Latto is “eating and sleeping” in the studio while she works on new music.
During a recent interview for Billboard, the “Big Energy” rapper – real name Alyssa Stephens – confirmed that she is about to drop some fresh tracks.
“I’ve been in the studio every day. Eating, sleeping in the studio. New music on the way,” she smiled. “Bigger, better visuals, more versatility, more bars, more punchlines. Baby, the pen works.”
Latto didn’t detail when she plans to unveil her new music.
However, she admitted that the positive fan reaction to her single “Lottery” “feels so good.”
“(The fans) they just be here for anything I do at this point,” the 24-year-old smiled.
Elsewhere in the conversation, Latto promoted her new Apple Music 1 show, 777 Radio, which launched on Thursday.
“It started with an interview at Apple Music with my girl Nadeska and it was like, ‘She gotta be on her own show or whatever.’ They had reached out with some schmoney and I said, ‘Oh yeah!'” she added.
Howell Wayans, patriarch of the Wayans family, has died.
On Saturday, Marlon Wayans took to Instagram to announce that his father had died at the age of 86.
Alongside a sweet photo of himself and Howell embracing at an event, Marlon shared the advice his dad gave him about what it means to be a man.
“(He told me), ‘A man takes care of himself and his responsibilities. His family is always FIRST.’ From that day on I wanted to be a MAN,” the 50-year-old wrote. “Thank you Pop for being an example of a Man to all your boys. I pray all young black boys can grow up to be a Man like you. Baby boy loves you. And if ever i need you i know exactly where to find you… in my Bible that now sits by bed. Rest well.”
Marlon also asked Howell to “kiss ma for me” – referring to the passing of his mother Elvira in 2020.
“Tell her her babies miss her. I got two angels. I feel y’all lifting me already. If there’s a heaven i know you sitting in VIP sippin’ the best wine jesus can make…,” he added.
Howell and Elvira were parents to 10 children. Other members of the show business family include Damon, Keenen Ivory, and Shawn Wayans.
Usher was one of the headliners for the 2023 iteration of the Dreamville Festival that took place in Raleigh over the weekend. His set just so happened to fall on April Fool’s Day, so the R&B great decided to have some fun with the audience. Stepping into the spotlight, Usher grabbed the mic and said he had a “special surprise.” He then announced Beyoncé would be joining him onstage. The crowd went wild and waited in anticipation for several seconds. Usher looked toward the side of the stage like he was waiting, too. He eventually returned and coyly said, “April Fool’s.”
Usher shared a video of the prank to his social media with the caption, “It’s still April 1st right? @dreamvillefest.” He added both a shrug and laughing emoji for emphasis.
Dreamville Festival took place on Saturday (April 1) and Sunday (April 2). In addition to Usher, the first night included performances by Lil Durk, Ari Lennox and City Girls, among others. The second night boasted a co-headlining set from J. Cole and Drake along with Summer Walker, J.I.D, GloRilla, Bas, Waka Flocka Flame and more. Watch a clip of Usher’s prank above.
Offset is clearly struggling with the sudden loss of Migos member Takeoff, who was fatally shot last November. On Saturday (April 1), Offset—also Takeoff’s cousin—shared a tweet that read: “Never thought life be this f##### up. LLTake [rocket emoji]. I can’t drop music also.”
He added, “Black ppl holding black ppl back.” One can only assume he’s talking about Quality Control Music. In August 2022, Offset sued QC for allegedly claiming ownership of his recent solo releases despite Offset buying back the rights in a 2021 deal, for which he “paid handsomely.”
PerVariety, based on a settlement agreement from January 2021, “Offset and Quality Control terminated the Production Agreement with respect to Offset’s solo recording services, and Offset became the sole owner of all rights, title and interest in and to his services as a solo recording artist, entertainer and songwriter.”
A rep for Quality Control replied with the following graphic, which read: “Not only are the accusations in this lawsuit false, they are totally detached from realty. Offset remains a part of QC.”
As for Offset’s reaction to Takeoff’s death, Cardi B explained what happened the night he found out during an appearance on the Jason Lee Show in January.
