“To be black and conscious in America is to be in a constant state of rage.” – James Baldwin
Memorial Day holds a significant place in the history of Black America, just like many other aspects of this country. While it is common for people across the United States to enjoy a long weekend or take a day off on Memorial Day, it is important to recognize that its origins can be traced back to the actions of Black American freedmen in Charleston, SC. Regardless of how many places claim it or attempt to alter its history, it was our community that demonstrated kindness and initiated the traditions now celebrated by all.
We can relax, enjoy our time off, and have a cookout with our families if we choose to do so. Great. Simultaneously, it is imperative that we pass along our history to those who may be unaware. It is important for us to be knowledgeable about our history and hold accountable any individuals, especially the ones trying to eliminate our history from classrooms and curriculum. Silence is not an option.
Memorial Day as originally known as Decoration Day. The day has a complex history intertwined with the experiences of African American soldiers. The contributions and sacrifices made by African American soldiers throughout American history has never truly been appreciated and, going a step farther, their specific role in the origins of Memorial Day is even less prominent.
The tradition of commemorating fallen soldiers dates back to the aftermath of the Civil War, which took place from 1861 to 1865. Thousands of soldiers lost their lives during this internal conflict, and communities across the United States began organizing ceremonies to honor the fallen and decorate their graves.
One significant event often cited as a precursor to modern Memorial Day took place in Charleston, South Carolina. In 1865, at the close of the Civil War, a group of newly freed African Americans organized a commemoration for Union soldiers who had died while imprisoned in a Confederate camp. They cleaned up a burial ground, built a fence, and held a ceremony to honor the fallen soldiers, which included singing hymns, placing flowers, and delivering speeches. This event became known as the “First Decoration Day.” It is considered to be the first meaningful expression of gratitude, respect and remembrance of African American. Period.
“When it rained, it poured, this ain’t a game it’s war / One goal, one aim son, same as yours.” – Canibus on “Draft Me.”
Three years later, Memorial Day became a national holiday. General John A. Logan, a Union veteran known widely as the founder of Memorial Day, proclaimed May 30 as Decoration Day. His goal was to designate a day for average citizens to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers, regardless of their specific affiliation – and race – during the Civil War. In the early years, Decoration Day primarily focused on honoring Union soldiers, and Confederate Memorial Day was a completely separate observance held only in southern states. Eventually, the holiday evolved to honor all American military personnel who died in service to their country.
But it all started with men that freed themselves and served this country with honor, despite the horrors of both war and racism. People like Ron DeSantis want to minimize knowledge of history and proclaim war on “wokeness.” (Mind you “stay woke” is a colloquialism hijacked and re-packaged for evil by folks like DeSantis.) Like it or not, African American soldiers played an invaluable role in maintaining so-called freedom here in the states. This included the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War and other conflicts. We – our fathers, sons, daughters and others – continue to contribute to the defense of the United States despite facing racial discrimination and segregation within the military. There is a straight line from the specific connection between African American soldiers and the origins of Memorial Day. The key difference is lies primarily in the broader context of their military service and sacrifice, rather than in the establishment of the holiday itself.
“To be woke is to be black.” – Georgia Anne Muldrow
People hate! They want to see your situation destroyed! Megan Thee Stallion and her man Pardison Fontaine have not announced their ending yet. Nevertheless, here we are! People are celebrating the demise of Pardi and Megan. Are they premature in their assessment? Is their hate overwhelming their reason? OR is there real reason for concern? I get a google alert, “Megan Thee Stallion and soccer player Romelu lukaku spotted at a wedding.” So, let’s look into this.
First of all…the facts!
Romelu Lukaku is a soccer star – a striker for Inter Milan in the Serie A. Lukaku’s international career is equally impressive. He represented Belgium in the FIFA 2018 World Cup, where the team achieved a commendable third-place finish. Additionally, his performances in the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament earned him a spot in the Team of the Tournament. Lukaku also emerged as the top scorer in the 2020/2021 UEFA Nations League. To date, he has amassed over 100 appearances for the Belgian national team. As you can see, he is elite. He is also in the roster of Roc Nation Sports.
Megan Thee Stallion is also a Roc Star. No need to run down her stuff, because we know most of it. However, as it relates to Pardi, we know that the road has been a bit rocky. There were rumors that Megan beat on Pardi in a drunken stupor. He denied those rumors. That did not stop the rumors. Then they stopped following each other on social media. Personally, I thought that was just management of their relationship. It might be a thing. Anyway, here we are.
Here is a pic of The Meg and Romelu at said wedding.
📸| Romelu Lukaku and Megan Thee Stallion we're spotted together at Lautaro Martínez's wedding 👀 pic.twitter.com/crWbMwj27c
Who started this? Well, it has gotten millions of views from inquiring minds.
So, the way this is position, it looks like a grainy scandalous image. In reality, it is a screen shot of a shot within a video. Nevertheless, they are having a moment. What do you think?
Kim Kardashian has opened up about her love life following her split from Pete Davidson.
During an appearance on the podcast “On Purpose with Jay Shetty,” the SKIMS founder admitted that she wasn’t opposed to finding love again nine months after breaking up with the “Saturday Night Live” star.
“I’ll always be a hopeless romantic and always want to be in love and definitely love sharing my life with someone and love creating a life with someone,” Kim told host Jay Shetty. “I definitely will take my time.”
She added, “If I can look at everything I did wrong and try to not make the same mistakes and really take my time. I think it just has to be different for me. It’s obviously such a hard place to be in because… how do you go about it?”
The entrepreneur and television personality has been single since breaking up with Pete in August 2022.
Their relationship lasted nine months, as they first became romantically linked in November 2021.
Kim explained in her interview that “there’s so many factors” she considers in choosing a partner and explained that she has to be “mindful of people that enter (her) life” as a mother.
The reality star shares four children with ex-husband Kanye West: nine-year-old North, seven-year-old Saint, five-year-old Chicago, and four-year-old Psalm.
“I’ll always believe in love and always want that,” Kim continued on the podcast. “I think that’s such a magical part of life. But I think I’m so comfortable taking my time to not rush it.”
