According to reports, music star Lizzo partnered with the Dove Self-Esteem Project, Common Sense Media, and Parents Together Action to back the 2023 Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA).
“Social media is supposed to be a place where people can express themselves and be a source for beauty and confidence, not anxiety, that’s why I’m partnering with Dove again and calling on platforms to do more to make social media safe for young people,” stated Lizzo.
The Special album creator also added, “Seeing the negative impact social media is having on youth mental health today is devastating and has to stop. Join us and use your voice to help make a change.”
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal and Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn introduced the Kids Online Safety Act bill in the U.S. Senate. The legislation’s stated goal is to help protect minors on social media from self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, substance abuse, and sexual exploitation.
“Even after being confronted with compelling evidence of the damage their platforms can inflict, Big Tech remains unwilling to change. The Kids Online Safety Act will address those harms,” said Senator Blackburn.
Additionally, Senator Blumenthal said, “The Commerce Committee’s markup of the Kids Online Safety Act will bring us closer to holding Big Tech accountable for putting profits above kids’ safety.”
Fight For The Future Calls On Lizzo To Meet With LGBTQ Experts About KOSA
However, some LGBTQ activists are pushing back on the Kids Online Safety Act. Fight for the Future launched an open letter campaign calling on Lizzo to end her support for the bi-partisan legislation.
“We are writing to you as fans and supporters of your work to tell you ‘Exactly How I Feel’ and to express our concern about your support for the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA),” reads Fight for the Future’s letter addressed to Lizzo.
The open letter continues, “While we appreciate your dedication to empowering young people, making them feel ‘Special,’ and your thoughtful comments on the harms of social media, we fear that you have been misled about this legislation, which would harm youth rather than helping them.”
According to Fight for the Future, numerous LGBTQ rights, human rights, and civil rights organizations oppose the Kids Online Safety Act. Groups such as the ACLU, American Library Association, and GLAAD signed another letter expressing opposition to KOSA.
Fight for the Future’s open letter to Lizzo also reads, “KOSA could even restrict your own feminist and body-positive content from being shown to minors. If social media companies become legally liable for recommending a broad area of content to children, they will simply suppress all such content for kids, rather than determining which content is ‘positive’ and which is ‘harmful.'”
In addition, Fight for the Future argues that KOSA could cause censorship of LGBTQ content and prevent kids from having access to vital online resources around body positivity, healthy relationships, and other topics. The protest group also called on Lizzo to meet with human rights and LGBTQ experts to discuss the concerns about KOSA.
Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith, and Adrienne Banfield-Norris’s Red Table Talk needs a new distributor. Facebook Watch will no longer broadcast the talk show after five seasons.
According to Deadline, the Meta-owned Facebook Watch is abandoning its lineup of original programming. That means series such as the Westbrook Studios-produced Red Table Talk have been canceled.
Plus, Meta’s Head of Development and Programming, Mina Lefevre, will be leaving the company. It appears Facebook wants to shift its focus to creating VR experiences in Meta Horizon Worlds.
Red Table Talk premiered in May 2018 and quickly became a headline-creating source of pop culture news. Past guests on the Daytime Emmy and NAACP Image award-winning show include Gabrielle Union, Tiffany Haddish, Kid Cudi, Jordyn Woods, T.I. & Tameka “Tiny” Harris, and Lauren London.
One of the most-viral episodes of Red Table Talk featured married celebrity couple, Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith. Viewers from around the world tuned in to see Will’s reaction to the gossip surrounding Jada’s so-called “entanglement” with R&B singer August Alsina.
That conversation between Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith spawned the “Sad Will” memes that took over the internet. The “Jada Brings Herself to the Table” installment of Red Table Talk amassed more than 39 million views on Facebook.
In addition to Pinkett Smith’s RTT, Facebook Watch also presented other original series like Steve Harvey’s Steve on Watch, Taraji P. Henson’s Piece of Mind, Tom Brady’s Tom vs. Time, Post Malone’s Celebrity World Pong League, and Cardi B’s Cardi Tries.
Louisville, Kentucky-bred rapper Jack Harlow will let loose his third studio album this week. Jackman lands on DSPs on Friday, April 28.
Jack Harlow announced the forthcoming music project on his official social media pages. The 25-year-old musician/actor simply tweeted, “Jackman. My new album. Out this Friday 4/28.”
Previously, Harlow released the Platinum-certified Thats What They All Say in 2020 and the Gold-certified Come Home the Kids Miss You in 2022. CHTKMY scored a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album in 2023.
Jack Harlow also received 2023 Grammy nominations for the Hot 100 chart-topping “First Class” single (Best Melodic Rap Performance) and the “Churchill Downs” single featuring Drake (Best Rap Song).
In addition to dropping a new studio LP, Harlow is also preparing for the premiere of the White Men Can’t Jump remake. The Calmatic-directed motion picture will stream on the Hulu platform beginning May 19.
Generation Now co-founder DJ Drama is overseeing the White Men Can’t Jump soundtrack. The Atlanta-based record company serves as the label home of Jack Harlow and Philadelphia-raised rapper Lil Uzi Vert.
