Rapper and Death Row owner Snoop Dogg has filed a motion to be removed from a negligence lawsuit regarding Drakeo the Ruler’s death.
The rising rapper was murdered at the “Once Upon a Time in L.A.” festival in December of 2021. Snoop Dogg claims he should not be held liable for the stabbing that happened in the backstage area of the concert venue.
According to Rolling Stone, Snoop’s lawyer, who is also representing another defendant, Bobby Dee Presents, has filed an objection to his clients being named in the legal action.
Snoop’s legal team says his clients were hired to help promote the festival and should not bear the responsibility as actual producers. Furthermore, they should not owe any punitive damages to the estate of the late rising star.
“Drakeo and his group fought for their lives against insurmountable odds, shocked and horrified at the fact that no security ever materialized to intervene,” the lawsuit states.
It also stated that the concert producers, including Live Nation, did not stop the “ongoing mob attack that lasted up to 15 minutes or more.” Their lack of intervention caused their team “severe physical and emotional harm.”
The lawyers claim, all parties named, including the “Gin and Juice” chart-topper, “had a duty to implement and execute a security plan” to keep attendees, artists, entourage, and guests “safe” and “provide adequate security to detect and prevent violent incidents.”
Attorneys on Snoop’s side argue, “While the allegations surrounding the death of Darrell Caldwell are tragic,” and the circumstances around Drakeo’s death were not “foreseeable.”
“If no similar, third-party criminal conduct is alleged to have previously occurred at the relevant premises during a music festival like the one in this case, demurring defendants had no duty to do more than they are alleged to have already done, regardless of the outcome,” the filings state.
“We’re very confident that we’re going to prevail in opposing the demurrer because our complaint does state several legal bases for them to be liable,” Kellen Davis, the plaintiffs’ lawyer said.
“The parties that are named are the people that we know were involved in creating and promoting the event. It’s our position that this was essentially a joint venture between the various entities that we named, and as such, we believe they were responsible for preventing something like this from happening.”
Idris Elba wrote a poem to get on Jay-Z’s 2007 album American Gangster.
The “Suicide Squad” star appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” to speak about his new film “Beast” when he recalled the process of getting on the record.
He also spoke about securing his spot on Paul McCartney’s 2021 album McCartney III Imagined.
“Both these albums I’m on, and both those artists don’t know I’m on those albums,” the musician and actor revealed. “You know what I mean? I literally hustled my own on to those albums.”
“At the time I hear Jay was about to do an album associated with the film. And I was like, ‘I need to get on that.’ As you do,” the English star said. “You’re like, ‘I’m Idris, I need to be on that Jay-Z album.’ No idea why Jay would be like, ‘Yeah, sure, do it.’”
After connecting with someone who worked with the rapper, Idris wrote a “long poem” that he put to a beat.
“Actually it was a rap, but it didn’t sound good as a rap,” he corrected himself. “So I said, ‘Maybe I should speak this’ because Jay might be a little more accommodating to my speaking voice. And I sent it to him and we got this text back from Jay saying, ‘Um, I don’t love this…I f**king love it.’”
For McCartney’s 2021 album, Idris remixed the artist’s “Long Tailed Winter Bird” for release on the record’s physical version.
Veteran media personality Angela Yee will no longer be a host of The Breakfast Club radio program.
Rumors began circulating online yesterday after Angela Yee teased changes to the long-running Power 105.1 mainstay. On Tuesday, Yee tweeted, “The Breakfast Club as you know it is officially over.”
Yee addressed the speculation on this morning’s episode of The Breakfast Club. The Brooklyn native announced she is parting ways with DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God in order to lead her own show in the near future.
The breakfast club as you know it is officially over 🫶🏽
“Way Up with Angela Yee will feature the iconic personality in a fast-paced, listener-interactive show, as she connects directly with listeners on the kinds of hot and timely topics in which she’s garnered trust over her decades on air – from relationships to Hip Hop and R&B, headline news topics, and overall culture, both in and out of the music industry. The show will be fun, entertaining, inspiring, and will include celebrity interviews and special guests,” reads a statement from Power 105.1.
The Breakfast Club launched in 2010 as a morning-drive radio show in the New York City area. Three years later, the station began syndicating The Breakfast Club nationwide in markets such as Houston, Atlanta, Miami, and Detroit.
Angela Yee presents daily segments on The Breakfast Club known as “The Rumor Report” and “Front Page News.” The Gracie Award winner also hosts the Lip Service podcast where she discusses sex and relationships with celebrities such as Cardi B, Nick Cannon, and DVSN.