“Offset picked up the phone, and he’s just like ‘No!’ screaming,” she said, adding he kept screaming “No!” repeatedly. When Cardi asked Offset what was going on, he replied, “Takeoff is dead,” at which point she “smacked him.” Offset continued screaming and eventually vomited.
“I was just like ‘Don’t say that,'” she said. “He’s just like screaming. Throwing things. Throwing up, Running all over […] I was just crying so much. It was terrible.” Takeoff was just 26.
Cardi B speaks out about her and Offset finding out about Takeoff’s death in a new interview with Jason Lee. pic.twitter.com/Ph4QdwwZ1A
Ice-T is typically lighthearted on social media, posting a flurry of jokes, words of advice and memes on any given day. But on Sunday (April 2), he shared what he labeled a “serious post.” As the Law & OrderSVU actor explained, his friend’s nephew is missing.
He wrote: “My good friend’s nephew has been missing for a week.. He asked me to post this for him. Thank you.”
Ice-T also shared a “Missing” poster with a photo of the young man, Sean Mercedes. It reads: “The above pictured individual, Sean Mercedes, was last seen at his residence, located at 3034 Albany Crescent, Apt 1D, Bronx, NY at approximately 0430 hours on March 24, 2023. He was wearing a black jacket, black pants and black boots. Anyone with information regarding the above subject please notify Det. Andrew Greges at 718-543-6134 or Detective Borough Bronx at 718-378-8083.”
Ice-T recently suffered a loss of his own when longtime SVU actor Richard Belzer died. He expressed his sorrow last month during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
“It’s hard to talk about Belzer without being funny,” he smiled. “Belzer got me real quick. He says, ‘Ice-T, you’re going to be my partner. You know what I look for in a script?’ I’m like, ‘What?’ He goes, ‘Days off.’
“‘We’re both nightclub entertainers. We both don’t like working late, and we don’t like working much. Me and you will be great partners.’ I said, ‘Well Belzer, you’re Jewish and I’m Black, so if the Klan come, I just gotta outrun you.’ I love Belzer, man.”
Ja Rule has responded to longtime rival 50 Cent, who recently addressed the curse Ja put on the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2019. Last week, 50 Cent announced a new partnership with the NBA team and his Sire Spirits brand. The business mogul quickly headed to the blistering cold state where he vowed to undo Ja Rule’s handiwork. On Friday (March 31), 50 Cent hit the Timberwolves court and made a video about the Murder Inc. rapper.
“There’s a curse on the Timberwolves because somebody made a mistake and let Ja Rule perform at the halftime show,” he says in the clip. “And it was the worst s### that ever happened. Right? But what happened is he cursed the Timberwolves. So, now we’re gonna get rid of the Timberwolves curse. I’ve got a whole ritual planned to break the curse. So everybody get ready to follow it. You gonna get a chance to see what I do when the curse is broken. Timberwolves, let’s go. On three. One, two…[claps].”
Ja Rule soon popped up in 50 Cent’s Instagram comments and wrote, “#RENTFREE. Only thing Curtis lifting is his skirt. 50 been on my d**k. He love my style lmao! And now the curse has been extended.”
Ja Rule originally handed down the curse in 2019 following the disastrous halftime performance. He said at the time: “Y’all really be on my d**k. Let’s be CLEAR. My sound was f##### up at first and didn’t come on when it was supposed to. But I rocked that b*tch… thanks for the love Milwaukee!!! Great win my streak continues.”
Then the Timberwolves weighed in, tweeting, “We too were hustled, scammed, bamboozled, hood winked, lead astray!!!!”
Ja Rule replied, “You just jinx yourself talking to the GOD this way. Your CURSED NOW!!!! You won’t in a championship for the next 30 years…AND KAT IS LEAVING!! Apologize and I’ll lift the CURSE! Kiss of death.”
Timberwolves are currently ranked No. 9 in the league with 39 wins and 39 losses. Only time will tell if 50 Cent’s curse cleanse worked.
A judge has denied Nicki Minaj’s bid to sanction Jennifer Hough’s lawyer over wild accusations presented to the judge overseeing the case.
Hough was suing Nicki and her husband, Kenneth Petty, for harassment, alleging they pressured her into recanting her 1994 rape allegations against Petty.
Hough claims she was offered $500,000 to drop the case and that Nicki and Kenneth hired private detectives to track her down, harass her daughter, and force her to move between states out of fear for her life.