Jack Harlow secured another acting gig. The Atlantic recording artist is part of the star-studded cast of Apple TV+’s The Instigators film which also includes appearances by Academy Award winners Matt Damon and Casey Affleck.
Joe Budden says Frank Ocean’s polarizing Coachella set was on-brand, claiming the Grammy-Award-winning singer has always been a “scammer.”
The outspoken rapper turned podcaster slammed the “Novacane” hitmaker during the latest episode of The Joe Budden Podcast. He accused Frank Ocean of making questionable moves throughout his career.
“Frank Ocean is a scammer,” Joe Budden began his tirade. “He’s a scammer for the way he got out of his [Def Jam] Universal contract. I think most of the scams are genius. He’ll always wear the scammer tag for me. That f##### up a lot of artists, he didn’t care. Lost a lot of artist revenue streams, took Apple out the game, he didn’t care.”
Joe Budden continued, claiming Frank Ocean has been a scammer since at least 2016 when he dropped the visual album Endless to fulfill his Def Jam contract before dropping a bombshell the following day when he released his official sophomore LP Blonde independently.
When he returned to the topic of Frank Ocean’s debut headlining Coachella set, he acknowledged the singer’s “genius.” However, Joe Budden says Coachella should have told the singer to “suck my dick” and “get the f### out of here.” According to the podcaster, “Y’all could have got DaBaby for a quarter of the price.”
Joe Budden also blasted Frank Ocean for teasing a new album during his controversial Coachella set.
“I’d smack the s### out of you!” he raged. “What the f### are you talking about, you f###### idiot?! Everybody is here for your stupid ass who ain’t put out music in ages, and you can’t even confirm if there’s new music coming?! The arrogance of these n#####, yo.”
While Joe Budden was incensed over Frank Ocean’s performance, Justin Bieber was a fan. “I was blown away by Frank Ocean’s Coachella performance,” he gushed.
Blueface is unconvinced Chrisean Rock is carrying his baby, although he admitted there’s an eight out of ten chance that he is the father.
The on-again-off-again couple regularly share intimate details of the turbulent relationship on social media. Little has changed since the reality TV starlet announced her pregnancy earlier this year.
In a series of recent interviews, Blueface addressed their romance while casting doubt as to the paternity of Chrisean Rock’s baby.
The “Thotiana” rapper predicted the likelihood that he’s the father during a recent appearance on the Raw Talk podcast.
When asked if he has concerns over that he’s the father of the unborn child, Blueface replied, “It’s like an eight out of ten,” despite Chrisean Rock sitting beside him insisting they wouldn’t be sharing a bed if he had doubts.
“He’s not worried about it,” Chrisean Rock declared as Blueface laughed. “He’s saying that for the camera.”
Blueface shared a clip from the podcast on Instagram, adding that the odds are in his favor. He also took the opportunity to promote the couple’s reality show and teased they will announce the paternity during the series.
“I say 8/10 she say 9/10 stay tuned to find out the paternity of the baby on crazy in love season 2,” he penned in the caption. “Either way 8 or 9 out of 10 is good odds I’m not worried.” Watch the clip below and check out the interview at the end of the page.
Meanwhile, earlier this week, Blueface claimed Chrisean Rock was more “cellmate” than soulmate. “It’s like the best, worst, saddest, happiest, ugliest, beautifullest, thing I’ve ever done. All in one,” he said of their relationship.
“The only thing I don’t like is the misconception of her role and my role in the relationship,” Blueface added. “Because it’s like she’s younger, more impulsive, and more victimized-playing and I’m just stuck with the dick… I get blamed for all the f### s###. It’s not that way.”
Swizz Beatz has refused to close the door on a possible Verzuz battle between Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj.
Fans have requested a clash between the two New York rap heavyweights ever since Swizz Beatz and Timbaland debuted the series during the pandemic. While the iconic duo has produced some legendary showdowns, Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj could be one of the most exciting head-to-heads.
During a recent interview, the superproducer opened up about the much-hyped potential Verzuz between the former rivals. While on The Breakfast Club, DJ Envy asked Swizz if a Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj battle was possible. Although he refused to confirm it was still on the table, he didn’t deny it either.
“I can’t say, I can’t say,” the Grammy Award-winning producer replied. When DJ Envy tried to pin him down, stating, “So there’s still a possibility?” Swizz Beatz remained steadfast and revealed very little. However, he did tease that if a Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj Verzuz were ever to happen, it would certainly be worth waiting for.
“Yeah, I can’t say. I can’t say. But just know if you’re going to wait this long for Verzuz – if we gone have you wait this long – it’s definitely going to be worth it,” he added.
In addition to leaving the iconic clash on the table, Swizz Beatz added, “If I’m being quiet, things are happening.” He clarified that they had to take time away from the series to appreciate it properly. “It was important for us to take a break and organize what we have and actually understand what we have,” he shared.
Check out the clip below and watch the interview at the end of the page.
Lil Kim And Nicki Minaj Address Potential Verzuz Opponents
Meanwhile, despite their rivalry over the years, and the back-and-forth diss tracks and subliminals, in 2021, Lil Kim admitted she would love to see Nicki Minaj in a Verzuz.
Although the “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” hitmaker didn’t name her former frenemy outright, she has said she would battle a woman.
