Kanye West ignited a firestorm online after posting a series of explicit and disturbing tweets in which he appeared to admit to sexually harassing and assaulting women—including his own employees—and mocked the Me Too Movement.
After targeting JAY-Z, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and others in a spree of explicit posts, the controversial rapper/producer described inappropriate workplace behavior in graphic detail.
“I used to do this hug where I press my c### against the girls leg and place my hands right where my pinky can touch the top of their ass,” he wrote in one post. “Like right under the small of their back.”
He claimed, “Gay n##### really be tryna f###. Now I know how my female employees feel when they around me.”
West also tweeted, “I used to f### employees in my office,” and reminded himself, “Don’t grab female employees softly by the neck when you hug them no matter how bad you want to. If a CEO don’t hug you inappropriately he’s a f#####. My hugs be too long for suuuure.”
The tweets didn’t stop at personal admissions. Kanye West mocked sexual assault allegations and the Me Too Movement.
“I broke my me too virginity,” he wrote and “I’m a walking me too.” In one post, he mused, “Sometimes I think Wow I have a rape allegation Life is funny like that.”
In another tweet, West appeared to accuse women of manipulating consent.
“B###### be retracting consent,” he wrote. “If a b#### don’t me too me she don’t know how to get money.”
He referenced one of his accusers by name, tweeting, “Lauren Pisciotta. At what point do you get mad at the people that put you up to this.”
Kanye West Faces Multiple Sexual Assault Allegations
Pisciotta, a former assistant to West, filed a lawsuit seeking $4 million in damages, alleging she was sexually assaulted and forced into sex acts after being drugged at a studio party involving West and Sean “Diddy” Combs. She claims she was treated as a “present” for others and was never paid for her work.
West has denied Pisciotta’s allegations, calling them “baseless” and accusing her of trying to extort him. She has allegedly gone into hiding after West made disparaging remarks about her personal life on social media.
Another civil lawsuit filed by model Jenifer An accuses Kanye West of sexually assault. An claims West strangled her during a 2010 music video shoot at the Chelsea Hotel in New York.
According to the complaint, West gagged her and screamed, “This is art!” while leaving her face smeared with saliva and makeup. An is seeking damages from both West and Universal Music Group, claiming the company failed to investigate the incident.
West’s history of inappropriate behavior has been documented by former Yeezy staffers, who accused him of showing explicit photos during meetings, including images of his then-wife Kim Kardashian.
He has previously spoken about his pornography addiction, blaming early exposure in childhood. As of now, West has not responded publicly to the backlash from his latest online outburst.
The idea of celebrity gambling might sound like a contradiction in ideas to you. After all, celebrities are people who by nature already have everything they want, right? Why would they need to gamble?
Well, think again. Because the glamorous world of celebrity gamblers is bigger than you think. And it includes a lot of names that would probably surprise you. The reality is that it is the love of the activity itself that draws people in and keeps them coming back for more. Let’s take a closer look at some of the big names on the list.
Michael Jordan
That’s right. The most famous basketball player in history also has a love of gambling. There were even rumors at one point that his gambling had gotten problematic to the point where it was this habit that led to the end of his basketball career. While he insisted this was untrue, he has conceded an interest in hitting the casinos.
And what does this prized athlete bet on? Lots of things, apparently:
Golf tournaments;
Card games, particularly high-stakes blackjack;
Basketball and other sports at all levels, both professional and amateur
This is just a short list, but one journalist said that he would bet on “nearly any sporting event [in] which someone would wager against him.” These days, Jordan is not only a sports legend but a high-stakes businessman, owning his own sneaker line and part of a major NBA team. But none of this stops him from enjoying his time at the casinos, and among the best is Leon Casino.
Jay Z
Another seemingly unlikely lover of gambling is superstar rapper Jay Z. The famous rapper has such a great love of casinos that he recently put in a joint bid to open up a Caesar’s Palace casino in Times Square. Although the results aren’t in yet, he is clearly serious in having put $15 million on the line.