According to Yee, she will remain on The Breakfast Club until the details of the syndicated Way Up are finalized. The Radio Hall of Fame inductee expects her new show to begin airing later this fall. She has already started planning segments for Way Up with Angela Yee.
Pulitzer Prize-winning emcee Kendrick Lamar was not shy about embracing Kodak Black for his 2022 album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.
Kendrick Lamar tapped Kodak Black for a feature on the “Silent Hill” track. The pgLang co-founder also had Black make uncredited appearances on “Worldwide Steppers,” “Rich (Interlude),” and “Mirror.”
Speedy Morman recently spoke to Kodak Black for Spotify’s Rap Caviar. The conversation included the Florida-raised rapper discussing his musical union with Kendrick Lamar.
“Me and Kendrick, we got a lot of little things in common that people probably don’t wanna understand,” Kodak Black told Morman. “Both of us, we Geminis. Both of us [are] Hebrew Israelites.”
The 25-year-old rhymer added, “We can talk and [Kendrick Lamar] understands me beyond the internet theories. He got a different perception of me, and he ain’t cap. Like, he says we gonna do something, we do it… Kendrick from the streets for real, too… I f### with that boy. I got a lot of love for him.”
“[Kendrick Lamar] genuinely wanna see a n#### win, for sure,” said Kodak. “We could have just did the song and it never came out, but he went as far as having me speak on the intro, the interludes, and all this other stuff, having me do a poem on [Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers]. He already knows where my intellect goes.”
Kendrick Lamar’s “Silent Hill” with Kodak Black peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May. Kodak also made it into the Hot 100’s Top 10 region this year with “Super Gremlin” from his Back for Everything LP. “Super Gremlin” made it all the way to #3 on the Hot 100.
Later this month, the VH1 network will begin airing new episodes of the My True Crime Storydocuseries. Hip Hop recording artist Reminisce “Remy Ma” Mackie returns as the show’s host.
Season two of My True Crime Story will run for eight episodes. Remy Ma narrates the program which tells the tales of individuals who were heavily involved in illegal activities.
“I’m so excited for the return of My True Crime Story because we get another opportunity to share first-hand experiences as well as stories of redemption,” states the Bronx-bred emcee.
Remy Ma adds, “I’m looking forward for viewers to be able to relate, learn and grow as they watch this new season.” My True Crime Story will cover criminal offenses such as drug trafficking, steroid production, counterfeiting, and jewelry theft.
Prior to My True Crime Story, Remy Ma served as a regular panelist on the State of the Culture talk show. The “All the Way Up” hitmaker also starred on VH1’s Love & Hip Hop: New York and Remy & Papoose: Meet the Mackies reality shows.
Remy Ma’s There’s Something About Remy: Based on a True Story album dropped in 2006. The New Yorker partnered with Fat Joe for 2017’s Plata O Plomo collaborative project. Remy Ma scored her only #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with Terror Squad’s “Lean Back” in 2004.
Hot Snakes Media produced My True Crime Story. Eric Evangelista, Shannon Evangelista, and David Erickson served as executive producers. Season two of My True Crime Story is scheduled to debut on Monday, August 29 at 10 PM ET/PT.
Blue Ivy Carter is the oldest daughter of two of the most successful recording artists of the last four decades. Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s 10-year-old child has followed in her famous parents’ footsteps.
Beyoncé presented Blue Ivy as a featured artist on tracks such as “Blue” off the Beyoncé album. Blue Ivy appeared on “Brown Skin Girl” from The Lion King: The Gift soundtrack as well.
The Recording Industry Association of America recently certified “Blue” and “Brown Skin Girl” as Gold (500,000 units). As a result, Blue Ivy earned her first two Gold Awards from the industry organization.
Even though she has not even reached high school age yet, Blue Ivy Carter is already a Grammy winner. Beyoncé’s “Brown Skin Girl” won Best Music Video at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony in 2021.
Blue Ivy actually made her official debut on Jay-Z’s “Glory” single. Jay credited the newborn as B.I.C. on the 2012 track. “Glory” came out two days after Beyoncé gave birth to Blue Ivy, making the baby the youngest person in history to chart on Billboard.
In addition, the RIAA announced more than five dozen new certifications for Beyoncé. Both “Halo” and “Singles Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” reached 9x-Platinum status. Dangerously In Love and I Am… Sasha Fierce are now 6x-Platinum-certified albums.
Beyoncé’s critically-acclaimed seventh studio LP is her seventh to open at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The Houston-bred singer is the only woman to have all her albums debut at the top of the chart. Renaissance also peaked at #1 in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Australia, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, South Africa, and Brazil.