The rap star claimed she was subjected to bad publicity, and wasted over $300,000 to defend herself, even though she was ultimately dropped from the lawsuit due to a lack of court jurisdiction since she lives in Los Angeles while the complaint was filed in New York.
Nicki also claimed Blackburn made defamatory statements, including claims that she and Kenneth were members of a merciless New York gang, the Makk Baller Brims.
Blackburn claimed Nicki’s team had unauthorized communications with Gordon, who allegedly had a drug problem, in hopes of convincing Blackburn to drop the lawsuit.
Nicki Minaj’s lawyer, Judd Burstein, argued that these accusations were “inexcusable and wholly unsupported.”
However, today (March 30th), the court found that Blackburn’s initial pursuit of a motion for default judgment against Nicki was not sanctionable.
“The court does not find [Hough’s] decision to pursue a motion for default judgment against [Nicki] sanctionable, notwithstanding [Nicki’s] claim that the motion lacked merit. Here, [Hough] did not have an obligation to withdraw her motion for default judgment against Nicki simply because counsel for [Nicki] considered the motion ‘frivolous,'” Judge James R. Cho ruled.
Judge Cho also determined that Blackburn’s letters containing inflammatory comments about Nicki and Burstein did not warrant sanctions, even if they were offensive.
While Nicki’s legal team claimed that this conduct was “creepy,” “weird,” and “beneath the dignity of this profession,” the judge did not find it to be grounds for sanctioning. Though antagonistic, the legal spat did not interfere with the court’s power to manage its calendar and the courtroom.
However, the court reminded Blackburn that, as an attorney, he is held to a higher standard of conduct during these proceedings.
“Blackburn should not take the denial of the motion for sanctions as in any way endorsing his behavior,” Judge Cho said.
In recent months, the singer-songwriter – Solána Rowe – has appeared in a SKIMS campaign and teamed up with designers at Champion on a line of sustainably made sweaters.
And in an interview for issue 22 of CR Fashion Book, SZA revealed that she has set her sights on doing more fashion design.
“I feel like designing is in my nature. And I’m gonna continue to do that,” she said.
SZA went on to note that she has always been interested in fashion and credited her mother with instilling a passion for clothes and accessories in her, even though she is much more “conservative”.
“I still thought (her clothing) was cool because it was thrift, and things that come from places with culture and history are more important than a name brand. And I think that was taught to me through my mom, because I love all of her…like a small copper ring that she got from Nigeria,” the 33-year-old continued. “And she would add it to her outfit, and it just made so much more sense than anything that she could have purchased here, and I’m like, damn, okay, I get it. It’s energy, it’s all just energy. That’s what makes them fly.”
The world was stunned by the death of legendary rapper Tupac Shakur in 1996, leaving behind a trail of unsolved mysteries and conspiracy theories.
As the highly anticipated documentary “Dear Mama” prepares to air on F/X on April 21st, the focus shifts to the darker side of the music industry and the role its executives played in Tupac’s tragic downfall.
Leila Steinberg, Tupac’s former manager, recently spoke to the hosts of SiriusXM’s “The Last Mile Radio,” discussing the upcoming documentary and its focus on being honest about certain aspects of Tupac’s life.
Steinberg opened up about the mistakes made during Tupac’s career, admitting that the music industry and its executives were significant factors in his collapse.
“I have to sit here as someone who was close to Tupac until his death, who was present many times when I no longer worked with him in a managerial capacity,” Leila Steinberg said. “I was at lots of video shoots that he did. I was in the studio at Can-Am when he was with Suge. And this industry is so destructive that if I point the finger, I would say that executives and this industry had more to do with his collapse than anything.”
Steinberg revealed that Alan Hughes, the director of “Dear Mama,” reached out to her last year with a vision for a five-part series on F/X.
According to Steinberg, Hughes’ goal was to create an honest and healing piece about Tupac’s life and those around him, including herself. She acknowledged that Tupac, known for his passion and emotion, often acted out of anger, leading to further complications in his life and career.
While reflecting on her time with Tupac, Steinberg took responsibility for the mistakes made during his rise to fame as well.