She shared, “There’s so much going on that I’m not lonely. I think that’s really important. I believe, I always believe. I think that whatever’s meant to be will be.”
Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s son Weather Park, an up-and-coming drill rapper, discussed his relationship with RZA in an interview with AllHipHop.
Weather Park referred to RZA as his mentor. ODB’s son praised RZA, explaining how the Wu-Tang Clan member’s guidance helped the drill artist’s mental health.
“I would call RZA and just ask him questions about anything like meditation, thinking, breathing skills, just things to keep the mental health in order,” Weather Park told AllHipHop. “As we both know, I lost my dad. So without my dad, I would say that I had to figure out a lot of things on my own. But having a great mind like RZA just available to speak to me is super [helpful] to my life. Just keeping my head on the swivel, even though I was maybe facing things that an average person from New York City is facing.”
Weather Park appreciated RZA looking out for him after ODB passed away in 2004. The drill artist said the two had a “healthy relationship” before he ever pursued music.
“I applaud him for even being in my life, even if it was at its littlest degree,” he explained. “I applaud him for it because the time that he took just to talk to me was enough to let me go back and read a book, you know what I mean? And not just because I’m around the Abbot. It’s more about I have to continuously be teaching myself something. So I don’t know, I guess that’s the perfect way to word it. Yeah, just very impactful. I would say his relationship in my life is very impactful.”
Check out AllHipHop’s interview with Weather Park below.
Katy Perry has invited Lizzo to be a judge on “American Idol.”
In a recent interview for Buzzfeed “Celeb’s Puppy Interview” segment, the “Dark Horse” singer was asked what the most challenging part of being an American Idol judge was.
“Probably being a woman and having a strong opinion,” the 38-year-old pop star replied, before adding, “I also think that what’s really challenging is only one person wins this contest. I would say that the top 20 are all superstars and I would never want to sing after them because they can sing better than all of us.”
Katy, who has been a judge on “American Idol” alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie since Season 16, then revealed her solution to being the only woman on the show would be to invite more women onto the panel.
“I’d like Lizzo to come and join ‘American Idol.’ This is an invitation from me, Katy Perry,” the “Roar” singer pronounced.
“Lizzo, I’m asking you to join the panel. I’m feeling a little outnumbered on the testosterone. I could really use some bold, honest, hot takes.”
The reality competition series recently wrapped up its 21st season, with the finale airing on Sunday, (May 21).
Amy Luciani is a whole vibe, and she’s here to leave her mark on the rap game. Hailing from Detroit but now residing in Atlanta, Amy prides herself in her strong, authentic sound while writing her own bars. Her tone is real and raw, and her lyrics are inspired by real-life experiences she’s lived through — which is what differentiates her from other female artists.
When asked to describe herself, Amy states she’s “as a girl who walks to her own beats. I love waking up me. I love learning, I don’t want to try to be anybody else. I try to find what I like, what entertains me, what I love to do. I try to work hard, stay in my own lane. I’m focused on my s###.
Most recently, Amy Luciani unveiled the official music video for “Bag Lady,” featuring Bigga Rankin. Completely freestyled off the dome, “Bag Lady” is a female empowerment record to go out there and get in your bag, putting in the work and hustling to get to where you want to be.
To date, Amy’s gotten some big cosigns from Rick Ross, JT from the CityGirls, Latto, and more. Additionally, Amy Luciani will be joining the cast of MTV’s reboot of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, which airs on June 13th.
AllHipHop spoke with Amy Luciani in downtown Los Angeles to discuss her roots in Detroit, being part of a girl group with her sisters, her name, shooting “Bag Lady,” secret to abs, doing Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, her charity Covered Atlanta, writing her own children’s book, new EP Amy’s World, and more!
AllHipHop: How important is it to write your own bars?
Amy Luciani: It’s very important to write your own bars. No shade, I know a lot of people aren’t doing that right. lt’s the norm now. Being an artist and being able to be prideful in saying what you really feel, it comes off better on the track. Versus reading somebody’s lyrics and having to memorize it, “no say it in this tone.” It can work, but it’s so much of a better sound when you can tell she meant that. She said it, she probably wrote that s###. If you’re a real music artist or a person who listens to music, you can start differentiating who’s getting written for and who’s saying it passionately. It’s very important I continue to write my music, so I can let the girls know: this is how I feel. This is really my emotions. It brings people more personal to the music.
AllHipHop: You’re from Detroit originally, how was that growing up?
Amy Luciani: Detroit was definitely a city where you grow up fast. You learn quick, we definitely jumped off the porch probably much faster than we should have. But it’s a city you’re gonna learn how to hustle. You gon’ know how to work out there. You either gon’ drown out there, or you gon’ stay afloat. It’s not really you’re rich or poor, most of us are right in the middle of trying to be successful. It’s definitely a city where you watch a lot of women hustle and try to grind, try to get out of the lower community areas — which most of Detroit is. It’s a city where you’re going to learn to get some tough skin.
AllHipHop: More than ever, Detroit has the biggest Hip Hop wave. Are you influenced by any of those artists?
Amy Luciani: I won’t say I’m influenced by any of the artists in Detroit, but I’m influenced by anybody that’s hustling. I don’t really want my sound to be particularly “oh, that’s a Detroit artist.” I want it to be universal, I want everybody to rock with me. Sometimes, Detroit artists are really talented, but they categorize us as “that’s the Detroit artist.” I notice with a lot of the sounds coming out, our accents are so heavy, and our delivery and the type of beats we rap on, that most Detroit artists get stuck on being like “play that Detroit sound. I like that Detroit sound.” I don’t want to just be a Detroit artist, I want a sound. I incorporate the finesse of being from the city, but I don’t want people to identify me and group me into that.
AllHipHop: When did you realize you could do music for a living?
Amy Luciani: I’ve been doing music on and off since I was a kid. My three sisters and I had a singing group called Entrance when we were kids. We used to tour, we used to open up for Bow Wow, B2K. We were on TV shows. We all sung and rap so at one point, we were the little girls in Detroit rapping. We got a buzz going. I’ve always known I’d do music, but more recently I realized I should focus on it more and make it into a career. It’s always been a hobby and something I was good at, so I had the energy like girl, you can always come back to this. This is what you do naturally. But as of recently, I’m like no, you need to make this into a career and really focus. Recently, we’ve been going hard with it.