Long Beach, California native Snoop Dogg and Golden State Warriors player Steph Curry joined forces to refurbish a basketball court at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach in Martin Luther King, Jr. Park.
Steph Curry’s Curry Brand, powered by Under Armour, helped unveil the new court on Tuesday. Comic book artist Damion Scott played a role in redesigning the basketball court. Local youth also contributed to the “Find Your Inner Superhero” murals at the location.
“This is the place where I learned how to play basketball, play football, be active in the community, and build relationships. It’s where I learned how to rap, talk, and just be me basically – in this park right here,” said Snoop Dogg.
The Doggystyle album creator continued, “To come back and see the kids doing different things, trying to be better than we were – that’s what it’s all about. For us to give these kids more opportunities than we had – that’s what it’s really about.
Young people in the LBC community engaged in hands-on skills programming by taking the Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach court for the first time in more than a month. Around 200 residents utilize the facility and programming every week.
“We want to provide a space where you can come enjoy yourself and get lost in the fun, lost in the competition, invest in yourselves, and be around a lot of amazing coaches and programs,” stated Stephen Curry.
The 4-time NBA Champion added, “This is the beginning of hopefully an amazing journey, not just in sports but in life. Sports teach you so much about life and building great character, being a part of teams, and believing in yourself. We want to be able to provide that for you guys through Curry Brand, and we’re really excited about that.”
In a new Instagram post, the North London rapper shared his daily struggles with his followers and sought advice from anyone who could help. Despite remaining positive, Skepta admitted to battling “crippling waves of pain” regularly.
Skepta Details His Health Struggles
“Through song lyrics or word of mouth some of you know I have suffered from IBS/stomach ulcers/problems since my early twenties,” he began writing on his Instagram Stories.
“Apart from me not being able to maintain a steady weight, depression, short term memory loss, it also controls my moods, which has ultimately steered my life,” Skepta continued.
The rapper then explained that while he previously had an endoscopy, “nothing was found” during the examination. He still endures “crippling waves of pain” and said the next step is an MRI scan to investigate further.
‘If anybody has any experience or advice about this kind of thing I would love to talk still’, he wrote. He then ended on an uplifting note, sharing some words of encouragement. ‘Sending strength to anybody that has had to deal with stomach problems kmt smh,” he concluded. “The internal fights, the mood swings, losing things etc. are normal symptoms, just don’t let it ruin your life.” Check out his post in full below.
Meanwhile, Skepta is true to his word and isn’t letting his illness hold him back from doing what he loves. He joined A$AP Rocky at Germany’s Splash! Festival last month where they debuted a new collab. He then performed at Rolling Loud Festival in Portugal just days after he was hospitalized.
Busta Rhymes will be awarded the title of BMI Icon at its 2022 R&B/Hip-Hop Awards on September 7.
The NYC legend will receive the honor at a private event, held at the LIV Nightclub Miami Beach. BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill and BMI Vice President, Creative (Atlanta) Catherine Brewton will host.
“As one of the pioneers of Hip Hop, we are excited to honor Busta Rhymes as a BMI Icon,” Brewton said in a press release. “Through his award-winning solo work, countless collaborations and acting, Busta is a true innovator in every sense of the word and has made a dynamic impact on legions of fans and music creators worldwide.
She continued and said Busta Rhymes’ “quick wit and intricate rapping style have made him legendary, inspiring many young performers to follow in his footsteps.”
Brewton added: “We’re also thrilled to be back in person in Miami, celebrating our top music creators behind some of today’s most-performed songs. We’re looking forward to a fantastic night of great music.”
Busta Rhymes Is A True Icon
The BMI Icon Award is presented to songwriters who have distinctly and profoundly influenced the music industry. Honorees must also have left an indelible and unique influence on generations of music makers.
Busta Rhymes certainly fits the bill after a career spanning over three decades. He launched his music career in the 90s with the hip-hop crew Leaders of the New School. He earned his first Grammy Award nomination in 1996 with the Platinum-certified hit “Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check,” his first official solo outing.
He then scored numerous hits throughout the ’90s and 2000s. He became a global superstar and earned a No. 1 album with The Big Bang in 2006. Bus-A-Bus released ELE 2: The Wrath of God, his latest offering, independently in 2020.
With a catalog including the hits “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See,” “Break Ya Neck,” “Dangerous,” “Gimme Some More,” and “What’s It’s Gonna Be?” featuring Janet Jackson, Busta Rhymes is a certified legend.
Meanwhile, Busta Rhymes shows no signs of slowing down. Check out a clip from his set this weekend at LL COOL J’s Rock The Bells Festival in New York.
Nicki Minaj just made a staggering claim about her “very rich” friend Drake and his finances.
