R&B, UK Drill, and Trap.
Strategy KI has recently invested in a new business opportunity by partnering up withIVXX Media and creating their own movie-production company ‘A Film By Immortal’. Who knows what know business adventures this young entrepreneur/musician will indulge in next?
Connect with Strategy Ki on social media for updates on new music, videos, and more;
The baby, whose name hasn’t been shared yet, is the former couple’s second child; they also have four-year-old daughter True.
“I know it’s cliché, but I love everything, even the hard parts,” she said of being a mother.
Continuing that her children “challenge me as a person,” Khloé said: “Being able to shape little people into really incredible big people is an honor and a gift… We have to take those roles seriously, especially in today’s day and age, with how much accessibility children have and the information they’re exposed to so young.
“It’s super scary, but I take my job very seriously. I love it so much.”
“The Kardashians” star also shared her gratitude that she can turn to her mother Kris Jenner and famous siblings for advice.
“I’m super lucky that we have each other because we ask each other for advice or information,” the 38-year-old told Elle. “We’re not girls that are haters or are envious of one another. We get inspired and motivated by each other’s success.
“Just watching my sisters and all of their hustle – and my mom, my brother, everyone – it’s definitely inspiring. I think you learn either from someone’s mistakes or how they succeeded so well.”
There is so much music that listeners tend to turn to the familiar. The villa vibes are what Goodvibevilla suggests instead of the familiar. Born and raised in NYC, he brings the ruggedness of the five boroughs to his music but moved to the west coast to find his sound. East coast influences meet west coast influences to create a beautiful concoction, similar to the pilgrimage Tupac Shakur took from Baltimore to Los Angeles. Styles make music, like ingredients, ½ shot of east coast, mixed with 2 ½ shots of the west coast, adding ½ shot of ATL poured over a melodic track, equaling Goodvibevilla.
Due to the proliferation of ‘so-called’ musicians everywhere, music is losing its appeal. Today’s rapid rise of musicians is one of the causes of the decline in music quality. Due to the saturation of the music industry, there are better musicians who are not able to shine. It is also possible that music sounds too similar. The unique sounds of Goodvibevilla are causing listeners to ask, “Who’s that?”
Recently, he released an EP that has swept music lovers, particularly those who love golden-age hip hop, off their feet. Villa’s three-track EP, consisting of “Grippin,” “Let it Go,” and “Girls,” has generated so much hype that a second part has been planned.
Villa hopes to share the comfort and solace he finds in music with the world. Despite knowing the journey would be challenging, Luis had faith that he would succeed. As he worked, he spent some time freestyling, something he found fascinating. He ended the day on a high note.
As an entrepreneur and investor with two music production companies, GoodVibeMusic and Deaf Star Studios, Luis is proving that with a strong will, anything is possible. The potential of Villa has been demonstrated since he was a teenager, freestyling and releasing his EP. This EP is indeed promising and a testament to the mysterious ways in which life works. Every person finds his or her true calling in life in some way. Luis not only achieved his lifelong dream of establishing a successful life but also made music his career.
Villa, also known as Luis, is about to ignite the music industry and prove that chasing one’s passion and achieving one’s dreams is never too late.
HunnitBands is known to many as a rapper, and to some as a record label executive; but there’s far more to him than just music. HunnitBands is a “jeweler and trap rapper” all-in-one. He has been dedicating some of his recent focus to his music, but it’s essential to touch upon who he is without the music.
There’s a lot more to know about the man that is Mo Mahir, or HunnitBands as the music world knows him. Half of his identity in the world of music belongs to his own creations and flows, but his impact travels beyond his voice into a microphone. Hunnits is the CEO of Bagdad the Label, his music label that he intends to sign more talent to in the future. Additionally, HunnitBands is the owner of Water Brothers, a luxury diamond and gold custom jeweler.
Hunnits also cites himself as a cannabis connoisseur, rounding out the holy trinity of hip-hop; tracks, diamonds, and inhalable vitamins. Mahir has made a life for himself by pursuing his passions and using one hand to wash the other, tying his jewelry network with his musical network.
Next up for this strong business-minded artist is his project titled “Exotic Strangers”. HunnitBands future looks bright, be on the lookout for more vibes from this executive rapper and follow him on Instagram, Spotify, or Bagdad the Label on YouTube!
The Bay Area is home to a ton of greats… and Lil Blood is here to become one of them. Born and raised in Oakland, the West Coast rapper prides himself in his lyricism, spitting nothing but truth with each release. Inspired directly by the environment that raised him, the rising star has been steadily building a core fanbase independently — and even started his own podcast interviewing all the legends from the Bay and beyond.