When asked where his love for gambling came from, the rapper insists that it is a way to expand his influence. He maintains that combining gambling and business is a profitable and successful combination. And it isn’t all about self-interest. Jay Z has a non-profit organization called Reform Alliance and he recently organized a charity event at a Casino Royale to raise money for it.
50 Cent
Another rapper making the list is 50 Cent. Also a lover of football betting, the rapper is reported to have made over $1 million on a Superbowl bet one year. Making high bets can actually be fashionable among the super rich.
Although the rapper’s luck in betting hasn’t always been great, he can afford to make gambles. When you are one of the biggest names in the music industry, big numbers to most are simply peanuts.
Ben Affleck
This Hollywood superstar might be worth $150 million, but it doesn’t stop him from hitting the casinos on what is reportedly a very regular basis. Affleck’s biggest gambling love is blackjack, and he is known to be quite good at it.
Beyond blackjack, poker is also a favorite for Affleck, and he doesn’t hold back when he places his bets. He supposedly lost $400,000 in one round of the game, but it didn’t stop him from continuing.
Tiger Woods
While other people are busy staking bets on his games, Tiger Woods likes to pay visits to Vegas and other gambling hotspots himself. Perhaps not surprisingly, given his net worth, he is particularly fond of “high-stakes” gambling. Why not risk a bundle if you can? He is known to have placed bets in blackjack well into the tens of thousands of dollars.
Although some have criticized his interest, Woods insists that the hobby is perfectly legitimate and that he is not doing any wrong. While some people choose to play golf as a pastime, Woods needs his own form of recreation to get away from work.
Floyd Merriweather
That’s right, the boxing heavyweight also has a love for sports betting. And he likes to bet big. Supposedly Merriweather likes to make huge bets on major sports tournaments.
Reportedly Merriweather’s biggest interest is in college football, where he is known to have “beaten the system” on more than one occasion.
Phil Mickelson
Tiger Woods isn’t the only golfer on the list of gambling lovers. Phil Mickelson loves pro football and has been known to bet big on the Superbowl, among other things.
Mickelson has made big gambles on major events and has come out winning, even on occasions when the odds are stacked highly against his bets. For a billionaire, several hundred thousand in winning might not seem like much, but it is impressive nonetheless.
Dana White
Yes, the MMA world has shown an interest in gambling as well. UFC President Dana White takes time out from events that are hosted in Sin City to take part in Vegas’ larger gambling scene. While he is not as much of a famous gambler as he is manager, he still gets very much involved.
White’s particular interest is in blackjack, and he has been known to intimidate many Vegas casino owners with his skill. A rare feat, indeed.
Allen Iverson
Along with Jordan, NBA star Allen Iverson has made a name for himself in the gambling world. His fortune hasn’t been as great, though. Despite his efforts, Iverson has lost big amounts during his time at the casinos.
Beyond this, Iverson has actually been dismissed from more than one gambling outfit for behavior problems. Iverson may be a victim of not doing his research in figuring out the best ways to find reliable sites online. Perhaps sticking to the basketball court would have been better.
Charles Barkley
There are celebrities with gambling problems, to be sure. Another superstar with less success on the betting field than in his own profession is Charles Barkley. Although the basketball superstar enjoys gambling, his results have been mixed, and sometimes downright terrible.
It is said that Barkley has lost $25 million altogether in gambling. This is another case where sticking to the court might have been a better idea.
And many more
Who is the most famous gambler on the list? You can judge for yourself. We could go on talking about superstars who have made gambling into a serious hobby. But the point is clear: Just because a person is doing well in life doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy trying their luck (or skill!) at the casinos. While some might be more successful than others, the trend carries on.
50 Cent wasted no time roasting Young Buck on Instagram, mocking the shape of his head after the rapper’s mugshot from a recent arrest made the rounds online.
On Wednesday evening (April 9), the G-Unit mogul hopped on Instagram with a report of Buck’s arrest.
“Damn how dat [ninja]head get like that,” he wrote in the caption. “Police must’ve hit him in the head. LOL.”