The NYC rapper performed with Drake and Lil Wayne at the Young Money reunion in Toronto this weekend. Nicki took to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday (Aug. 9) to share a video of her boarding a plane, presumably to travel back from the concert, courtesy of Drake. According to Nicki Minaj, her “billionaire” Canadian friend fixed it for her.
“Look. This is what happens when you got a rich,” she began before quickly correcting herself. “I’m sorry, a very rich, a very rich, rich, rich, rich, Canadian friend who’s the only billionaire that I know that don’t want people to know he’s a billionaire. I get it, but…” she added but then trailed off. Check out the video below.
https://youtu.be/ADgzYyGGIqA
While Champagne Papi’s exact net worth is uncertain, earlier this year, he laughed off his placement in a Hip-Hop rich list. Former Forbes Senior Editor Zack O’Malley Greenburg released his rankings of the highest-paid Hip Hop artists for 2021, listing Drake in fourth place with earnings of $50 million. In response, Drake added a single laughing emoji, suggesting he may have earned a lot more.
Nicki Minaj Jokes That Drake Is Her Ex
Meanwhile, earlier on Tuesday (Aug. 9), Nicki Minaj shared a snap of her boarding the jet. She also posted a sweet video with Drizzy’s mother, Sandi Graham, referring to her as “my ex-mom-in-law.”
Drake laughs in the background as Nicki jokes, “tell your son don’t speak to me no more.” The pair then carried on the banter in the comments section.
“Barbz I’m gagging,” Drake penned, adding, “It’s the everything for meeeeee…” Nicki Minaj gently teased him in response, writing, “You still didn’t even say it right. Bye MR. CHAMPAGNE,” she wrote
What do Kanye West, Lil Uzi Vert, and Steve Lacy all have in common? Other than the fact that they are all musicians of global renown, they all now share matching ink.
The Internet guitarist Lacey took to Instagram late on Tuesday night (Aug. 9) to share a snap of the trio. While it is unclear if she is responsible for the ink, LA tattoo artist Mez Afram took the mirror selfie. Kanye West, Lil Uzi, and Steve Lacy all pose with their arms extended showing off the new body art.
As Lacey notes in the caption, the tattoos all read: “We here forever technically.” All three artists have the ink in the same spot – on the inside of the arm, just above the elbow.
Kanye West, Lil Uzi & Steve Lacy Display The New Ink
Instagram Steve Lacy
Lacy was among the artists who appeared in Ye’s Donda countdown live stream last year. The guitarist has remained tight-lipped about the experience, simply telling GQ, “It was cool, it was cool.”
Over the years, Kanye West and Lil Uzi haven’t always seen eye-to-eye. Back in 2020, Uzi claimed Ye “ain’t f*ckin’ with [him].” Shortly after, Kanye tweeted that he loves Uzi and explained he says he feels the same way about Steve Jobs all the time.
Then, in 2021, Lil Uzi called Kanye West a “fake pastor” and clowned Ye in alleged group chat messages. “Yes donda suck,” said Lil Uzi in the messages. “Sounds like the all star game,” he added, seemingly commenting on the number of featured guests on the tracklist.
Meanwhile, Kanye West was full of praise for Steve Lacy when he released his Gemini Rights album last month. The Compton native took to Instagram to thank his supporters.
Kanye hopped in the comments section calling ‘Gemini Rights’ “beautiful.” He added that he believes Lacy is “one of the most inspiring people on the planet.”
The case against Young Thug has seen a new development after the rapper was reportedly hit with new charges involving a machine gun.
As reported by AllHipHop.com, Jeffery “Young Thug” Williams is currently behind bars after being denied bond following his indictment on RICO charges alongside Gunna and 26 other associates. The 88-page grand-jury indictment characterized YSL collective as a “criminal street gang.”
According to a report from WSBTV, the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office has filed a new indictment in the RICO case against the Atlanta native. The fresh filing reportedly “includes all 28 defendants from the May indictment.” However, the new charges are only against Young Thug and four other defendants.
While the new indictment reportedly still focuses on the YSL collective, the District Attorney’s office “believes these charges add to the prosecution’s claim that Williams performed for years as a leader of a criminal street gang.”
WSBTV reports the new charges include “a new gang charge, new drug charges, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a machine gun.” Many of the new charges stem from the search of Young Thug’s home on the night of his arrest in May.
Prosecutor Don Geary says two other defendants – including Yak Gotti – face machine gun charges. All have pleaded not guilty.
Football royal Marshawn Lynch was arrested and charged with driving under the influence in Las Vegas. The alleged situation occurred on Tuesday morning and he looked really, really bad.