“We really blew it. We made a lot of mistakes. Tupac was not always right. Matter of fact, he was so passionate and so emotional and so often not emotionally literate, not able to control his emotions. And so he let his anger speak first, and then later he would apologize or acknowledge things…and so if we’re gonna heal, we have to be honest,” Steinberg said.
“Dear Mama,” which is executive produced by Quincy Delight Jones III (QD3), Nelson George, and others, promises to be an unflinching and revealing exploration of the many factors that led to Tupac Shakur’s tragic and untimely death.
Trevor Noah has been announced as the host of South African comedy show “LOL: Last One Laughing.”
The former “Daily Show” host has signed on to host his native country’s version of “LOL: Last One Laughing,” an unscripted comedy series that challenges 10 comedians to make each other laugh while keeping a straight face themselves.
“I’m excited to be back home to host Prime Video’s first South African Original, ‘LOL: Last One Laughing,’ and to have a chance to connect with my home audience,” Trevor said in a statement, reports Variety. “I am equally delighted for the opportunity to be working alongside my fellow home-grown comedy stars on a show that not only entertains but gives back to the South African production and charity communities.”
The winner walks away with $50,000 for a South African charity of their choosing.
“We are delighted to be announcing Trevor’s momentous return home to South Africa as the host of Prime Video’s first South African Original, ‘LOL: Last One Laughing,'” added Ned Mitchell, Prime Video’s Head of Originals, Africa and Middle East. “Comedy, in all its forms, shines among South Africa’s most valuable treasures. Together with an A-list roster of this country’s incredible home-grown comedic talent competing for a great charitable cause, Trevor and Prime Video are demonstrating the depth of our shared ambition to invest and elevate the very best of South Africa for audiences locally and around the world.”
The six-part series has been set for a 2024 release. The “LOL” franchise has been launched in more than 20 international territories.
During an appearance on James Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke,” the rapper shared he had decided against dating celebrities after using Raya.
“I used to use Raya,” the rapper – whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill – revealed. “I think I stopped using Raya… It just like, fell off for me and I just started to meet people in person.”
Raya is a membership-based dating and networking app designed for celebrities and influencers. The app was launched in 2015 and is available on Apple devices.
“Raya is just very famous, everyone’s famous on there. I’ve met quite a few famous guys,” Lil Nas X continued. “I think I’ve come to know that I don’t like dating famous people.”
Asked if anyone he’s spoken to on the app has appeared on “Carpool Karaoke,” he replied, “For sure,” but clarified, “I’m not going to tell you” names.
Later, the rapper joked that he had matched with Michael Bublé, saying, “Yeah, yeah. You caught me. Could you imagine? Michael Bublé is gay?”
The former exotic dancer and sex symbol has even been baptized, publicly declaring her faith.
Now, people want to know if she made another big move and took a vow of celibacy.
Angela White (no longer Blac Chyna) told Sway from “Sway in the Morning” she quickly said, “No.”
“Listen, I ain’t trying to have no attitude, now,” she added.
White said she made such a drastic change because of her two children King (by Tyga) and Dream (by Rob Kardashian).
In March on the “Jason Lee Show,” she revealed, “I’m just changing everything about me. It’s a dead end. All that stuff is a dead end, and I know that I’m worth way more than that.”
In addition to the personal changes, she has also made some business adjustments. She deactivated her OnlyFans account. She launched the for-pay peep show in 2021 and earned $240 million in that one year. She allegedly was making about $20 million a year.
It’s April’s Fools Day and the Pittsburgh Steelers decided to get in on the action. On Saturday (April 1), the team announced they’d signed “wide receiver” Calvin Broadus Jr., professionally known as Snoop Dogg. The team showed Snoop catching a pass and provided a link to the “press release” about the new acquisition. When fans clicked the link, however, it went to Snoop holding a piece of white paper that read, “April Fool’s!”
Even the NFL’s official Twitter accounted joined the fun, adding, “Reigning Pro Bowl Games Captain finds a new home.”
We have agreed to terms with WR Calvin Broadus Jr.
Perhaps the funniest part about the entire scenario is it wouldn’t be out of the question for Snoop to add another title to his résumé. The multi-faceted artist is a modern day renaissance man in every sense of the word. From commercials and albums to his acquisition of Death Row Records, it seems there’s nothing Snoop can’t do.