AllHipHop: Before that, what was your main focus?
Amy Luciani: My business, building my brand. I was doing a lot of things to get the name and the voice out. A lot of brand partnerships, writing for others. Doing studio mixes, mingling, because I was writing at one point for different artists. Coming in and out to write for different companies and labels. Even while I was doing that, I’m thinking girl, I got a whole idea. I’m trying to get this deal, y’all think I’m in here just to write. I’m in here to network with y’all. I’ve definitely been working for a long time, trying to pull this off.
AllHipHop: What’s the inspiration behind your name?
Amy Luciani: Funny thing is, my real name is Amber Rose. That’s my government name. Technically no shade, I’m the real Amber Rose. The Amber Rose name isn’t Amber Rose, I’m really Amber Rose. I always went by my government name. Of course when Amber Rose emerged on the scene, I remember someone’s like, “oh I see you’re at this big club in Atlanta this weekend.” This is the third call I’ve gotten about that, no I’m not. What’s going on? They’re like, “It’s all over the radio, Amber Rose.” Who the f### is Amber Rose? Of course naturally, I go to Google. Who is this?
After a while, trying to pursue the music, I’m tired of running into conflict of interest. Which Amber Rose are you? Did you get your name from her? Did she get it from you? You know what, the fake name I give to guys in the clubs has always been Amy. My sisters know. If I say Amy, they know this is not a guy I’m interested in. Eventually I told my team, I think I’ma come up with an artist name because this Amber Rose thing is starting to be such a clash on what I’m trying to do. They’re like, “b#### that’s your name. Keep it, fight over it.” Ehhh. I was listening for a while, but Amy was my fake name in the club. Luciani just sounded gangsta. I just put the two together, Amy Luciani.
AllHipHop: You just dropped “Bag Lady,” best memory from the music video?
Amy Luciani: I’m not gonna lie, just seeing everybody. Me not being from Atlanta, when I moved to Atlanta, I moved to an area that wasn’t so good at first called Clayton County. I was there eight years in a row when I first moved down, so I really did a lot of work out there. I did all the open mics. I’ve won competitions, I’ve lost competitions. I’ve really done the independent artist thing in Clayton County. This is my first video I’m about to really go big with, I gotta go back to the stomping grounds of the city that stood behind me when I left Detroit.
What was important about that is to look up, it was so many promoters, DJs, big, small, in the middle that I hadn’t seen in 10 years. To see them showing up when the career is a little higher up then what they last saw me, everybody was congratulating me. “We’ve been watching from afar. We haven’t seen you in a while, but b#### look.” That was the best part, to see everybody happy. “B#### you working, we were not missing this.” I seen a guy who used to really put me on a lot of stages, I hadn’t seen him in about 10/11 years. He said “I was not missing this. I’m so f###### proud of you.” I felt real good. I could see a little growth. Sometimes when you’re doing it, you don’t really see the growth or feel it, because you’re really in it. But that showed me like damn, I really have been in Atlanta for a while. Look at all these old faces and new faces. It felt good.
AllHipHop: What brought you to Atlanta? The music?
Amy Luciani: The music, yup. Shout out to DJ Scream. I was always doing my music. Even the year I moved to Atlanta, DJ Scream reached out to me. “You’re dope. I think you should give Atlanta a try. Even if you come up here, work. Detroit is cool, but I’m a DJ.” He was one of the biggest at the time. He’s like, “Detroit has a cap for y’all female artists. You’re gonna get here, what else is in Detroit? There’s not too many media outlets, not too many stages to perform. It’s Detroit.” I came out for one weekend, I’m like yeah moving to Atlanta next year. I end up coming in nine months after that.
AllHipHop: I was watching your video, sis has abs. Secret to staying snatched?
Amy Luciani: You gotta workout, because I am not a healthy eater. Literally, I’m not a full body workout person. I’m not a fake person, I can’t say I diet. I don’t.
AllHipHop: Are you just blessed? Because some people are blessed.
Amy Luciani: Half of it is blessed, but I have lost the blessed body before. Eating, coming onto a little money like oh b####, I can eat steak and lobster every day. I definitely had to come back down. I’m not a gym head, I can’t dedicate myself to a gym. But I mentally wake up and I immediately get down. I’m crunching, because I know I’m not doing it for the rest of the day. You start doing it, you can almost form ab definition. Girl, do it every day. Try to do 50 of them every single day, you’ll be like “is this abs coming?” Imagine six months later. If you eat b####### like me, you gotta balance it. I got the body where you can see me, I could be slim and fine. In six months, I could be another size bigger. I gotta get down and do my crunches.
AllHipHop: Definitely want to talk about Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta! Congratulations. What’s been the highlight so far?
Amy Luciani: Thank you. I’m just appreciative to be able to be on such a big platform, to showcase the music. This is the third time the show has reached out for me. I accepted this one because the first two times weren’t going to be around the music, it was around nonsense. People from the past that I’ve dated in the industry, b#######.
AllHipHop: Who you dated?!
Amy Luciani: Some people, some boys that ain’t worth mentioning. [laughs] But they wanted to dig into old stuff that was literally seven, eight years ago. I didn’t want that to be my story. I’m not coming on as “the talented artist who used to date someone so and so.” This year for them to come back and make it focused on music, the sound and everything my team and I are building, I felt like it was a perfect opportunity.
The best part about it is showcasing the music. They’ve been in the studio with me, they flew to Texas with me. They’re really focused on music. That’s been an entire goal for the last year to put all the energy into the music, so to take opportunity to get such viewership for all these people, I’m excited. It’s like a billboard for the music I’ve been working real hard on.
AllHipHop: I remember I had Amina Buddafly on my show. She said when Love & Hip Hop aired, she got 20K followers the first night. Do you expect your following to grow as it airs on June 13th?
Amy Luciani: We did the first press release two weeks ago, and I started seeing the insights go up. But I’m a social media person anyways, that’s where I started from. I already know once the show comes out, it’s gonna do its natural thing. The following will grow, which means more money. Because I don’t give a damn about them the numbers and following, I’m trying to make it make sense for business. Numbers gon’ bring the money, so I’m definitely excited.