The former Seahawks running back presently faces suspicion of DUI, driving an unregistered vehicle, failure to stay in his lane and failure to surrender proof of security charges.
As of Tuesday afternoon, he was still in police custody. He only had a small amount of bill, under $4000.
He was stopped by Las Vegas police after officers pulled him over for driving erratically. Apparently, he was driving onto curbs in the side of the road before they stopped him. He refused a breathalyzer, but they did apparently draw his blood.
This man, commonly known as BeastMode, play 12 seasons in the league and was a five time pro bowler.
Hopefully he is improving since this news broke, but he will have to contend with some legal maneuvering.
Speaking to Billboard, Willow admitted that the media fallout didn’t “rock me as much as my own internal demons.”
The 21-year-old continued: “I see my whole family as being human, and I love and accept them for all their humanness. Because of the position that we’re in, our humanness sometimes isn’t accepted, and we’re expected to act in a way that isn’t conducive to a healthy human life and isn’t conducive to being honest.”
What do as think is going on? Is C Tha God leaving? He has been doing a lot of work on TV. Envy has been doing a lot of car related stuff. I don’t see them having another iteration of the trio in the morning so they may be replacing them all.
I do not think they have aged out or anything like that. They are huge stars. Maybe this is just a representation of them outgrowing their current post.
It will remain a mystery until they speak further on it.
Clayton County has another force on their hands with buzzing artist Ross Taxin releasing his first music video of the year with legendary mixtape DJ host Trap-A-Holics.
This is arguably one of the most organic music videosRoss Taxin has released this year. In fact, a huge label budget was not even necessary to prepare this production. Ross Taxin gets a letter stating he needs to report to his probation office. After he’s finished, Ross goes home and shoots a music video in his “hood” detailing the latest happenings on the “southside”.
Ross Taxin wanted to make a special dedication to the legendary host Trap-A-Holics (@trap.a.holics), and he producer of the song, his longtime friend, Bunk (@heyybunk), and video director, Hunter Simich (@huntersimichimages). He says without them, none of this would have happened and they believed in him when everybody didn’t after his arrest in 2019.
The inspiration from the video comes from former 1017 artist Ola Runt. “Big bro always shot his videos in the hood. I didn’t have connects on greenscreens, thousand dollar stabilizers, or any of that high grade stuff”. Even when it comes to the recording process, Ross Taxin says he would prefer an intimate home studio over a professional commercial studio anyday.
In a rap game full of gimmicks, new listeners are relieved to finally be able to rest their eyes on a refreshing and entertaining artist who can provide the talent, flow and excitement with their music but with far less antics. Ross Taxin can be hilarious and offer comedic relief in one bar, then turn around and deliver a chilling, introspective rhyme about his past incarceration. The unpredictability in his cadence and flow will keep fans engaged throughout not only his song, but for his promising career moving forward.
Talib Kweli filed a lawsuit against the women’s website Jezebel, which published an article about his Twitter suspension in 2020.
According to court documents obtained by Pitchfork and The Daily Beast, the Black Star member accuses Jezebel of slandering him. He claims he lost jobs after the site ran a story titled “Talib Kweli’s Harassment Campaign Shows How Unprotected Black Women Are Online and Off.”
The veteran rapper insists he never harassed anyone despite his actions getting him suspended from Twitter. His lawsuit alleges Jezebel “caused negligent infliction of emotional distress.”
The lawsuit names writer Ashley Reese, Jezebel and the website’s parent company G/O Media as defendants. Talib Kweli says the story caused him to go into a depressive state and feel “discomfort around certain women due to being targeted.”
“On August 4, 2020, the article that G/O Media published for Jezebel downplayed Kweli’s facts,” he argues. “Instead, the magazine sided with Maya Moody and her opinions and turned it into an article slandering Talib Kweli. With over 30 paragraphs directed towards Talib Kweli, The publication used the name ‘Talib Kweli’ 100 times. The magazine took advantage of Talib and used him as a guinea pig to clarify how black men treat black women; meanwhile, the plaintiff never harassed anyone; he was defending himself and his family.”
The lawsuit seeks $300,000 in damages. Jezebel stands by its reporting and says the case has “no merit.” Ashley Reese, who wrote the story, no longer works for the website.
The Grammy-winning singer recalled a time when asked to grab Coco’s butt during a conversation with Ice-T. The gangsta rap pioneer responded by giving Ne-Yo permission to actually do it.
“I said, “Let me squeeze Coco’s booty one time,’” Ne-Yo remembered saying to Ice-T. “It was a Halloween party. I literally walked up to him – mind you, I had a couple drinks at this point … She had some s### on, right? I walked up to him and I was like, ‘Bro, all due respect, I wanted to squeeze Coco’s ass for a really long time.’ And he said, ‘You know what, and I’m just the kind of pimp to let you do it.’”