Given the fact he’s now 51 years old might put a wrench in a professional sports career, but who knows? Maybe he’ll end up owing the Pittsburgh Steelers. Snoop opened up about his Steelers fandom in 2010, which was inspired by his grandfather.
“It was in the ’70s watching them on television battle the Raiders,” he told Steelers.com at the time. “In California it was the Raiders or the Steelers and everyone was choosing the Raiders. I just couldn’t go with what everyone was going with. I wanted to go with the Steelers. I loved their attitude and the way they played and went out and won. I became a fan in the ’70s and have been riding with them ever since.”
I do not know precisely what is wrong between Troy Ave and Maino, but it is pretty real. Let’s get into a bit. Long story short, Troy Ave has been more-or-less celebrating that former podcaster Taxstone getting convicted of manslaughter.
Maino maintains Tax was chilling in a green room. And he was there. Troy has been releasing a steady stream of content with regard to this and they both have a very different point of view. SOOOO…Maino breaks out with a video that unearths an old chain that was once Troy Ave’s allegedly. There is much commentary around this Jesus Piece.
Maino says, “I been holding this because I figured at some point, I’d have to put you back in your place. This is your Jesus piece. This is the Jesus piece that you wore every single day. You got up, you went to video shoots with, you got up, you put this around your neck.
“You went to parties with this, you went to industry events with this. You did shows with this on. You took a lot of pictures with this on right here. Anybody that’s watching this can easily find pictures of this same chain around your neck.”
“The significant thing about this chain is, because I don’t want people to think, ‘Oh, Maino grimy, he got his chain.’ This is the chain that Troy Ave was wearing when he got into his scuffle at Irving Plaza. And the reason why I held this chain is, not because I didn’t want to give it back, but because I just felt like maybe one day I’d have to step on him and remind him of who he really is.”
“This chain is fake. The reason why I’ve been pointing this chain out is because you’ve been a liar since day one. You’ve built a small career on lies. You’ve built everything on lies.”
So…this video is 30 minutes long. Maino had time! He refutes that Troy Ave took the gun from Tax in that fateful moment that got Troy’s own bodyguard killed.
Maino stated, “Your reasons for telling is because what. It’s for two reasons. You wanted to get out of that situation with the guns you was caught with, right? That was your motivation for getting on the stand. Most people don’t know that in order to win that lawsuit, you gotta be a victim. You worked out a deal with the D.A. to get one year, when you were facing way more than that with the guns that you had. That’s the reason why you told.”
Troy dropped a new song trolling the whole situation.
No, we are not laughing at this situation, but we are saying that our podcast with Maino is amazing! By the way, I do know what is going on, but I just ain’t saying more than need to say.
Celebrity jeweler Ben Baller is calling it quits with his wife, Nicole Lacson, after more than a decade together. Baller made the announcement on Friday (March 31) via Instagram.
“As some of you may or may not know, the last 2 months have been the hardest, worst and darkest time of my entire life,” he wrote. “I was blindsided by some unfortunate news and I tried to fight as hard as I could, but I gotta take this L. So after 13 years, me and Nicolette are parting ways and this is for the best. I do not hate her. She gave us 3 beautiful children and she changed my life forever and made me a better man.
“You know for the last 10+ years of being a husband and father has been the epitome of my brand. But now it’s time to focus on my kids, work and my health. Please respect our privacy. The back 9 begins tomorrow.”
Baller turned the comments off on the post but racked up nearly 70,000 likes in the last 12 hours.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CqqSyTvJK8v/
Baller married Lacson in 2012. The Seattle-born model spent her formative years in Los Angeles but not much is known about her. According to BuzzAfrica, the couple met in 2009 and started dating a few months later. Baller reportedly popped the question the following year. Their wedding was originally scheduled for 2011 in Santa Monica but was postponed after Baller’s best man died. They had three children: London, Ryder and Kaia.
6ix9ine was brutally assaulted at an L.A. Fitness in South Florida last month. The controversial rapper was sent to the hospital with fractured ribs and a hemorrhage in his eye, among other cuts and bruises. He needed an MRI and several other tests to determine the extent of his injuries. But some people are accusing 6ix9ine of staging the whole attack.