AllHipHop: What was your first moment of social media success? Did you go viral?
Amy Luciani: I first went viral on The Shade Room, I did a freestyle. I honestly was in my old hood ass apartment. My hair was all over my head and somebody recorded me. I’m reading it off a paper, that’s what I used to write my verses. I’m reading it, going off. The first person who posted it was Avant, the singer. That was so odd. He’s like, “This is what they want to hear. Some real bars, who is she?”
The next thing I know, Worldstar posted. I woke up to The Shade Room posted it. I swear to God, overnight. I got 60K in one night. The next day, I went up another 40K. What the hell, how is this possible? Oh, so that’s what it takes. I started doing more freestyles. I ended up dating somebody, we were doing content. Really content was paying the bills for a long way. We gon’ use this network of viral situations and refocus it on the music.
AllHipHop: Were any labels calling?
Amy Luciani: I’ve had quite a few label meetings. It’s so tricky, because you can get the money amount you want — the money offers were never the issue for me. It was always the stipulations. I don’t believe in 360 deals. Because you signed me, you now get a percentage off my YouTube. Off my product Pritty Kitty, things I did before I ever met you guys.
Most labels are 360s this time around, but I’m not going for it. I know the right situation is gonna come, we gon’ see. I’ve worked so hard to get played in the end. Right now, I’ve had a lot of success and blessings without a label. If one is to come and I accept the offer, it gotta make sense. Because I’ve already figured out how to do it without a label.
AllHipHop: How is the independent grind?
Amy Luciani: I love it. I love to be able to run my own narrative. I’m cool with the labels, they control in a smart way because they put so much money behind. But you can lose the narration of who you are as an artist. If they say, “we want you to start dressing this way or become this person,” what do you say when you got $2 million in your face? Being independent and being able to be myself while still making the money, I might not make as much as the label. Again it’s given, because it’s not your money. We know you’re paying that s### back. I rather do it my way, keep the money and pay my team. But I always say if the right label presents itself and it makes sense, I definitely would entertain it.
AllHipHop: Talk about getting cosigns from Rick Ross, JT, and Latto. How did those happen?
Amy Luciani: That feels really good. I definitely want to shout out Ross, one of the first people who reshared a video. Two years ago, DMed me. I sent him some records. I did a sponsorship with Bel-Air and him behind it. We were supposed to be in a studio but whatever he got going on, it never happened. I’m not doing no begging, but it’s gonna happen right on time.
To see people like Latto and JT even comment on things I’ve done, it’s clarification: keep going. Keep working. I don’t really do it for the people who’ve already made it to notice me, but to get that appreciation when they’re already up there. They don’t have to look back right like “she’s fire. Let me go repost her.” I definitely appreciate it because it looks good to people. It lets you know, you’re not working in vain. They see you.
AllHipHop: Talk about your Covered Atlanta charity organization, that’s so dope.
Amy Luciani: Thank you. I started Covered Atlanta in 2017. It started off with giving covers, blankets, pillows, pillowcases to a lot of the less fortunate, the homeless people all around Atlanta. It’s a lot downtown. I was going somewhere and I saw it, I came to offer someone who was less fortunate. Whether it was food or money, I remember she said “I really need a blanket. A pillow.” Dang, I never thought about that. First thing I do is: here’s $5. Here’s $1, $10, whatever I have. She said “do you have a blanket in your trunk? Do you have a pillow?” Duh, they need blankets and pillows!
You know what? I’m about to start a charity. I went and started the charity, my mom helped me license it. My first Covered Atlanta, I had a little over 300 people show up that day. Everybody brought a gently used blanket, a cover, pillows. We walked the whole strip, everybody got a blanket. Imagine weeks driving by and you’re seeing them covered up. I felt better doing that versus giving them $5, where it could be misused. Could be mismanaged, but you can’t really mismanage a blanket. And we know you need it.
From there, we started doing toiletries with one of the big corporations downtown. I partnered with Helping Hand Foundation. We started doing contraceptives, condoms, all types of kits for different sexually transmitted diseases. A lot of stuff the homeless deal with. It grew, we started collecting sleeping bags. One year, I collected over a thousand sleeping bags. I focus on trying to keep them warm during the winter season. Of course, I want to do Covered Detroit. Maybe Covered California, with your help.
AllHipHop: Girl, you know Cali needs it!
Amy Luciani: Definitely, because we saw the tents. We gon’ grow it, we’ll make it a Covered foundation where we cover all the cities. That’s the ultimate goal.
AllHipHop: You wrote a children’s book?
Amy Luciani: I did. I’m an eight times aunt, seven girls one boy. I have a brother too, it’s five of us total. My brother has one little girl, I’m the only sibling with no kids. I wrote a children’s book called Good Touch, Bad Touch. I’m releasing it mid-July. It’s a healthier and more softer conversation for parents, or even an aunt or grandmother or father that are raising kids, about inappropriate touching. What makes it inappropriate, teaching them how to comfortably talk it.
They are young and they don’t know what uncle did that was inappropriate. Not only men always, what the aunt did, or the babysitter or stepbrotherdid.They don’t know because it’s a conversation that’s obviously uncomfortable. Obviously it’s age. How old are they before we talk about it? My mom was super hands-on, but she didn’t have too many conversations about inappropriate touching. I was inappropriately touched by an uncle. I got in high school and realized what he was doing. After I shared with my mom, she was only wondering why didn’t I tell her? At the time, I didn’t know. I got older, so inappropriate what he was doing! It could’ve been so worse, thank God it wasn’t. The little he was doing, I didn’t know. Is that bad? Is that inappropriate? Do I speak up and tell it?
As my nieces were getting older and started spending the night at people’s houses, their friends would come to my home. I had a fiance at one time who lived in the house, we had a house full of kids. I’d always look at the kids and ask little questions. I’ve noticed, they’re not being talked to about inappropriate touching. They wouldn’t even know that’s inappropriate, so I wrote the book. It’s really good for kids. It’s illustrated, bright pictures. Every ethnicity in the book: Chinese, black, Muslim, everybody. It’s really a conversation that needs to happen, especially in the black community. Because research shows we are the most sexually either offended or assaulted race. Not saying we have the worst s### happening to us as black people, but typically we have more single home parents in the black community. Even with my mom having five kids, single mom.