Ice-T then summoned his wife to grant Ne-Yo’s wish.
“He called [Coco] over, and he whispered something in her ear,” Ne-Yo noted. “And she looked at him and smiled, and then looked at me and smiled and turned around and bent that thing over. And I grabbed as much of a handful as I could. He gave me the pound. And we drank and hung out for the rest of the night. That was it.”
Drink Champs host N.O.R.E. shared a clip of Ne-Yo’s anecdote on Instagram. Ice-T confirmed the story in the post’s comments.
“True Story,” Ice-T wrote. “Hey it was a party.”
Ne-Yo’s Drink Champs episode drops on Thursday (August 11).
Wearing a bejeweled bikini and white fur-style coat, Tina walks through a crowd of fans as cameras flash.
“They done brought TINA SNOW TO THEE MF PYNKKKKKK tune tf in @pvalleystarz @starz (sic),” she wrote.
In the episode, Tina Snow and Lil Murda perform the brand-new song, “Get It On the Floor,” at the strip club. The track, which the duo wrote together, will appear on the P-Valley season two soundtrack when it is released on August 14th.
Tina Snow isn’t a random character name – it is Megan’s musical alter ego, her Twitter name, and the title of her 2018 EP.
Sharing a selfie with P-Valley writer and co-executive producer Patrik-Ian Polk on her Instagram Stories, Megan wrote, “I was shooting this on with my lastttt energy lol but I wanted to do it so bad I want them to bring Tina back season3.”
The writer revealed how difficult it was to get Megan involved, commenting, “Megan @theestallion is one of the hardest working people in show business. Making her appearance on #PValley happen in the midst of a sold-out tour as well as a host of other engagements was no small feat. But it was so worth it.”
The “Savage” hitmaker made her acting debut with the TV series “Good Girls” in 2020 and recently wrapped production on her debut movie “F***ing Identical Twins.”
MCM Raymond is only 23 years old and is already living out his dreams as a recording artist. Hailing from Inglewood, California, the rising star has been steadily inserting himself as a force to be reckoned with in the music industry, specifically on the streets of Los Angeles.
With his smooth bars, clever punchlines, and storytelling in his lyrics, it’s safe to say MCM Raymond is up next.
In describing himself, he states he’s just “a kid from Los Angeles, always on the move. Grinding, getting to it. A go-getter forreal.”
His name is directly inspired by the luxurious lifestyle he lives: MCM stands for Making Cash Money. Simultaneously, MCM Raymond was always known for wearing an MCM backpack during high school.
At age 12, MCM Raymond started making beats on Garageband… but it wasn’t long until he shifted his focus and efforts into formulating his rhymes over beats.
To date, MCM Raymond has a big moment with KingMostWanted on “In My City,” enlisted AzChike on “Rasta,” and most recently unveiled his newest single titled “Jimmy Choo Freestyle.”
The latter record pays homage to living the good life, unapologetic when it comes to his attitude and talents as a rapper.
Plus, fans have been going crazy recently on social media, with debates wondering whether he’s Cuban or not.
AllHipHop caught up with MCM Raymond in downtown Los Angeles to discuss his roots in LA, his dad getting him into music, Lil Tecca reaching out to him, freestyling versus writing, how “Rasta” with Azchike came to be, his relationship with KingMostWanted, forthcoming EP “Many Can’t Maintain,” and more!
AllHipHop: How would you describe your sound?
MCM Raymond: I’d say more melodic, but more fun. When you hear my music, I have varieties where you could either get turnt up to my set, or I got music where you can sit back, chill, and smoke to type music. My sound’s definitely melodic in a way.
AllHipHop: Talk about being from Inglewood, that’s where we’re originally from right?
MCM Raymond: Yeah, I was raised in Inglewood. I went to school in Culver City, so I really claim all of LA. I really bounced around in LA a lot, but I say Inglewood is my hometown. That’s where I first started.
AllHipHop: What does Inglewood mean to you?
MCM Raymond: We got both worlds: you got the bad side of Inglewood, then you got the fun times in Inglewood. I got a mixture of both. I’ll always f### with Inglewood, it was an experience forreal.
AllHipHop: Do you have a fondest memory?
MCM Raymond: Well, I got some homies that stayed in Inglewood. I used to go to their house to do music. We used to f### around on Garageband, do music, smoke. Or we used to go to the skate park in Inglewood. I used to skateboard when I was younger, so I used to skate over there.
AllHipHop: Who made you fall in love with music?