“Drake and Wayne have so many bona fide hip-hop hits, so I don’t know,” Nicki said last year. “But I do think there might be a female or two that can…[battle me].”
Wack 100 reignited his simmering feud with J. Prince, despite agreeing to “chill out” on the Rap-A-Lot Records founder earlier this year.
On Wednesday, J. Prince shared a photo of himself alongside Quality Control co-founder and CEO Pierre “P” Thomas and Larry Hoover affiliate Johnny “Crusher” Jackson.
“Congratulations to both of the homies that are making big moves where they’re from Chicago and Atlanta. Keep doin what you doin the real recognize the real,” J. Prince penned in the caption.
However, the post caused confusion as J. Prince was recently engaged in an online feud with QC artist Offset in the wake of Takeoff‘s murder last year.
Many people held the Prince family responsible for the late Migo’s rapper death as he and Quavo were in Houston with Prince’s son J. Prince Jr. in the hours before Takeoff was killed.
“P moving mad suspect,” read one comment while another added, “Gotta be a old pic… I refuse to believe.”
However, Wack 100 caught wind of the post and accused J. Prince of “clout chasing” for sharing the image. He took to Instagram to post a screenshot of the photo shared by Johnny ‘Crusher’ Jackson. In 2021.
“SWIPE LEFT @jprincerespect CLOUT CHASING AT ITS FINEST,” Wack 100 captioned the post. “NEGRO DONT POST THIS LIKE ITS GOOD . THIS PIC WAS TOOK 2021 WHEN IT WAS GOOD NOT 4 HRS AGO MORE LIKE 18 MONTHS AGO.”
J. Prince publicly addressed Takeoff’s death in multiple interviews, which angered Offset. While Set had remained relatively tight-lipped about the circumstances surrounding the shooting, the Mob Ties honcho accused Offset of not being there for Takeoff. The beef spilled over online Cardi B defending her husband and Wack 100 denying J. Prince’s claims.
Though Offset has not directly addressed J. Prince’s post, he shared a pair of cryptic messages on social media.
“I hate you n##### with all my heart,” he tweeted Wednesday evening. “Fake love a mf smh,” Offset added via his Instagram Stories.
Janet Jackson reunited with her former love Jermaine Dupri at the Atlanta stop of her Together Again tour Wednesday (Apr. 26)
The famous pair shared a seven-year-long relationship in the 2000s, starting in 2002 and finishing in 2009. Despite recent revelations that Jermaine Dupri cheated on Janet Jackson, the two remain great friends.
When the five-time Grammy winner brought her Together Again tour to Atlanta this week, she invited one of the city’s greatest musical exports to join her on stage as she performed the Dupri-assisted “Do It 2 Me” from her 2006 album 20 Y.O. After their performance she also previewed a new song.
Check out Jermaine Dupree playing backing dancer to Janet Jackson, and listen to the new track in the video below.
Last year, the pair opened up about their relationship in the JANET JACKSON docuseries, with Jermaine Dupri admitting he was unfaithful.
The rap mogul was bashed online after admitting he was “reckless” during their seven-year relationship while giggling.
“One of the weird things about dating Janet is that dating Janet attracts other women. Girls wanted to talk to me more because I was dating her, which was really weird…and uhh, just yanno…I was a man,” he said before laughing.
Meanwhile, in addition to the cheating, Janet Jackson explained that Jermaine Dupri was emotionally distant.
“He was a work-a-holic. And he was constantly working. I would not see him for like three weeks, a month. And as soon as he would come in, he would go to the club. And it’s like carve out just a little time for me…, and it was hard for him to do,” Janet Jackson said. “His girlfriend was his work.”
Ice Cube added a new documentary series about his BIG3 basketball league to his television credits.
According to Deadline, Ice Cube will star in and produce a currently untitled show covering the BIG3. The docuseries is described as something similar to FX’s Welcome to Wrexham and Netflix’s Cheer.
Ice Cube’s docuseries will cover his work to establish a new basketball league and the BIG3’s $1.2 billion lawsuit against Qatari investors. The series also follows one of the BIG3’s teams as they compete to win a championship.
The 2023 BIG3 season begins in Chicago on June 25. Ice Cube’s league will travel to Boston, Dallas, Detroit, New York and more during the season. The championship game is scheduled to take place on August 26.
Last month, the BIG3 was named the Best in Web3 at the inaugural Sports Business Awards: Tech. Ice Cube was “thrilled” to see his league recognized for its innovation.
“When the BIG3 team began developing this program, we knew we needed to push the boundaries of what Web3 can do to create the best possible experience for our players and fans,” he said in a press release. “Professional sports put so many resources into Web3 that it became the buzzword of 2022, but we knew that creating a product that maximized our player and fan experience would cut through all the NFT noise and be something that lasts.”
Ice Cube co-founded the BIG3 in 2017. The 3-on-3 league renewed its TV deal with CBS Sports for the 2023 season.