On Friday (March 31), 6ix9ine addressed the incident for the first time since it happened alongside video of the assault.
In the comments, some people had questions. One asked, “Why do I feel this is staged? Who’s recording tho and how did he get the footage?” Another said, “Oh snap so that was all promo?” Yet another wrote, “I think those dudes were paid.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CqeG0JLJit2/?hl=en
6ix9ine claimed in the caption he’s been “walking around with no security” for two years. He says, in this case, it “wasn’t fair.” He continued, “What happen here was nothing but cowardly. I’m not mad this happened. In the street there’s no rules so I cant say they were wrong. Obviously it wasn’t fair but again the streets has no rules. Just imagine having nothing to do to with a situation and feel obligated to make it your business. (Very weird) I’m happy to be here still. And I want to say I love my fans. Thank you. P.S : I never knew we respected jumping people. When did that ever become a W???”
One of the suspects arrested for the assault is reportedly a high-ranking member of the Latin Kings. According to TMZ, Rafael Medina Jr. is a president of the Palm Beach County Chapter of the Latin Kings.
Medina, Octavious Medina and Anthony Maldonado were taken into custody on Thursday (March 30). They face assault and robbery charges.
Judge Greg Mathis has responded to 50 Cent, who recently criticized a new film called The First Lady of BMF: The Story of Tonesa Welch. The film, directed by 50 Cent’s ex Vivica A. Fox, is executive produced by Mathis and Azarel Smallwood. Mathis clearly took offense to 50 Cent’s comments and addressed them in an Instagram video.
“You’ve been critical of us and our movie, First Lady of BMF,” he begins. “Man, you my guy. Let Tonesa eat. You know, first lady of BMF. I know LaLa’s doing a hell of a job, but y’all haven’t fed Toni. First lady of BMF, Terry’s lady for many decades. Southwest T. I’m from Detroit, they from Detroit. That’s how I’m involved. We are Detroiters, man. We come from the same cloth. I just got out of the street 10 years earlier than you. I respect you, man. I respect your work. Now let us get some money, man. Good luck on all your endeavors. You’re doing a helluva job. Now let us get some of that money with you, particularly Tonesa Welch, the first lady of BMF.”
He then told 50 Cent to “stop it.” He added in the caption: I’M SENDING THIS TO MY GUY @50cent WHO HAS BEEN CRITICAL OF OUR MOVIE ‘THE FIRST LADY OF BMF.'”
50 Cent called out Fox and Judge Mathis on Thursday evening (March 30), writing on Instagram, “This should say 263 not BMF,’ he wrote, suggesting Welch was the First Lady of the offshoot organization 263 rather than BMF itself.
“What the f### is this man! Vivica ugh, So your not gonna ever leave me alone hun? and what the f### is judge Mathis doing in this mix I’m done, Im done with all of you ni66as. LOL.”
50 Cent is behind the STARZ series Black Mafia Family, which debuted in September 2021. It stars Russell Hornsby, Demetrius Flenory Jr., Da’Vinchi and La La Anthony, among many others.
The wife of one of the men who attacked Tekashi 6ix9ine while he was in a public gym sauna has started a crowdfunding campaign to help raise money for his legal fees. The money will not only be used for her husband but for the other men that jumped the artist.
Jaime Medina created the GoFundMe account on Friday, March 31.
In 21 hours, the campaign only raised $10 out of its original $100,000 goal.
She wrote, “The go fund me is for everybody involved.”
“My husband is Rafeal Medina,” the woman wrote. “I can’t talk much about the situation because it’s still on going, but my husband stood up for what he believes in— which unfortunately, ended in an altercation. It didn’t have anything to do with clout, my husband doesn’t even have social media.”
According to the wife, the internet made up “false assumptions,” regarding why her husband and the other men jumped the rapper.
“Rafeal is a hard-working, loving father and husband, who made a mistake; There are no excuses, but we are hoping that during this time, we can come together, support and donated to the GoFundMe for the entire cause and for the attorney fees,” she said.
Jamie Medina also asked people to “refrain from the negativity” because “there’s enough of that already.”
She ended the paragraph by thanking people for “all of the support.” The wife also listed her CashApp for people who wanted to give their donations to her directly.