MCM Raymond: My dad actually, he’s a music producer. I’ve been around music since I was 5 or 6 years old. I used to go to my dad’s studio all the time. His studio sessions, I used to stay with him. I’d leave with him at 8pm, we wouldn’t get home until 5 in the morning. I really got into music from my dad for real. I was interested myself, I feel like took it further with it than him.
AllHipHop: Why didn’t he take it farther?
MCM Raymond: He still does music for himself. I know before I was born, he was doing music for big R&B artists like Smokey Robinson. He got nominated for a Grammy. When I came into the picture, he slowed/sat down in a way for him. But I’m living through his dream in a way, you know?
AllHipHop: I know you started out producing. Are you still producing?
MCM Raymond: Yeah, I’m still producing, but I started off being a straight producer. I never made a song, never put it all out there, nothing. I was producing for a lot of local LA artists, like Almighty Suspect was one of them. I produced a song for him. I was working with other producers that had names before me, like Yike Mike. It was all types of singles, then that led to me putting out my own music later on.
AllHipHop: What was that moment you said, “I want to try the rap thing”?
MCM Raymond: I always been rapping, I just felt like I never took it serious until after high school. At my high school, I was kind of known. “That’s that one dude that be rapping and s###,” whoopty whoop. I took it serious after high school.
AllHipHop: Did you work part-time jobs?
MCM Raymond: Yeah, I worked part-time jobs. After high school, my parents gave me a year off to chase my dreams or chase what I want to do. They said “if it doesn’t happen in a year, you gotta go back to school.” Unfortunately, it never happened when I wanted it to happen. I ended up going to Santa Monica College. I was working a part-time job with my grandma, my grandma gave me my first job. I was working there for a couple of months, but I was always putting out music. Finally my first song or second song hit, and I end up dropping out of school and not working. Really started doing music.
AllHipHop: Was there a moment that put you on?
MCM Raymond: When I dropped this one song called “Every Week,” it was my first song that got me out there. I had people like Lil Tecca reach out to me, and hop on the remix.
AllHipHop: Lil Tecca? That’s huge!
MCM Raymond: Lil Tecca actually reached out to me. He said he heard my song through a famous Instagram model, who was using my song. I asked who it was, he said he don’t know. He just heard my song, searched me up and looked me up. Found my Instagram.
He DMed me, and this is way before he came out with his song “Ransom.” He only had 50K followers at the time, I had 10K. It’s crazy because the day before he hit me up, I seen his video on WorldStar. WorldStar posted him. He DMed me randomly like “bro, I really f### with your s###. I’m tryna hop on the ‘Every Week’ remix.” S###, I’m like hell yeah! I made an open verse, sent it to him. He sent it right back in a week.
AllHipHop: What was the reaction when you heard it back?
MCM Raymond: He gassed it! He’s talented for real. He’s one of those artists I see already being the face of rap music, if he’s not already.
AllHipHop: I know you just released “Jimmy Choo Freestyle.” What inspired that record?
MCM Raymond: It was really a freestyle. I was in the car, I was on my way to the studio. The producer Omniimadethis sent me that beat on my way to the studio. I’m literally 10 minutes away from the studio, he send me the beat and I played it in the car. I instantly had lyrics to it, that’s why I call it a freestyle. It really wasn’t no topic, it was one of those songs I’m talking my s###.
AllHipHop: Do you freestyle or write?
MCM Raymond: I’m starting now to freestyle, because I only used to write. Freestyling came from me writing all the time, ideas flowing in my head. Most of the time, I write. It really depends on the beat for the song.
AllHipHop: You also linked with my guy Azchike on “Rasta.” How did that happen?
MCM Raymond: I’ve been knowing Chike for two years. We were already familiar, we already talked before hopping on the song so that came naturally. I was in the studio and I had an open verse I felt Azchike could gas on. I tapped in with him, sent it to him. He f##### with it. He said “that s### was hard,” sent it back to me. We ended up shooting the music video two weeks after we linked up.
AllHipHop: Best memory from the video shoot?
MCM Raymond: S###, just the vibe there. We were all turnt, had all my homies there. We were all lit for the video. We were all vibing for real, it was cool. I f##### with it.
AllHipHop: I know you’re tight with OTM too.
MCM Raymond: Yeah, OTM. I know bluepesoss and ayeeduffy. We haven’t really talked about music yet, but I know them through my brother. He went to school with them. We linked up with them once, this was before they officially joined the Stinc Team.
When I was talking to them, they were telling me how Drakeo was f###### with them. The homies was telling them like “yeah bro, keep going. Y’all really doing y’all s### for real.” One of my homies told them “watch, Drakeo and them going to f### with y’all.” They ended up joining them a week after. I’m proud of them, they doing their s###.