Mom is trying to get a babysitter, uncle might have to babysit. The neighbor might have to babysit, the stepdaughter. There’s a lot going on with African American households where the parents are out working and we have to depend on the community to help us, babysit us, assist in raising us. Not everybody’s going to be appropriate when children are left in their care. I wanted to write a book where parents can have that conversation. Almost possibly save a child or a life by at least letting them know if this happens, this is how you comfortably talk to me about it. Because it’s not that us as kids don’t want to tell you, sometimes it’s so embarrassing and awkward where we’re trying to figure out what was that? What was he doing? Did that just happen?
We don’t know how to talk about it. The book is a one on one conversation. It’s not a book I’d propose for a school reading. This is if you had a child and their turning of age: hey, let me sit down. Let me read this. Your child walks away, they’re gonna know these parts you don’t touch, unless your mommy and daddy saw. Definitely a book I’m excited to drop in, it’s gonna be real helpful to everybody.
AllHipHop: What are you excited for next?
Amy Luciani: Girl, I’m excited. I’m trying to get a #1 record. I’m focused on the music. I’ve been doing 15, 17 hour a week studio sessions. Really focused on putting together this EP I’m about to drop called Amy’s World. Trying to get the best songs on there, the best production, and really letting them know I’m here. The music is here. I know they know me from a lot of social media, a lot of viral this. A lot of supporting and writing for this person, but this season is about my music. I’m excited to bring them into Amy’s World.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let us know?
Amy Luciani: Just keep your eyes open. Amy Luciani is definitely coming. I’m definitely excited to bring back more lyrics to the industry. I want to bring back substance. I know some girls are doing it, some are not. I love for everybody who’s winning, but I definitely want to bridge back the pretty face with the bars. We might be going a little farther away from a story in music or a moment, a feeling, emotions in music, so I definitely want to bring back lyrics.
I hear a lot of people talking about the girls aren’t doing it. I’m silently waving my hand like, listen to me! I’m gonna keep making the voice louder so they can really see there is a girl out here that’s rapping while making good music. Next focus is making the voice louder, and the name louder.
Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre are cooking up what could be one of the best albums of both of their careers, according to Smitty, the Grammy-winning music producer renowned for his diverse portfolio.
Smitty’s career spans collaborations with prominent artists like Nas, Dr. Dre, Diddy, and Beyonce and contributions to significant projects such as the “Training Day” soundtrack.
He revealed Snoop Dogg’s enthusiasm and dedication to the project, even calling Smitty early in the morning to express his excitement.
According to Smitty, Snoop said, “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.”
Reflecting on Snoop Dogg’s commitment, Smitty has 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,” Smitty told AllHipHop.com.
This new album, Missionary, marks a significant milestone, as it will drop nearly 30 years after Snoop released his debut album Doggystyle on Death Row Records. The label, which was launched by Dre and Suge Knight – is now owned by Snoop Dogg.
Snoop Dogg expressed his excitement about this reunion with Dr. Dre on Instagram, teasing fans with a nostalgic photo of him and Dre with the caption, “Dynamic. Duo. Music comin summer 23.”
This nostalgic sentiment, coupled with Dr. Dre’s palpable excitement, has fans eagerly anticipating the summer release, which will drop on Death Row, which is now owned by Snoop Dogg.
If the devotion to execution that Smitty describes is any indication, Missionary promises to be a significant addition to Snoop Dogg’s discography.
Eminem’s daughter Hailie Jade Mathers has launched a brand-new clothing line.
Taking to her Instagram account, the social media star offered fans a first look at her debut fashion venture – which she has created in partnership with her “Just A Little Shady” podcast.
“Get ready with me to launch my very first merch line,” the 27-year-old commented in a reel. “I have been working on this for a year at this point and I just wanted to make sure that whatever we put out, was not only going to be super comfortable and cute, but also could almost be worn as just a regular clothing line and not look just like merch.”
Showing off a crewneck sweater from the line, the Hailie called herself a “raging perfectionist” and revealed she “actually designed every single thing you’re going to see on the site including the site itself.”
The podcast host also admitted she “went through several rounds of suppliers” to find the best fit for her brand.
The collection includes sweatshirts, sweatpants, T-shirts and caps. Items are priced from $33 to $63.
Hailie recently celebrated her engagement to boyfriend Evan McClintock, who accompanied his fiancée to model the new designs in the video.
A$AP Rocky is cautious about taking his unconventional red carpet looks too far.
The rapper has been known to rock outlandish outfits and take chances on the red carpet, for example, when he donned a custom Gucci kilt at this year’s Met Gala.
And although he always avoids the classic black suit, he recently told The Times that he also tries not to take his bold outfits too far.
“They look silly sometimes. Shout out to the people who actually execute,” he stated.
Rocky, real name Rakim Mayers, also shared that he likes to surprise people with his sense of style as well as his music, and even referred to himself as “the godfather of mixing it up.”
“Whatever it is I’m doing I find that I’m naturally attracted to the things that other people might find too obscure or too complicated,” the 34-year-old explained. “I like to think I’m drawn to things that others look past.
“For me, it’s also about what’s not obvious. Since my first song, I’ve been rapping about Raf Simons and Rick Owens. It was also about mixing high-end with streetwear. I do that in my sleep.”
Elsewhere in the interview, the fashion show regular highlighted the work that goes into putting a catwalk presentation together.
“I think going to a fashion show is the same as going to see an artist on stage – most people don’t realize what it takes. It’s incredible how they do it and I tip my hat to them,” he praised.
Earlier this year, the star was announced as one of the new faces of the Gucci Guilty fragrance line.
Offset still finds it too painful to talk about his late Migos bandmate Takeoff.
During an interview for Variety, the rapper hinted his upcoming second solo record might include the last song he recorded with his longtime friend, who was shot and killed in Houston, Texas, last November.
But while Offset, real name Kiari Cephus, is excited to be focusing on his music, he admitted that he is grieving Takeoff’s sudden passing.