50 followed it up with a second post featuring the animated villain Megamind, backed by Rob49’s “WTHELLY” for good measure.
The jab came just two days after Young Buck was sentenced to 30 days in Sumner County Jail on April 7 for violating the terms of his bond. According to court records, Buck failed to attend required check-ins with his bond supervisor while awaiting trial on drug and domestic violence charges, per TMZ.
He was supposed to meet with the supervisor twice a month but missed multiple appointments.
Once his 30-day sentence is completed, Buck will return to court for a hearing to determine whether a new bond will be set.
50 Cent & Young Buck’s Decades-Long Feud
The public humiliation is the latest chapter in a long-running feud between the two former G-Unit members.
Buck was booted from the group in 2008 after financial disagreements and tension over his solo ambitions.
Things got uglier when 50 Cent leaked a phone call of Buck crying and begging to rejoin the crew, a move that tarnished Buck’s street credibility.
In 2020, 50 claimed Buck owed him $250,000 and two albums under the G-Unit label, reigniting their dispute during bankruptcy proceedings.
The decades-long beef escalated again in 2024 when 50 Cent took to Instagram with transphobic comments aimed at Buck, who responded by accusing 50 of harboring a personal vendetta.
Buck also revived the legal war last year, claiming he never received $250,000 from 50 Cent – and no one can prove he did.
Kanye West unleashed a chaotic tirade, dragging Taylor Swift into an unfounded explicit claim involving Justin Bieber and Harry Styles and venting that he wasn’t invited.
“I’ll show you an example of racism,” West posted late Wednesday night (April 9). “Justin Bieber and Harry styles f##### Taylor swift from both sides and didn’t call me.”
The post was a part of a string of erratic and vulgar tweets, including explicit remarks about Beyoncé and JAY-Z. Kanye West continued his rant, admitting he couldn’t keep the alleged Taylor Swift secret to himself.
“Oh I forgot,” he added. “I can’t hold water. ON EVEYTHIIING THIS TWEET IS ONE THOUSAND PERCENT TRUE.”
The divisive rapper followed up with another tweet suggesting Swift would be stunned to learn he knew about the alleged encounter.
He added, “I KNOW TAYLOR LIKE HOW THE F### HE KNOW THAT.”
West then made an eye-raising remark, adding. “IM MAD I HAVENT F##### TAYLOR SWIFT … YET.”
Kanye West Blames Taylor Swift “Movement” For Supposed Super Bowl Snub
The posts came just two days after West vented about being excluded from the Super Bowl halftime stage.
In a now-deleted tweet from April 7, he blamed his absence on three things: his infamous “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people” moment, his long-running feud with Swift, and his decision to wear a MAGA hat.
He also referenced the 2009 MTV VMAs incident where he interrupted Swift’s acceptance speech. He called it the “Taylor Swift movement moment.”
West reignited that moment this week as he reflected on his career and claimed that major platforms have kept him from reaching wider audiences.
“How does it feel to be the best living artist and blocked from the main stage for being ahead of my time?” he wrote.
West’s recent tweets have not only reignited his feud with Swift but also dragged two other major pop stars into the mess. Neither Swift, Bieber nor Styles has responded publicly.
Kanye West issued an apology to JAY-Z during a late-night Twitter spree before veering into explicit territory with crude remarks about Beyoncé.
In a string of erratic posts shared on Wednesday (April 9), West briefly paused his barrage of sexual boasts and offensive commentary to address his former collaborator and longtime friend.
“I’m sorry Jay Z,” he wrote. “I be feeling bad about my tweet but I still feel I gave my life to this industry and thought so many people were my family but when I needed family on some real s### none of these rap n##### had my back.”
But the moment of remorse was short-lived. Minutes later, West pivoted back to sexual content, dragging JAY-Z and Beyoncé into the conversation.
“Do Beyoncé ever let Jay get p####,” he tweeted. “I mean like at least a couple times.”
The tweet followed a disturbing post from last month where West mentioned the couple’s twins, Rumi and Sir Carter, and used ableist slurs to describe them.