J Dilla’s estate may stop Black Sheep’s Dres from releasing a project produced by the late Hip-Hop legend.
Maureen Yancey, the mother of J Dilla, and legal representative Michelle Harris-Coleman toldRolling Stone they haven’t authorized a collaboration with Dres. The Black Sheep rapper claimed he received Yancey’s blessing when discussing the album in March.
“Anything Dres is doing on his side, we need to make sure the music is put aside and no one else can use it—and that’s the problem,” Harris-Coleman said. “I have not listened to the music. I don’t think Ma has listened to the music. If Toney [Ma’s husband] has listened to the music, he has not given me the green light.”
According to Harris-Coleman, Dres reached out to Yancey’s label years ago about creating an album with J Dilla beats. No deal was reached before Harris-Coleman faced personal turmoil, including her mother’s cancer diagnosis. When she returned to the fold, she discovered some type of deal had been made.
“I come back in, and there’s a deal,” Harris-Coleman explained. “I said, ‘No, there’s no deal. There are no signed agreements. There’s no anything.’ I’ve been kind of disturbed about how Dres keeps doing interviews about this, and the terms have not been signed off by all parties. Are there negotiations? Yes. But I told him to stop all this.”
The Dres collaboration remains in limbo, but J Dilla’s estate confirmed an agreement to bring Jay Dee’s music to the Stem Player. The device initially gained recognition for its association with Kanye West. Stem’s parent company cut ties with Ye in 2022.
Rap star French Montana has yet to see a dime from one of his best-known hits, according to court documents obtained by AllHipHop.com.
The rapper has been locked in a battle with an independent producer named Eddie Lee Richardson, who claims French Montana and Rico Love stole the beat and the concept for their song “Ain’t Worried About Nothin'” from his song “Hood Pushin’ Weight.”
Earlier this week, a judge gave the leg up in the lawsuit and throughout two critical components of Lee’s case.
First, the court ruled that French was innocent of willful copyright infringement because Lee failed to establish direct evidence that the rapper or anyone else involved in the production of “Aint Worried About Nothin'” copied the melody for “Hood Pushin’ Weight.”
Lee’s two remaining accusations—that French Montana infringed on his copyright in “Hood Pushin’ Weight” willfully and that he is entitled to injunctive relief barring the Bronx rapper from performing “Aint Worried About Nothin'” in the future were denied.
But the most shocking part of the legal battle came via an admission from French’s legal team. The rapper claims he hasn’t made any money from the hit song, which is certified platinum by the RIAA.
Even the judge was perplexed.
“Somehow—the record does not make entirely clear why – [French Montana] himself has received $0 in compensation “for sales of [Aint Worried About Nothin’ by distributors” and $0 from any “performances of…’ Aint Worried About Nothin’. Although the court is somewhat perplexed by these claims, [Lee] does not dispute them, and the court will not question them further,” Judge Nancy L. Maldonado wrote.
According to Lee, on October 7th, 2012, he uploaded his instrumental “Hood Pushin’ Weight” to SoundClick.com, a platform for distributing and sharing audio content online, allowing users to upload, promote, and share their work.
Fast forward to April 15th, 2013, approximately six months later, French Montana released the smash hit “Ain’t Worried About Nothin’.” The song quickly gained popularity, reaching number ten on the Billboard charts and leading to collaborations with prominent figures in the music industry, such as Lil Wayne, Puff Daddy, Wiz Khalifa, Miley Cyrus, and The Game.
On May 7th, 2013, French Montana shared the official music video for the song on his YouTube channel, accumulating over 93 million views to date.
Lee said he heard French’s version of the song and reached out to the rapper, who replied and said that while he wrote the lyrics, Rico Love and another group of producers were responsible for making the instrumental for the smash hit.
While French won a significant victory in the case, the rapper is still not in the clear.
Judge Maldonado ruled that the Copyright Act’s three-year limitations period restricts the scope of liability in the case to acts of infringement occurring after April 5th, 2016.
And, because French acknowledged that he received notification of potential infringement, only a jury can decide whether his conduct after receiving the warning was reasonable.
The court said Lee has enough proof to sue French Montana for every time he performed the song after April 5th, 2016. According to French Montana, he has performed the song at least 378 times since then.