Kendrick P.’s current single, ”Get What You Give” just broke the Urban Top 50 after moving up from #52 and what better way to celebrate than by dropping another banger? Kendrick’s latest offering, “Don’t Look Back” is his third from his forthcoming May album release, “Years and Tears. ” The supportive video is already spinning on BET Jams after debuting this past weekend. This means the Memphis native now has videos playing on Music Choice, Yo MTV, BET Soul AND BET Jams, in addition to his singles on playlists across the DSP’s and a rapidly-growing list of radio stations.
“Don’t Look Back” came from a trip to Atlanta.” Kendrick shares. “I was struggling – sleeping on the floor in my grandparents’ front room. Working a job that wasn’t paying much. When I heard the track I instantly envisioned everything I wanted outta this life and the music game. It hasn’t been easy,” he adds, “and could get harder, but when you’re working with true purpose, there’s no limit to what you’ll do. You gotta make sure you live in that mindset every day you’re blessed to wake up.”
Kendrick’s singing background began in his grandfather’s church, where he also learned to play the piano and drums. This early musical training instilled in the 25-year-old the innate ability to craft a song from top to bottom – to hear each of its singular elements, from harmony to percussion, separately and hear them together, simultaneously. Add to that his soulfully delivered lyrics and reliability, which can be attributed to a youth spent finding his way in a city that is as renowned for its crime as it is for its BBQ and the incredible number of music superstars it has consistently produced. Kendrick P. is the sum of all of Memphis’ parts. Home of the Blues. The Birthplace of Rock ‘n Roll. Grind City
Memphis has always been fertile ground for musicians destined for greatness – Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Isaac Hayes, and Justin Timberlake, to name a few. There’s a lot of hometown pride in Kendrick, but he is also enjoying each stop of his promo tour, where he is receiving warm welcomes in cities like Nashville, Jacksonville, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. In the pipeline for Kendrick after the release of his album will be some collaborations with fellow Memphian and GRAMMY-winning producer Teddy Walton. The two have a few collaborative releases in the works for later this summer. Kendrick wants listeners to hear his new album first, though, and know that his talent can stand on its own merit. He is working with purpose and focused only on the road ahead.
A judge sentenced 42 Dugg to one year behind bars after the 4PF/CMG artist failed to report for a six-month prison sentence.
According to the Detroit News, Judge William Ray II handed down the prison sentence in Georgia on Wednesday (April 26). 42 Dugg was ordered to serve three years of supervised release, pay a $20,000 fine and not use illegal drugs.
The Detroit native, whose real name is Dion Hayes, faced up to five years in prison for failure to surrender. Prosecutors recommended a six-month sentence, but the judge opted for one year.
Earlier this year, 42 Dugg pleaded guilty to failing to report to prison. He was supposed to start serving a six-month sentence at a West Virginia prison in April 2022, but he never showed up to the facility.
42 Dugg was arrested in May 2022. He has remained in custody at the U.S. Penitentiary Atlanta since his arrest.
The rapper’s legal troubles stem from an arrest for illegal possession of a firearm in 2020. A judge originally sentenced him to three years of probation for the gun charge in 2021.
42 Dugg’s probation was revoked in February 2022. He was sentenced to prison but thought he didn’t have to report while he appealed his case.
Juvenile enjoyed his opportunity to be a weatherman for a local news station.
The multi-platinum selling rapper did the weather when he stopped by NBC affiliate WDSU in New Orleans on Wednesday (April 26). Juvenile joked about taking chief meteorologist Margaret Orr’s job on Instagram Stories.
“IT WAS HOT AT @WDSU6 TODAY!” he wrote. “I’M COMING FOR YA @MARGARETORRWDSU.”
Juvenile appeared on WDSU to promote his new alcohol Juvie Juice and discuss the campaign to get him on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series. He credited the man who runs his social media with sparking the conversation that resulted in him booking a Tiny Desk Concert.
“I just thought it was a great opportunity for me to be on Tiny Desk and perform,” Juvenile said. “And let the people actually see me with a live band, finally, on a national stage.”
Juvenile told WDSU his Tiny Desk Concert drops in June, but fans don’t have to wait until then to see him perform with a live band. He’ll be joined by a band for his performance at the Bayou Boogaloo Festival in May.
Later this year, Juvenile will link up with LL Cool J and a star-studded lineup on The F.O.R.C.E. Live Tour. Juvie also intends to re-release his classic album 400 Degreez to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
Pras, one-third of the Hip Hop group Fugees, was found guilty on 10 criminal counts in a Washington D.C. courtroom on Wednesday (April 26), according to CNN. Pras had been accused of helping Malaysian businessman, Jho Low, gain political influence in the U.S. in exchange for $100 million. He was facing 11 federal charges, including conspiracy, witness tampering and failing to register as an agent of China.
The dramatic trial included testimony from Leonardo DiCaprio and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Tales of alleged corruption, greed and failed conspiracies bounced off the courtroom walls for three weeks. Prosecutors contend the Grammy-winning MC—who also admitted to being a F.B.I. informant— was paid millions by Low to secure access to both the Obama and Trump administrations. They said he also attempted to use those connections to advocate on Low and China’s behalf.
In 2012, Low paid Pras $20 million to help Low get a picture with Barack Obama. Prosecutors said Pras funneled more than $800,000 of that money to the Obama Victory Fund through various straw donors at several events attended by Obama. Pras would allegedly receive the $100 million from Low years later to advocate for Chinese dissident Guo Wengui’s release from the U.S. to China.