“Has anyone ever seen Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s younger kids? They’re r*tarded,” he posted before adding, “This is why artificial insemination is such a blessing. Having r*tarded children is a choice.”
After deleting the post, West reposted it with a defiant explanation. He claimed he removed it not out of regret but to avoid suspension from the platform.
“NOT BECAUSE IM A GOOD PERSON,” he wrote. He then doubled down with another offensive remark: “I TOOK IT DOWN LIKE DOWN SYNDROME GET IT.”
He later escalated the attack, tweeting, “F### JAY Z AND HIS WHOLE FAMILY ESPECIALLY HIS SHOOTERS.”
The remarks drew swift condemnation online. Mathew Knowles, Beyoncé’s father, called West’s comments “stupid” and said he hoped the rapper would get help.
Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, didn’t mention West directly but posted about choosing light over “ignorance and evil.”
West Coast lyricist and creative force Jon Keith returns with a bold new single, “EYES ON US,” a dark yet vibrant pop record that centers listeners on the presence of God in the middle of heartbreak and chaos. The track, co-produced by Grammy-winning legend Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins and producer Enzo Gran, is his first solo release since dropping the collaborative album WEST INDIES with Miles Minnick—a high-energy, faith-fueled tribute to West Coast culture. This moment caps off a milestone year in which Jon surpassed 30 million lifetime streams.
Driven by an infectious hook and drums that demand movement, “EYES ON US” delivers sonic intensity and emotional resonance—a beacon of hope for anyone facing moments of darkness.
“I wrote this song as a response to watching the fires burn through LA at the beginning of this year,” Jon shares. “Being from San Diego, it was heartbreaking to see so many of my friends and family members have their lives turn to ash. I want this song to be like a friend to listeners in the midst of heartbreak and tragedy—something to remind them that there’s hope and love available when they need it, and that God sees and counts every tear because He cares.” – Jon Keith
With “EYES ON US,” Jon Keith continues carving his own lane—unapologetically honest, spiritually rooted, and sonically unshakable.
“On The Radar” Freestyle
SWAY’S UNIVERSE Interview
Born and raised in San Diego with his 4 brothers and 3 sisters, indie tribe collective member Jon Keithexplores themes of faith in the midst of authentic humanity. Though his musical journey began playing drums in church as a youth, it was the mentorship he received during the summer at The David’s Harp Foundation that exposed him to an up close and personal look into the industry. At the age of 14, he began writing music and a couple years later he took on the role as a recording engineer. A random mic check, where he nonchalantly started reciting original lyrics, changed his trajectory forever. Impressed by his natural ability to merge lyrics and melody, bystanders urged Jon to start seriously pursuing a career as a vocal artist. Nearly 10 years later, not only is he still making music, he Is successfully mastering the art of blending Hip-Hop, Pop, and R&B to create a sonic escape for listeners with every song.
–Alienz Alive is a label founded in 2022 by Grammy-winning producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins. Inspired by the transformative power of faith, Alienz Alive empowers artists who are “ten toes down” in their commitment to living a life renewed in Christ. Alienz Alive fosters the creation of music that connects, inspires and uplifts, all while elevating the honest stories of their artists. This isn’t just music, it’s a movement.
DMX’s long-running estate feud over intellectual property and control of his legacy reached a decisive conclusion in a New York courtroom.
A judge ruled that his ex-wife Tashera Simmons has no ownership over his music rights or trademarks.
The legal fight, which erupted after the rapper’s 2021 death without a will, centered on Tashera’s claim that a 2016 divorce settlement entitled her to 50% of DMX’s intellectual property.
The court disagreed.
“The 2016 settlement agreement does not unequivocally assign ownership of decedent’s copyrighted works or trademark and, indeed, makes no mention of ownership or title to such property,” the judge stated in the ruling. “Plaintiff has no income interest and is not otherwise entitled to any monies of any kind generated by or attributable to services rendered by Earl Simmons.”
The court declared that the estate remains the exclusive owner of all copyrights and trademarks tied to DMX’s name and work, including those created during his marriage to Tashera.