“It’s hard for me to talk about s### right now. I’ve never talked about this stuff. Seriously. Talking about Take is hard, man,” he confessed. “Talking about all this s### is hard. That’s why I don’t, to be honest. That s### hurts. Like, it’s gonna put me in a mood, and I don’t want to get in that mood. Some things I don’t never tell nobody. He’s not here. That s### feels fake, bro. I get through my day thinking it’s fake. And I don’t say nothing to nobody about it.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, Offset revealed that his upcoming album will feature Travis Scott, Future, Chloe Bailey, Latto, and his wife, Cardi B.
Though details are still being finalized, the album is set for release via Universal’s Capitol Music Group later this year and will be followed by a tour.
“I really wanted to drop the album like two years ago, but it wasn’t time. I had to master who I was, and I got it now,” the 31-year-old added.
While Missy Elliott is experimenting with Latin and Brazilian underground funk influences on her long-awaited upcoming album, a return to R&B could be on the cards with two of the genre’s hottest modern-day talents.
The Portsmouth, Virginia-born music legend responded to a fan’s request for Missy Elliott to “work some beautiful R&B magic,” on a collab with Summer Walker and Ari Lennox. While the fan believed the tweet was just “wishful thinking,” two of her dream trio are keen to make it happen.
“Same here☺️🙌🏾,” Missy Elliott replied before Ari Lennox added, “Missy let’s do it ❤️❤️❤️❤️.”
Furthermore, the four-time Grammy Award winner teased an unreleased track with the “Shea Butter” creator, which could soon get the video treatment.
“You already knoooooow😉,” Missy replied to Ari. “Let me get these dancers together so I can drop that one we did.😜💃🏾” Check out their tweets below.
You already knoooooow😉 let me get these dancers together so I can drop that one we did😜💃🏾
The newly inducted Rock & Roll Hall of Famer revealed she was eager to work with Ari Lennox after spending some time in the studio with her in February 2021. She let slip in a tweet Ari “played me some heat at the stu oh yea.” According to Missy Eliott, Ari Lennox was “ Snappin on them new joints!” and was eager to work her magic with the singer. “Now let’s see what we Cook up🍽🤯🔥” she added.
Meanwhile, Ari Lennox revealed Missy Elliott is one of her musical inspirations and influenced her 2022 album, age/sex/location.
“It’s definitely a lot of just Missy vibes and Teedra Moses,” Ari told Zane Lowe last year. “I just love Soul and R&B so much, I literally listen to it so much,” Lennox told Lowe. “It’s everything to me so it’s going to always ooze out naturally with my melodies, with my writing style. It’s just always going to come out. All of these legendary people they’re always going to come out.”
Conway The Machine has opened up about his ongoing mental health issues, including suffering “severe anxiety” over his new album release party due to trauma stemming from a 2012 shooting.
In a candid appearance on Math Hoffa’s My Expert Opinion podcast, the Buffalo representative expressed regret over comments about his departure from Griselda and Shady Records as well as an online feud with Funk Flex. Conway The Machine explained that he hadn’t predicted the public scrutiny he would receive because he was still adjusting to fame and was unaware of how much attention he was getting.
The “Stressed” hitmaker revealed he shunned public engagements following the 2012 shooting that left the right side of his face paralyzed.
“I don’t know because I’m just a recluse. I’ll be like just dolo to myself,” he said before adding, “I think that came from getting shot.”
Conway explained that he was left with mental scars after getting shot in the head while leaving the club in his hometown.
“So I’m looking at clubs like, ‘I don’t go out man. I ain’t going to that party, I ain’t going to that event, I don’t want to do that anymore. ‘What time the interview? 10:30? Naw, I’m good bro. I’m chilling, I’m already inside.’”
Conway The Machine Experienced “Severe Anxiety” Over Album Release Party
In a separate clip of the episode, Conway The Machine revealed he was unaware of how much unresolved trauma remained until he started therapy.
He continued, “I stay to myself and work in the shadows. I hate videos, I hate pictures and cameras and s###,” Conway said before adding that he is still dealing with his issues. “I didn’t know I hadn’t,” he said. “Speaking with a therapist and she made me realize ‘you haven’t healed yet.’”
Conway revealed that being so reclusive led him to question his position in the game. He even confided in trusted peers, “This s### look like n##### aint f###### with me. Because I don’t get outside. Not because I can’t, I just don’t.” However, “The love was definitely felt” at his Won’t He Do It release party earlier this month.
“I was having severe anxiety about that night,” he said, explaining he didn’t promote the event heavily. “But then I pulled up and seen all the love, everybody had pulled up.”
Ice Spice continues her ascension as one of Hip-Hop’s hottest newcomers, recording the biggest streaming day of her career, an accolade that saw her break a record set by a rap icon.
The Bronx rising star rapper stormed her way into the history books with her appearance on the new “Karma (Remix)” alongside Taylor Swift. The song was released last Friday (May 26) as a bonus track on the singer’s album Midnights (The Til Dawn Edition.)
According to Chart Data, Ice Spice earned the biggest streaming debut for a female rapper in global Spotify history thanks to the Taylor Swift assist, racking up 5.036 million streams on its first day. Karma also scored Ice Spice the biggest streaming day of her career on Spotify.
Ice Spice surpassed her “Princess Diana” collaborator Nicki Minaj who previously held the record with her No. 1 hit song “Super Freaky Girl.” The single opened with a reported 3.021 million streams following its release in August 2022.
“swifties x munchkins = ♥️,” Ice Spice wrote while sharing Chart Data’s tweet.
Ice Spice Performs Karma With Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift took to social media this weekend to show love to Ice Spice after bringing her onstage. The pair joined forces during her show in Jersey Friday (May 26) for their debut performance of “Karma.” She also premiered the song’s visuals while the audience went wild for Ice Spice.
“Last night in Jersey was 🤯💕🌙🪐🙏✨💥 !!! The way the whole stadium screamed when Ice literally popped up unannounced 😆” Taylor Swift penned on Instagram. “Getting to world premiere the Karma music video I directed with my dancers who were in it – Playing Getaway Car with Jack and hearing everyone shout the lyrics – I love you @icespice I love you @jackantonoff I love you all in that crazy crowd last night – can’t wait to get back out there tonight ☺️”
After the performance, Ice Spice shared a “big fat” message of thanks to her fans for embracing the collab.