After learning of the Justice Department’s investigation, prosecutors said Pras sent letters to the straw donors, telling them the money was a loan they needed to pay back or face legal action.
Defense attorney David Kenner argued there was no evidence Pras had “willfully or deliberately” violated any laws in taking the money. He said Pras was acting primarily on the advice of his financial manager and attorneys.
Low, according to the Justice Department, allegedly misappropriated more than $500 million from the sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) with wire transfers to shell companies he and others owned. Some of the proceeds were used for the production of DiCaprio’s film The Wolf of Wall Street.
Jorge Amadeus is the definition of a full-blown, all-around creative, killing it in the fashion world before finding his talents in music. His middle name Amadeus is the same name as Mozart, which translates to “love of God.”
Whether he’s recording music, writing, producing, or designing, the Washington D.C. native puts his heart and soul into anything he touches. His sound can be described as a combination of melodic and street, with lyrics inspired by real-life experiences — whether it’s conscious or not.
Speaking on his content, Jorge Amadeus states, “Since I’m a part of a frat, as an Alpha, I have that responsibility for my community to make sure I’m talking about something at all times. Even if I’m having fun — even if I’m on some getting money, we turning up — I still think that’s a portion of me, but I can’t do that 24/7. Definitely as I continue to grow, I’ma say real s###.”
Most recently, Jorge Amadeus unveiled his B4 SUMMER EP, a project that showcases his growth as a recording artist. His Summers theme aligns directly with the number of summers he’s been doing music, from engineering for Summer Walker to now focusing solely on his own artistry.
AllHipHop spoke with Jorge Amadeus in downtown Los Angeles to discuss his roots, love for fashion, biggest influences, working with Summer Walker, his new project, studio essentials, goals, and more!
AllHipHop: You’re originally from D.C. What was that like growing up?
Jorge Amadeus: I’m originally from D.C., PG. Moved in between the two, and I also have family in Virginia. When people say DMV, it’s street lines that divide D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.At the time I was growing up, it was a little bit more violent. Now, it’s going through gentrification. But when I was a kid, it was pretty violent. That was the era of go-go.
AllHipHop: Go-Go’s poppin’!
Jorge Amadeus: Yeah, Go-Go was the thing when I was in high school, It’s a little different now. We were always sectioned off as our own community. If you go to D.C. today, it’s still its own thing. Trying to create in DMV, wasn’t really a thing–it wasn’t cool to do music. It was an underground group of us who used to rap or do music, then I moved to Atlanta. When I moved there, the music side of me blossomed; because it was way more accepted to do music.
AllHipHop: What made you move to Atlanta?
Jorge Amadeus: School, I went to Georgia State. When I got there, a lot of people who came out — like Pierre Bourne came out of A. He was the class before me in school. 6lack came out of a label in the A, I know his whole camp. Summer Walker. It was this breeding ground for everybody tapping in with music.
AllHipHop: I’m sure that was inspiring to see everyone, to be surrounded by so many dope artists?
Jorge Amadeus: Nah it is dope. I’m very happy that all the people I came out here initially to work with, we all was coming out the A, and everybody’s doing their thing now. Everybody’s achieving their goals in music. I’m very thankful to be part of that culdesac of people, who was bubbling at that time.
AllHipHop: Were you doing fashion first? Or did both come at the same time?
Jorge Amadeus: I’ve always been on my s### when it comes to dressing, I’ve always been into fashion. As I got more of a platform, it made me a little bit more tuned in to how I dress and style different things. I’ve been doing fashion since I was young. When I dropped one of my projects, I started designing my own pieces. Now I do full-blown cut and sew, designing pieces, to try to give people a product every time I release some music.
AllHipHop: How would you describe your style?
Jorge Amadeus: Street designer, high-end designer. Chic and street. I can do both.
AllHipHop: Biggest influences coming up?
Jorge Amadeus: As a kid, 50 Cent. 50 Cent is dope. Jay Z. As I got older, Kanye. And J. Cole, I used to always turn to him. My number one creative is Andre 3000. To me, he was the first artist to do his own thing in a black community. I don’t care what y’all say about my fashion, about my style, I’m just doing me. As I got older, I was drawn to that. Everything Roc-A-Fella. I used to be really really really into Roc-A-Fella coming up, everything they were doing.
AllHipHop: When did you realize you want to do music for a living?
Jorge Amadeus: When I went to school, I was working a job and realized that’s not what I want to do for the rest of my life. I used to be an accountant, a corporate accountant. Funny enough, I was working and I used to be in the city when everybody was making music. I’ve been in sessions with 6lack before he blew up–when he was showcasing his music. I thought, this is what I want to do. I’d be the cool dude in the session because I could dress. I’d be the cool n*gga that‘d be with them; but I never did music. I ended up going back to school to learn music, then I started doing that. I quit my job, and came out here to LA.
AllHipHop: How are you liking Los Angeles?
Jorge Amadeus: It’s cool. One of the things that got me out here is my boy, James Supreme, he was an A&R at Universal. I was sending him mixes of artists I was working with. He ended up putting me in with Summer Walker, when she was working on Last Day of Summer. I worked with her on the project, that was my first exposure to making music within the industry.