The judge emphasized that the language in the divorce agreement referred only to royalty payments, not ownership.
Another part of the dispute centered around five Letters of Direction DMX signed before his death, which instructed royalty payments to be split with Tashera for specific recordings made between 1998 and 2013.
The court ruled those letters did not confer any ownership rights.
The judge concluded, “Plaintiff has no approval rights or any other rights incident to any alleged ownership in connection with any intellectual property owned by Earl Simmons irrespective of when such rights were obtained or acquired by Earl Simmons.”
However, after allegations of misconduct, they were suspended indefinitely. In the latest ruling, the court dismissed the action against them.
The estate is now overseen by co-administrators Sasha Simmons and Desiree Lindstrom, the mother of DMX’s youngest son, Exodus.
Lindstrom had previously petitioned to be recognized as DMX’s common-law wife, but that request was denied.
The ruling effectively ends Tashera Simmons’ legal pursuit of DMX’s intellectual property, closing a major chapter in the ongoing battle over the late Hip-Hop icon’s estate.
Kash Doll’s baby daddy and former partner Tracy T had a few things to say about her going public with her new relationship with NFL player Za’Darius Smith.
On Wednesday (April 9), the Georgia native appeared in a new episode of the #Respectfully Justin Laboy Show podcast with Kanye West’s associate Justin Laboy.
Among the most pressing topics the pair discussed throughout the nearly 45-minute episode proved to be Tracy T and Laboy’s discussion about his ex-partner Kash Doll’s new relationship.
In his opening remarks, Tracy T suggested Kash Doll moved on so quickly because she has a baby.
When asked if he thinks she’s making her new relationship highly visible on social media because she’s hurt, Tracy T responded, “Of course, she got a f###### baby eight months.”
He added, “Like what you mean? You out here happily, if that what you choose to do? You know what I’m saying? More power to you. I don’t, I don’t hate you for what you’re doing. You know what I’m saying? Everybody got their opinion on how anybody feel, but come on, man.”
However, in the same breath, he also seemingly made peace with the idea that she could really be in love while remarking on his feelings about her documenting her newfound partnership with Smith.
“I be like, ‘oh s###. If you’re going that far with it, it’s real then,'” he said. “Okay. You know what I’m saying? It’s real. But me personally, I don’t do s### like that. You feel me? Yeah. I don’t try to.”
Tracy T took accountability for the current situation while also revealing his theory that his shortcomings might’ve exasperated the situation.
“People try to do s### to make somebody feel some kind of way,” he said. “You know what I’m saying? Make other people feel some kind of way. Because I did s###. You feel me? And she felt some kind of way. Of course, she probably want get back. You know what I’m saying? I might have did it first. She might have did it worse. You feel me? My s### just ain’t went public. You know what I’m saying? Okay. So I might have been a problem. You know what I’m saying? So I got to take that s### to the chin.”
Tracy T’s statements about Kash Doll and Smith’s whirlwind relationship follow her recent podcast interview, during which she confirmed his cheating was one of the reasons she left.
Hip-Hop and the Hustle for Power in St. Louis: Ten years after Ferguson, Tef Poe and T-Dubb-O borrow a bit fromi Kendrick Lamar to create a climate for political power in their city.
Ten years ago, the dead body of 18-year-old Michael Brown Jr. lay for four hours on Canfield Drive in the scorching heat of Ferguson, Missouri. The moment would forever alter the trajectory of the Midwestern city and also the nation’s racial reckoning. The Ferguson “uprising” was one of the early, significant flash points of the Black Lives Matter movement. A new generation of politically awakened organizers and artists emerged.
The distance between Ferguson and St. Louis is about 15 miles.
Tef Poe and T-Dubb-O, St. Louis natives and products of this new movement, continue to be lightning rods in the city’s latest battle. A recent mayoral race that has pulled St. Louis into a new social and political civil war.