“taylor & the swifties showed me so much love thank yuuuu 😍,” she penned. “& btw big fat thank u to my real munchkins that wanna see a b#### win 🥇i love u 4L🦋”
taylor & the swifties showed me so much love thank yuuuu 😍 & btw big fat thank u to my real munchkins that wanna see a b#### win 🥇i love u 4L🦋 pic.twitter.com/MuB3DXVADM
Coi Leray surprised Tomorrow X Together (or TXT) fans this weekend, joining the K-Pop band to perform their collab for the first time.
The “Trendsetter” creator features on “Happy Fools,” from the group’s latest EP, The Name Chapter: Temptation released Jan. 27. TXT is currently on the U.S. leg of their world tour, and after sold-out shows in New York, Coi Leray joined them at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles Sunday night (May 28).
Coi Leray began trending as fans flooded the Twitter timeline with clips of the surprise collab performance. The audience at the L.A. show was not expecting the rapper to appear to perform her verse and went wild, and Coi appeared on stage to join TXT. Check out the clips below.
— rosie: is seeing txt 4x ❀ (@lilacblk1) May 29, 2023
Coi Leray Hypes Upcoming Album: “One Of The Biggest Projects Ever”
Meanwhile, Coi Leray is in album mode as she gears up for the release of her sophomore project due next month. She shared the COI tracklist earlier this week, revealing a diverse range of collaborators. David Guetta, Saucy Santana, Giggs, Lola Brooke, and Skillibeng all feature on the project. James Brown also makes a posthumous appearance.
She gave fans a glimpse of what to expect during a recent interview with Eddie Francis on Apple Music 1.
“I’m so excited about this second album because it’s really mostly myself. I told myself—like, I have a couple features, which I’m going to keep it discreet. Because it’s only literally a little bit, not even a handful, but I’ve been working on this project constantly. I stay in the studio. As you can see, I’m in my home. It’s my home studio here. I’m constantly in the studio 24/7.”
She continued: “I’m amazing when it comes to that mic. And at the end of the day, I know this project is going to be one of the biggest projects ever. Nobody’s f###### with me on it. When it comes to my melodies, my versatility, whether if I’m rapping, singing, doing the baby voice, if I’m dancing or whatever it is, I’m just that girl.”
Most people are familiar with the meme: “Would you take $500,000 or a dinner with JAY-Z?” Some people see immense value in sitting down with Hip-Hop’s first billionaire, while others find it crazy to pass up a half a million dollars for 60 minutes with the Roc Nation founder.
But comedian Haha Davis decided to roll the dice and break bread with Hov—just not literally. During a recent sit-down with The Shop, Davis talked about his meeting with JAY-Z.
“I enjoyed the lunch with Jay,” he said. “When I met Jay, I ain’t never seen a man that sat down his shirt didn’t wrinkle. Like, what type of money is that? What type of money Jay got to where his shirt didn’t wrinkle. When we was sitting down, Jay, they asked him was he hungry and Jay was like, ‘No, I’m straight.’ But we was starving, but we couldn’t be the only ones eating and Jay’s not eating, so we left starving. We had the conversation and we didn’t even get the lunch.”
Comedian HaHa Davis says he took the dinner with Jay Z and he was starving because Jay Z declined to eat because he wasn’t hungry. The meeting was exactly 60 minutes and he saw several business opportunities afterwards. pic.twitter.com/vapJScms9U
— Black Millionaires ® (@Blackmillions_) May 28, 2023
The topic has led to numerous Twitter debates in the past. Several people were adamant dinner with JAY-Z was the better choice. As one person argued: “Dinner with Jay-Z is the better option over $500K because of the knowledge & expertise he has. He’ll give you the blueprint on being wealthy and successful. His knowledge will be worth more long term than the short term $500K.”
But even JAY-Z himself seemed to find the idea of not accepting $500,000 ludicrous. After all, there’s no guarantee JAY-Z will even like you enough to give you good financial advice. At the height of the debate in 2021, JAY-Z’s TIDAL company tweeted, “Take the $500K,” seemingly putting an end to the entire thing.
Watch The Shop‘s full interview with HaHa Davis, lightweight champion boxer Devin Haney, Tee Grizzley and actor Amin Joseph below. The JAY-Z conversation starts around the 43-minute mark.
The Weeknd wiped away tears as his TV show “The Idol” received a five-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday.
After months of controversy and delays, the first two episodes of Sam Levinson’s new TV series premiered out of competition at the Grand Theatre Lumiere on Monday night.
Following the special screening, the audience gave the episodes a standing ovation lasting more than five minutes as Levinson hugged his stars Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd, real name Abel Tesfaye.
In a video posted on social media by Deadline, the Canadian singer could be seen wiping tears from his eyes as Levinson gave an emotional speech to the audience.
Levinson, who co-created the show with The Weeknd, thanked “The Idol” team for “making this dream come true” and added, “I’m incredibly proud of this show and I’m proud of the way we made this show. I’m proud of this cast, we have so many wonderful artists… I feel like I gained a family. I know that’s a little culty but that’s the way it feels. I love you guys.”
He thanked HBO executives for “believing” in them and Depp for her “fearless” portrayal of pop star Jocelyn, who falls for Tesfaye’s cult leader Tedros.
“Abel and I, we count our lucky stars every day that you are Jocelyn – you are fearless,” he gushed. “Thank you for taking this leap. We love you.”
In March, it was claimed that production on “The Idol” was messy and chaotic, with spiralling budgets and shooting schedules, and that Levinson turned the show into a twisted love story featuring gratuitous nudity and explicit sexual content when he took over as director.
“The Idol” received mixed to negative reviews after its premiere, with Variety describing it as a “sordid male fantasy” and The Hollywood Reporter calling it “more regressive than transgressive” due to its raunchy content.
Former Death Row Records artist RBX contributed to six songs on Dr. Dre’s landmark solo album, The Chronic, in 1992. His deep, booming voice can be heard on songs such as “High Powered,” “Stranded On Death Row” and “Lyrical Gangbang.” He also received songwriting credits on “Let Me Ride” and several others. But contract disputes and issues with ex-Death Row CEO Suge Knight proved too much to tolerate, and he left in 1994. More than 30 years later, RBX has come to a place of peace with how things unfolded.