AllHipHop: What did you do on that project?
Jorge Amadeus: I engineered for her. I engineered for a lot of people at that time. It was a studio called Hit Doctors. I worked with YG, DRAM, it was a lot of people in and out of the studio. PARTYNEXTDOOR used to record there, it was this incubator of industry people.
AllHipHop: When you record yourself, do you engineer yourself?
Jorge Amadeus: Yeah. I’m at this point now, I do everything. I produce, I engineer. I produce for other artists, I write for other artists. At the time, I was trying to get out of engineering and do more of what I’m doing now. Now, I solely do music. I don’t engineer for nobody else anymore.
AllHipHop: Did you learn anything from working with Summer Walker?
Jorge Amadeus: Yeah. At the time, her process was very, very minimalist. When she was recording, she’d have people come in and play guitar. She had people come in and play violin. She’d get a whole idea out; on a very simplistic landscape. For me as an artist, I like how she’s writing with a blank notepad almost. I take some of that till this day, and I create that way. I create with a melody loop without drums, without all that extra stuff. I’ll make music that way. Being in that environment, I had to make my sound sound better.
AllHipHop: You dropped projects 3 Summers and 4 Summers. Talk about the Summers theme.
Jorge Amadeus: Shout out to Trinidad James, that’s my guy. That’s the homie. At the time, I was trying to get into the artist production space. Trinidad James would run sessions all the time, and he’d introduce me to everybody. He introduced me to Honorable C-Note, Chopsquad DJ, Supah Mario. I’m like, bro, I’m trying to get my beats off. So he’d do records to my beats, he’d call them in, then I’d collaborate with them working with him.
3 Summers, I had made all these relationships with all these big ass producers. They’re like “Hey, you’re dope. We gon’ work!” When I was ready to work on my s###: I didn’t realize at the time that people say “we gon’ work,” that’s not real. That’s not a real thing.
AllHipHop: Yeah, welcome to LA.
Jorge Amadeus: Right. [laughs] I was coming here from the A so I thought “we gon’ work” meant bet, they gon’ be there to work. When it was time to record my stuff, nobody was answering the phone, and I get it. I get it now, where I am now. At the time, I knew they were gon’ work on my project. Damn, this was my third year doing music, and I’m still fighting to push my vision up. That’s why I named it 3 Summers, that project was my third year doing music. The whole summer theme is I started making music in the summertime.
AllHipHop: So 4 Summers is for the fourth summer. Do you change it each time?
Jorge Amadeus: Yeah. Think of it like The Blueprint, there’s 1, 2, 3. It’s the evolution between stages. B4 Summers is me essentially saying this is what my vibe was before the summertime came. This is what I was feeling, this is what I was going through. It’s not the whole 3 Summers, 4 Summers thing, but it’s the in-between. It’s B4 Summer.
AllHipHop: What do you want fans to get from B4 Summer?
Jorge Amadeus: My biggest thing right now is showcasing growth. I’m about to release another project, about to release a visual. I’m going on a small tour coming up in the next two months. This project was the top of the year, because I hadn’t released music in a while, and was showcasing the growth of my sonics. If you listen to this project and the previous project, the sonics are different. I’m still growing, so my next project is gon’ be different. My whole goal is to always sound better, make the content better, make the product better. That’s what this is. This was me waving to the people: hey y’all, I got some new s###. It sounds better, the vibes better.
Shout out to one of my homies that helped me get to this point, his name is Philippe. He’s a music supervisor, he used to pull me into these camps. I used to go to all these writing camps with all these big ass artists. When you in the camp, it’s like a dating show. Where you got all these contestants, and somebody’s trying to get a record. It’d be 7 artists, 5 producers in one room trying to get records on the show. It helped me catapult my sound, because you had to be dope. You couldn’t be trash.
AllHipHop: I was listening to the intro track, “Easy.” Who were you talking to?
Jorge Amadeus: That quote in the beginning is Talib Kweli. Talib made this video talking about Kanye, saying people get jealous because he’s so passionate. I’m at a place in my life where I’ve had successes; I think a lot of people think my successes were easy and they’re not. This is like anything that someone is passionate about, right?
What you do and anything that anybody does, if you’re doing it and people are admiring you, they think it’s easy. But it’s not easy. You put a lot of work into it, and a lot of effort. That was the intro to how I was feeling, that was a quick little tidbit. I battle as an artist with being conscious, and then trying to be fun. I don’t want to beat people over the head too much with the conscious s###, so I give them my one, then I’ll go into some other stuff.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio at all times.
Jorge Amadeus: Bri [creative director], I need vibes, and my phone. Definitely food, at some point depending on the session. Food, Bri, vibes.
AllHipHop: What kind of food?
Jorge Amadeus: We actually have a food show that we’re gonna work on at some point. We’re talking about food in the studio, real talk. Because I know a lot of artists would be in the studio, sometimes you’d be in random places and you gotta order what’s around you. We’re like damn, is this gonna be good? When we get it, we try to dissect if it’s good or not.
AllHipHop: Most of the time, is it good?