In describing himself, he states, “I’ma keep it real, I’m like the reincarnated Huey P. Newton or Fred Hampton. I’m a West Oakland advocate. I believe in peace. I preach peace, I practice peace. I definitely pray for world peace. I believe everybody should get along. I hate racism, that s### gets me sick to my stomach. And I believe that s### starts in the home first. That’s Lil Blood, I’m a cool dude.”
Lil Blood first exploded onto the scene with his viral smash “Free Boski” (feat. Lil Goofy) in 2012, which recently received a resurgence on TikTok. In 2015, Lil Blood spearheaded the West Coast supergroup One Mob alongside Mozzy, Lil AJ, Joe Blow and Philthy Rich, reminding folks exactly how impactful the Bay Area rap scene has on the industry.
Fast forward to today, Lil Blood unveils his highly-anticipated new album titled The Book of Dawa. The title itself means “medicine” in Swahili, which is exactly the type of energy he’s delivering to all those who listen. Clocking in at 14 tracks, the new project features standout features from Kamaiyah, Peezy, Haiti Babii, and more.
AllHipHop: What does Oakland mean to you?
Lil Blood: For me, it’s a different Oakland now. It’s new Oakland now and the new Oakland ain’t safe at all. Me growing up, Oakland was hella fun. Being out all night playing football and doorbell ditching. I remember we used to eat sour grass. I remember picking fruits from the fruit trees, you barely even see fruit trees now. Just the fun part of Oakland. When I got a little older, going to the sideshows. How the sideshows used to be hella fun, lit and peaceful. But now everybody’s shooting everybody, which is not cool at all.
AllHipHop: When’d you fall in love with music?
Lil Blood: Honestly, I was fresh out of YA. For those who don’t know, YA is California Youth Authority. It’s a youth prison, I was fresh out of YA. I was in the car one day with Shady Nate, this was when they first started the Livewire thing. I was rapping and Shady Nate took me to the studio. When he took me to the studio, I had made a song. He played the song for J. Stalin.
AllHipHop: Shout out J. Stalin!
Lil Blood: Yeah, shout out J. Stalin. He used to always come through telling me “Blood, come to the studio. Come to the studio.” One day, I jumped in the car with him and I went to Richmond. At this time, DJ Fresh lived in Richmond. I didn’t even know who he was. They were recording their Real World West Oakland album and I had jumped on the song. When I had jumped on the song, I had did a violation, went back to YA. When I got out, the song was big. “Lil Blood! Lil Blood!” Everybody was feeling me.
AllHipHop: How did you get the name, Lil Blood?
Lil Blood: My partna DuDirt started calling me that, one of the big bros from the hood. He started calling me Lil Blood and it just stuck. I’m not a Blood or a Crip, we don’t gangbang in West Oakland.
AllHipHop: I didn’t know Mozzy was in a group with you, One Mob?
Lil Blood: It was funny because we was just f###### with it at first. It wasn’t nothing was planned, we was f###### with it. Shout out Regime, really Regime started calling that s### One Mob first. We all used to be in LA a lot. We used to go to Slauson and put all our s### on shirts: Lash Money, 3rd World, Mozzy, FOD, Blow Money, Cookie Money. We used to put all that s### on shirts, then put One Mob. Regime was pushing it heavy, and it stuck. We started the group. It wasn’t nothing planned. We were all pushing our own s###, we were all bossing up our own s###, and that’ssomething we f##### with.
AllHipHop: How was it seeing Mozzy blow up?
Lil Blood: That was dope and I’m clapping for him. I’m still rooting for him. Free Mozzy. It was dope to see that, to be a part of that. I’ll always salute to him because no matter what, he’s always giving me my flowers. Whatever it is he can do to help, he does that. Even when it’s against the label, he don’t give a f###. He does it for me. That’s a friend, he’s a real friend.
AllHipHop: You just released The Book of Dawa, how are you feeling?
Lil Blood: Yes ma’am, that s### go crazy. I’m planning on releasing a deluxe too. I’m big on the Swahili lingo. Dawa in Swahili means medicine, but in the hood they say Dawa like it’s heroin. Dawa means the book of the mix. If you listen to The Book of Dawa, you gon’ learn all types of s###. That’s real West Oakland-ism on that whole album. It’s that sauciness, that s### that makes west Oakland West Oakland. I’m a product of West Oakland. In everything that I do, I’m always saluting West Oakland.
AllHipHop: Can you talk about the cover art?
Lil Blood: The picture I took for the cover art, we couldn’t use because they damn near was going to delete my Instagram for it. [laughs] The initial art had me at a table with a bunch of balloons and heroin, so we had to improvise.
AllHipHop: You got my girl Kamaiyah, Peezy. Talk about the dope features on the album.