“I don’t cry over spilled milk though ’cause I believe in a higher power and everything that was done was done for a reason,” he tells AllHipHop. “That’s why we still here. And at the end of the day, they might have run out and did this and that, but they can’t take my name and they can’t take my voice. And I still got these pens and pads to write these rhymes and they didn’t write s### for me—I wrote for them.”
And RBX is writing again. Last week, he popped up on a new single from Hawaiian native Rory Redmon called “Mac Dre” featuring Sccit. With production by Junior Beats, Sccit and Siavash The Grouch, the track comes from Redmon’s forthcoming album, Tabernacle.
It also serves as a little teaser of what’s to come from RBX, who’s currently working on his first album since 2007, Hibernation Shivers. It’s expected to feature appearances by Spice 1, MC Eiht, (cousin) Daz Dillinger, Fatlip, Project Pat, Eligh, Cold 187um, Krayzie Bone, Butch Cassidy and Smoov-E, among others.
Despite how RBX feels about The Chronic today, he’s still proud of what he contributed.
“It feels good ’cause we did work hard on it,” he says. “It wasn’t like it was a cake walk. Even though Dre didn’t make us walk to Harlem to get him no cheesecake or some balloons, we were out there because we had that Death Row on our back. At that time we was pushing the line, it wasn’t a nice thing. It was real Death Row. It got a lot of respect from some people and got a lot of hate from others. You walked the fine line any day you went anywhere.”
He continues, “Dre was my loved one. We have grown apart or whatnot, but me and Dre never had no problems. My problems always came from Suge. And then Suge would put pressure on them. Knowing that, I thought it would be best for me to fall back.”
RBX, who is truly a breath of fresh air in an industry often wrought with egomaniacs, is optimistic about the future. Hibernation Shivers is scheduled for an August release. Until then, check out “Mac Dre” above.
The ongoing legal battle involving Kenneth Petty, husband to rapper Nicki Minaj, and Jennifer Hough, who accused Petty of sexual assault, has taken a new turn as attempts at a settlement through mediation have failed.
As AllHipHop.com reported last December, Petty was ordered to mediate with Hough over the ongoing lawsuit in which she claimed that he harassed her to recant in an attempt to get off the National Sex Offender Registry.
Petty missed the initial court-ordered mediation sessions, citing illness as the reason for his non-attendance. However, he was well enough to attend a recent session, but no progress was made.
“We participated in private mediation, but unfortunately, we were unable to reach a settlement,” said Tyrone Blackburn, the lawyer for Jennifer Hough.
This statement indicates that the case may now be heading to trial – and this lawsuit has been marked by significant contention.
Jennifer Hough initially included Minaj in the suit, claiming that the rapper participated in efforts to intimidate her. However, those charges against Minaj were eventually dropped.
Nicki Minaj’s legal team then attempted to sanction Hough’s attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, over what they called “wild accusations.” These included claims that Minaj and Petty were members of a New York gang, the Makk Baller Brims, and allegations of cyberstalking behavior by Minaj’s legal team.
The stakes of this case are high for Petty, who was convicted of first-degree attempted rape in 1995 and was sentenced to over four years in prison for the charge.
He later pleaded guilty to failing to register as a sex offender in 2021 when he moved to Los Angeles but never notified local authorities of his new living conditions, which was a stipulation of his sentencing.
Petty got one year of home confinement and three years of probation.
While Nicki Minaj was dropped from the lawsuit, she claimed that the ordeal subjected her to negative publicity and cost her over $300,000 in defense expenses.
With mediation proving unsuccessful, all eyes are on the courtroom as the possibility of a trial looms.
Westside Gunn vowed Hitler Wears Hermes 10 was his final installment in the series. But judging by a new Twitter post, he might’ve changed his mind. On Saturday (May 27), the Griselda rapper shared a photo of several bricks of cocaine with the s####### logo emblazoned on each one. The photo came with a parental advisory sticker in the bottom right corner, but he didn’t write anything in the caption.
Westside Gunn released the tenth installment of the Hitler Wears Hermes series last October. Speaking to High Times in February, Gunn seemed resolute in his decision to end the series. He explained, “A lot of people in this game, they come and go. For me to be able to say I did it 10 times is legendary in itself. That’s just [to] let you know that I’ve been putting in work for a decade, and a lot people can’t say that.
“Even after a decade, I’m just now starting to get certain looks after 10 years of working. That just lets you know you just gotta work hard, stay consistent and don’t give up ‘cause there’s always another level. I carved my own lane, so I’m already happy. I don’t care if I don’t get no bigger than what I am now, for what I’ve done in these 10 years, I done carved my own lane, I did it my own way and I’m super happy.”
Westside Gunn also talked about another project he was cooking up entitled Michelle, named after his Aunt Chelle who died in November 2021.
“I’m doing a lot of things to keep her name alive,” he said. “Right now, I’m staying working, staying ahead. She was my biggest fan. She wanted me to turn up, so I’m going to keep turning up.”
Producers confirmed the Hip-Hop legend, real name James Todd Smith, will serve as a recurring guest star on the third season of the crime drama TV series.
“All of us at ‘NCIS: Hawai’i’ have been huge fans of LL Cool J for years and couldn’t be more thrilled or honored to be adding his spectacular talent to our ohana (family) for season three,” they commented.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CskduVdgZCk/
The news comes after the series finale of ‘NCIS: Los Angeles,” in which LL Cool J played special agent Sam Hanna, aired earlier this week.
And Vanessa Lachey, who plays Jane Tennant on “NCIS: Hawai’i,” couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome the rapper into the fold.
“We have had so much fun spreading the aloha to ‘NCIS’ and ‘NCIS: LA’ with the triple crossover. Now, we have the amazing opportunity to bring Sam Hanna to Hawai’i to help the island solve some cases and maybe have a few laughs in the process. Welcome to the ohana, Todd! It’s going to be a fun ride!” she exclaimed.
LL Cool J joined the “NCIS” franchise back in 2009.