Jorge Amadeus: Ehhh, not in LA. No hate to LA, but the food do not be hitting out here. I would say two out of six times, it’s good. [laughs]
AllHipHop: Where’s your favorite food back home in D.C.?
Jorge Amadeus: Howard China (HoChi) off of Georgia Ave. That’s the best; it’s an Asian spot. We call it carryouts. Fire, the best carryout ever. If I go to the A, I gotta do wings. Can’t nobody top Atlanta wings. LA if I’m going healthy, I guess y’all pasta cool. California, they got cool pasta spots.
AllHipHop: What do you like to do when you’re not working?
Jorge Amadeus: I’m always working on something. LA expensive! I snowboard. I’ll probably go out, I like going to other artists’ stuff. For example, my homie, Al, designed these pants, òL New York . I’ll go pull up to him, see what he got going on fashion-wise. Getting ideas, inspiration. If I’m not working, I’m getting inspiration. That’s what I try to do; snowboarding inspires me. It’s a lot of fashion.
AllHipHop: What can we expect next? What are you most excited for?
Jorge Amadeus: I got a visual coming out this month. I got another project I’m dropping next month, working on that right now as we speak. I got some shows lined up. I got a show in Atlanta, D.C., LA.
I’m working on New York, so a little mini-tour.
AllHipHop: Any goals for yourself?
Jorge Amadeus: By Q3, the goal is to have a Billboard record. That’s what we aiming for. If anybody wants to tap in, every drop I got merch. Right now, I have merch out with this project. I give a product every time I release music. Every time.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let us know?
Jorge Amadeus: The biggest thing where I am in my journey, that I learned, is to really value the people close to you, that are gonna be there whether the money is or not. That’s the biggest thing I’ve learned as a creative; because those people enrich you with things money can’t bring you. Those are the people that help keep me going.
A lawyer for Canadian chart-topper Tory Lanez has found a couple of cracks in his client’s case.
According to Law & Crime, attorney Jose Baez believes the use of lyrics by prosecutors to convict him of shooting Megan Thee Stallion is problematic.
He said using the lyrics, which helped to find him guilty of three felonies, including assault with a semi-automatic handgun, was a way to “racialize” the case— introducing biased against the Black man.
“I think it racializes the proceedings,” Baez said.
Adding, “Utilizing rap persona, creative expression, and rap lyrics puts the accused in a very tough position… it’s infiltrated by extreme racism and should never see the inside of a court.”
A judge used lyrics from Lanez during the trial. In one song titled “Cap,” the rapper joked he was “butchering horse feet,” a line DA Alexander Bott says was directed at Megan Thee Stallion.
One big issue remains: Will Tory Lanez testify?
If he does, Judge Herriford says any lyrics or videos that relate to this case are fair game, which DA Alexander Bott says include Lanez's music video in which he's "butchering horse feet, clearly directed at Megan."
If it is used, a judge must be called to “consider specified factors when balancing the probative value of that evidence against the substantial danger of undue prejudice.”
Rihanna signed a multi-year deal with PUMA, renewing a partnership that began in 2014.
PUMA shared details about the collaboration on Wednesday (April 26). The company revealed plans for Rihanna to focus on unisex and kids collections.
Rihanna hasn’t released a PUMA collection since 2017. PUMA announced Rihanna’s return via social media in March.
“She’s back,” the company wrote in an Instagram post featuring her Fenty logo.
PUMA highlighted its deals with Rihanna and other celebrities in a report covering its first-quarter results. The company’s CEO Arne Freundt called 2023 “a year of transition” for the brand.
“Our Q1 growth was a strong start to 2023,” Freundt said in a press release. “In line with our strategy to be the best partner to retailers, we grew our wholesale business in a challenging environment and further strengthened our performance credibility with strong growth in our strategically important performance categories. Our significant growth in DTC demonstrated PUMA’s continued brand momentum globally, including North America and Greater China.”
Rihanna’s PUMA collaboration added to her business empire, which made her a billionaire. She was featured on Forbes’ annual list of the world’s billionaires with a net worth of $1.4 billion.
Earlier this year, Rihanna performed at the Super Bowl halftime show. The performance helped her 2016 album ANTI resurface on the Billboard 200 chart.
Los Angeles rapper MoneySign Suede was reportedly found dead inside the walls of a local prison. Numerous sources on social media confirmed the news on Wednesday (April 26). The 22-year-old L.A. native was supposedly set to be released soon. No other details have been released.
Speaking to AllHipHop last October, MoneySign Suede had lofty goals for the future. He described himself as a “young rapper from LA, young Mexican. One of the first Mexicans to do this s### for real, the way I’m trying to do it. Mainstream, I really want to get up there. Parkside baby, the chosen one. I want to be big. I want to make history, I want to be legendary. I want to be on some other s###, I’m not a typical rapper.”
Trouble seemed to follow MoneySign Suede. He’s been in and out of jail for years. In July 2022, a mass shooting erupted at a party hosted by MoneySign Suede at a local warehouse. For unknown reasons, a gunman opened fire, striking two people inside the venue and another on the sidewalk outside who didn’t survive.
His debut mixtape, Parkside Baby, was recorded after he wrapped up a 12-month bid.