AllHipHop: Any conflicts with the Stinc Team?
MCM Raymond: Hell nah. The thing is, I don’t know really know nobody from the Stinc Team. I just know pesos and duffy. I f### with the Stinc Team, they got a big ass impact on the LA sound for real for real. Everybody back then & now are still listening to Drakeo. Ain’t no conflict. I just do good music. I’m trying to make an impact too in LA.
AllHipHop: New EP releasing August 19th, what can we expect?
MCM Raymond: I really took my time on this EP for real. This EP was really supposed to come out months before. I felt the songs that I was making while putting together the EP, that wasn’t on the EP, was better than the songs on the EP. It’s the first time I really took my time, instead of slapping 6 or 7 songs together. It’ll give people that old me, but a newer version in a way.
AllHipHop: What’s the project called?
MCM Raymond: It’s called Many Can’t Maintain, basically many can’t maintain their position. A lot of people end up blowing up or end up getting the opportunity where they can change their life, other people’s lives, and end up messing up because of certain things. It’s a common thing around me. I know a lot of people that got put in positions where they could change their whole situation, but end up messing it up because of certain things.
AllHipHop: Talk about making MCM hoodies with the album cover.
MCM Raymond: I teamed up with TMI (The Mentally Illest brand), we gon’ come out with 50 to 100 limited edition hoodies. It got the EP cover at the front, then it got the tracklist on the back. It’s some hard s###. We got the rhinestones as the drawstrings, we gon’ do some hard s###. They really gon’ f### with it.
AllHipHop: I actually interviewed KingMostWanted right here. Talk about linking with him on “In My City.”
MCM Raymond: King, we been knowing each other for a cool ass minute. “In My City” was really our first collab. How that came about, I remember King was in jail for a quick minute. But that time he was in jail, he was dropping music. One of the songs was “In My City,” then the other song was “Different Varieties” that I produced too. When he came out, his manager Adrian had told me he wanted me to make the beat for the songs he had. So he sent me a video of him beating on the table to “In My City.”
From there, I already had an idea of the beat. We hopped on FaceTine and created that whole beat. I sent it to him, then he hit me back on the tip like “I need you to hop on the second verse.” I’m on the tip like “hell yeah, I’ll hop on the second verse. That’s nothing.” That’s really how the song came about.
AllHipHop: Talk about producing for Blueface and Mike Sherm.
MCM Raymond: My boy Yike Mike, he knows Blueface. He produced “Next Big Thing” for Blueface, so I really got that connection to him. He was in the studio session one day with Blueface. He was going through hella beats with Blueface, I guess he came across my beat with Yike Mike. Me and Yike Mike collabed on a beat, he heard the beat and was f###### with it. Yike Mike told me,” I’m like oh s### that’s crazy. Bro had posted a preview to it on his Story. I just remember people sending me it, telling me “this yo beat.” That’s how it really came about, through Yike Mike.
Mike Sherm, I met him through KingMostWanted because I produced “Different Varieties.” I met him at the “Different Varieties” video shoot. He real cool, I f### with bro. He’s humble. I can tell he’s about his business too. He was f###### with me, so we followed each other on the Gram. He found out I make my own music too, he f#### with it. We’re going to have some s### too, soon.
AllHipHop: What can we expect from your new single, “Come Back”?
MCM Raymond: “Come Back,” that’s going to be one of them ones. It’s a song that everybody’s missing in LA. There’s so much s### going on in LA: people dying, gangbanging, all types of s###. This more of a fun song, a real fun party song. It’s going one of them ones for sure.
AllHipHop: What do you want people to get from your story?
MCM Raymond: Don’t give up on your dream, just keep grinding. I’m heavily into the Law of Attraction. Once you put something in the universe: you work for it, it’s going to come. If anybody has a dream that has to chase it, keep chasing it. It’s not going to happen when you need it to happen, it’s all part of God’s plan at the end of the day.
AllHipHop: Do you have any goals for yourself?
MCM Raymond: Really I want to grow my name and my brand, outside of LA. Hit other cities, states, really worldwide for real. That’s my goal with this music.
AllHipHop: What do you like to do when you’re not working?
MCM Raymond: It’s crazy because people think I like to go to clubs, I don’t really be in the clubs. I like chillin’ with my people, we be smoking and s###. We hop on the game. I like to go shopping a lot, to get clothes. Really just chill, I like to be to myself.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let the people know?
MCM Raymond: I got more s### coming after the EP: single, video. Big features too! Letting them know I got more s### coming.