Lil Blood: Shout out Kamaiyah. You know what’s crazy? A lot of people get Kamaiyah confused, but Kamaiyah’s so peaceful. She’s so much a dope beautiful soul. Marcus Peters, shout out to Juiceman. He plays football for the Ravens, but he’s from West Oakland. I ran into her at an event he threw, on a rooftop in downtown Oakland. I’m like “wassup, stop acting like a rapper. Let’s win.” She said “n*gga, I’ve been ready to work! Wassup, send me something.” So I sent her a record and she sent it right back. It was fire, definitely. Shout out to Kamaiyah.
AllHipHop: What about Peezy?
Lil Blood: Another one, sent Peezy right over the record. Me and Peezy have a good relationship, I’ve been to Detroit and f##### with Peezy. I was one of the first Bay Area cats locking in with them. I sent him the record, he sent it right back. It wasn’t no b####### or anything, just genuine.
AllHipHop: What do you want fans to take away from the project?
Lil Blood: I don’t know how to answer questions like that. I want them to listen to it and take whatever they get from it. If they’re stressing, I want it to be a stress reliever. If they’re happy, I want them to be in an even more happier mode after they listen to it. I want them to take away whatever it is they need to take away from it.
AllHipHop: How’s the independent grind?
Lil Blood: It’s a slow grind, but it’s good. I have a podcast going that’s really helping, it’s called Lil Blood TV. You work, if you want it. Whatever you want, you’ll make time for and that’s part of success. You just have to work. Some days, I don’t leave my podcast till about 3am or 4am in the morning, just working. This Sunday coming up, I have 10 interviews to do. I have my own compound. If you want that s###, you gotta work. That’s all.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio at all times?
Lil Blood: Fiji water, when it’s cold. Lil Goofy, because he motivates me. If I get stuck with something or say something, he’ll say “that’s weak. You can come way better than that.” Lil Goofy fills my soul with happiness, it’s good to have him around. We make our best music together. And good vibes.
AllHipHop: What’re you most excited for next?
Lil Blood: I’ma drop the deluxe to The Book of Dawa, shout to Olivia over at EMPIRE because she’s been helping me a lot. I salute her. She’s a very interesting young lady and she’s really about her business. She’s been keeping me on my s###, calling me at 2am or 3am making sure I get certain s### done. She goes over and beyond for me. She’s great at what she does.
AllHipHop: Anything the people need to know about you?
Lil Blood: I’m not f###### rich. Y’all stop thinking I’m rich and I got all this money. [laughs] Mannn, stop thinking I’m rich.
AllHipHop: Why do you think people think you’re rich?
Lil Blood: I don’t know, I don’t have any money. I don’t flex, I don’t do none of that. People be DMing me asking for money, I think they be trying to run scams. “My kids need school clothes, this that the third.” Okay, meet me at the mall, bring your kids, and I’ll look out for them. “Oh no, you can just send the Cashapp.” What the f###? “Can you pay my light bill, can you pay my phone bill?” What the f###?! My DMs be poppin’ bro. People be crazy.
AllHipHop: Do you respond to them? Or you just see them?
Lil Blood: I respond to the messages that’s worth a response. I’m not hella bougie. I’m definitely all the way into it, my fans and people in general. I’m a people person, I love human beings. The path that I’m on right now, I’m trying to change the narrative. If you’re not a part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. For a long time, I was part of the problem. Now, I’m trying to change the narrative. I’m trying to do s### differently.
Yes it’s hard, because people still expect me to be the Lil Blood I was 10 years ago. I’m not him anymore. I done had a son, my life has changed. I’m not on that. It’s hard because people expect you to be a fool all your life. What’s crazy, it’s more of the inner circle. It’s more the people you look up to or the people you have these high hopes for. It’s always them people putting blades in your back. It’s crazy but at the end of the day, I’m working through it. I’m coming out swinging, my head is held high.
AllHipHop: How old is your kid now?
Lil Blood: My son is 7.
AllHipHop: How did fatherhood change your life?
Lil Blood: S###, everything. It changed a lot. I don’t think for myself anymore, I used to stay out all night. I used to be gone. I’ll leave and be gone for 2 to 3 weeks, just on the go. Hustling. But now if I’m gone for a day or 2, I be missing the f### out my son. It’s crazy. Plus, children amaze you. Children humble you, just watching him grow up is everything. I don’t want to miss nothing.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let us know?
Lil Blood: A lot of good s### happening for me, I’m definitely moving and working. God has me in his favor lately. I’ve been going to church a lot lately. A lot of people get it confused: I’m not going for the religion, I’m going for the word. I don’t care if I walk into a Buddhist temple, if it’s a good word it’s a good word. It’s good for the soul, so I’ma take the game and run with it. I’ve been going to church lately, just get the good word. Just to put some assurance over me.