“I recorded this tape ever since I came out of jail,” he explained. “Just by coming out of jail, I was really motivated. My mindset was: I gotta go hard for me. That was last May. Being out of jail, just trying to make the best music I could make. It all came together.”
As for what he learned behind bars, he said, “It’s crazy. I could say a lot, but one thing I could for sure say on top of my head right now is I learned patience. I learned how to appreciate things more, like family and the little things.”
Kyrie Irving is weighing in on Pras Michel allegedly becoming an FBI informant while fighting his international money laundering trial.
The basketball player says it all makes sense to him why Lauryn Hill wanted out of the group.
Irving tweeted, “A whole FBI informant was in the Fugees for that long?? Got me Wondering how many more informants are in Entertainment/Media/Politics silently destroying revolutionary movements from the inside.”
“No matter what I gotta stay Poised and Aware of who I am around. Hélà,” he added.
In a report received by AllHipHop.com, Pras, a founding member of the Fugees, tipped off the government while he was on trial for conspiring to make illegal campaign contributions using foreign funds, witness tampering, and failing to register as a foreign agent of the Chinese government.
The court document described what Pras actually did according to the government.
“After Michel discussed the holiday party photo, he answered questions about his efforts to push the US to extradite Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui, a vocal critic of Beijing,” the document said.
It further stated, “Michel said he met voluntarily several times with FBI agents to discuss Guo and three Americans being held hostage in China, including a pregnant woman. Michel denied that he acted as an agent for China in the Guo extradition push. He also said he never knew he had to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act for helping to try to scuttle the US probe of Low.”
In a different line of questioning, Michel said he had multiple meetings with FBI agents in New York as a sort of unofficial informant. Michel relayed China’s desire to extradite Guo Wengui.
“I took it upon myself to report because I thought the FBI should know,” he said.
Rumors said his tip might set him up as an FBI informant, but no paperwork that he signed saying he was an informant.
Minutes later, Irving posted another tweet.
“Now I see why Ms. Lauryn Hill and countless others had to retire or disappear from their craft without anyone understanding why. So S’o all of the Revolutionary Elders and Ancestors who saw the writing on the wall and got FREE. We need you more than ever now,” he tweeted.
Now I see why Ms. Lauryn Hill and countless others had to retire or disappear from their craft without anyone understanding why.
So S’o all of the Revolutionary Elders and Ancestors who saw the writing on the wall and got FREE. We need you more than ever now. Hélà 🤞🏾♾🖤
Relatives released a statement saying, “Our family received a tragic phone call from a family member who was frantically screaming and crying histaricaly (sic) on the other end of the line…”
“Ashten is dying…Ashten is dying…A phone call that instantly shattered our world and will forever haunt our family for the rest of our lives. After arriving at the hospital shortly after the phone call our family continued living a nightmare as we were informed that her health and well-being had continued to decline in a downward spiral for the worse after suffering from a cardiac arrest,” the family detailed on the crowdfunding platform.
Adding, “Her sudden and tragic passing is currently being investigated as a homicide related to medical procedure that took a turn for the worse.”
Gourkani is described by her family member as” a caring and loving free spirit that always took the time to bring a smile to anyone’s face she crossed paths with.”
The goal is set for $40,000 to pay for memorial expenses.
As a businesswoman, she commanded $6,000 every time she made an appearance as the star. She had been doing celebrity look-alike work for seven years prior to her premature demise.
“Since my late teenage years, people have been telling me that I bear a striking resemblance to Kim Kardashian,” Ashten recalled.
“It’s a comparison I hear almost every day when I’m out in public. And the truth is, if you look at our baby or teen pictures, we share many similarities. Our parents also come from similar ethnic backgrounds, which could explain our resemblances.”
Her 73.3K followers on TikTok, 562k followers on Instagram, and subscribers on OnlyFans will miss her, even though they are not flocking to her GoFundMe to support her homegoing services expenses.
Out of the $40,000 her family is hoping to raise, in the week since her death, less than $4,000 has been raised.
The rapper has been sitting in the Fulton County Jail because his case has yet to go to trial, and the jury selection process is proving to be lengthy, involving over 1,000 potential jurors.
According to a court document exclusively obtained by AllHipHop.com, Young Thug’s legal team has requested reconsideration of bond.
“Since on or about May 9, 2022, Mr. Williams has been languishing in the County Jail without bond. Mr. Williams has previously put forth compelling evidence, without doubt…that conditions can be imposed which permit bond to be set,” his lawyer Brian Steel wrote to Judge Ural Glanville.
“This Honorable Court denied bond based upon proffers made by the prosecution, mostly repeating allegations contained in the Indictment. Undersigned counsel believes that conditions can be set to ensure that Mr. Williams comes back to Court when required to do so, and due to the extended nature of this trial, Mr. Williams respectfully requests this Honorable Court reconsider its position on bond,” Brian Steel stated.
As Young Thug’s motion for bond awaits the judge’s ruling, the trial has been marred by various controversies, further delaying his day in court and his possible release.
Earlier that same month, the judge overseeing the trial threatened Young Thug’s lawyer, Mr. Johnson, with a 20-day jail sentence if he failed to complete a 17-page essay after being held in contempt of court.