“This has been possibly the most controversial mayoral race in the history of Saint Louis,” said Tef Poe, a rap artist that has frequented AllHipHop. “For Black St. Louis, it’s been a lesson about our power, our narrative, and where we really are 10 years after the death of Mike Brown Jr. and the Ferguson uprising.”
At the center of the 2025 maelstrom was Mayor Tishaura Jones, the city’s first Black woman to hold the office.
Her election was hailed as a symbolic and strategic victory for the city long that was divided by race, class, and power. For Poe explained how organized a closed-door meeting between Jones and 50 of “the most powerful Black men in the city.”
“I chose my heart over the politics in this scenario,” he said. “Tishaura Jones is a Black woman like my mother. She looks like one of my sisters.”
Jones’s opponent, white alderwoman Cara Spencer, was an instant opp to the St. Louis’s Black activist community. Poe cited her alliances with corporate interests and law enforcement. All of this – and more – stoked fears of regressive policies. In particular, she supported a proposed bill to ban open carry that critics viewed as racially biased.
“I was asked to speak against that bill,” said T-Dubb-O, who was the only non-elected voice on a 2023 town hall panel. “My statements made her look like the closet racist she is. In return, she sent police at me… my car was surrounded, and me and my homie were arrested.”
Though no charges were filed, the incident rippled. St. Louis’s Hip-Hop resistance once again stood tall in the face of hostility. Calls to Cara Spencer’s office were not immediately returned.
As Spencer’s campaign gained traction, Poe dropped “Ghost of Ivory Perry,” an original track invoking the spirit of the late civil rights leader. Perry fought injustice in the city for decades. The song offers the same aggressive energy Poe gave as a 106 & Park Freestyle Friday battle rap champion.
“In my city, it’s my job to always die on the cross with Black St. Louis,” Poe said. “We used Hip-Hop to attack a mayoral candidate the same way Kendrick went at Drake.”
The comparison isn’t casual. Poe openly borrowed instrumentals from Kendrick Lamar’s “tv off” and “Not Like Us” to inspire voters. Ultimately, only 18 percent of the city cast ballots in the primary, but Tef said they helped up that number.
“It was a kamikaze mission from the start,” Poe admitted. “But we fought. Despite how many millions of dollars they spent, they could never actually defeat the trenches.”
In interviews and on social media, Poe and T-Dubb-O accused Spencer of “styling” on the city’s Black population. They offered front-facing progressive optics, but partnered with the very systems that have historically marginalized Black people. When Spencer’s camp called the police in response to Poe’s song and immediately criminalized the protest.
“Now I go from raising awareness to being in direct conflict with the system over my rap lyrics,” Poe said. The investigation, eventually dropped, echoed an earlier effort by Spencer to involve law enforcement in T-Dubb-O’s protest activities. Wild behavior, but not if one considers the current political environment.
“It’s not only an attack on Black people,” said Dubb. “But specifically Black women in political positions of power.”
Jones ultimately lost her re-election bid, but the fight begins anew. Poe says there is precedence for this a battle. Both men say the mission was and continues to be about legacy.
“In the history books 100 years from now,” Poe said, “they’ll say Hip-Hop stood up when the Black woman mayor was under attack.”
The aftermath is continues to unfold. From the front lines of Ferguson the struggle for a new St. Louis persists.
“We’ll never stop resisting tyranny and oppression,” Poe said. “Hip-Hop is a weapon — and we proved it.”
____________________________________________
Here are statements from Tef Poe and T-Dubb-O in their entirety.
Tef Poe.
This has been possibly the most controversial mayoral race in the history of Saint Louis. For Black St. Louis, it’s been a lesson about our power, our narrative, and where we really are—ten years after the death of Mike Brown Jr. and the Ferguson uprising.
Tishaura Jones, our first Black woman mayor in history, was elected on the heels of the community and the backbone of the Black movement. I’ve disagreed with her on a few things, but ultimately, on a local level, Black people deserve Black leadership.
Her opponent partnered with several corporations that deeply reflect the white power infrastructure we’ve always had to fight in St. Louis. I grew up here, so I know what a public lynching looks like—and that’s exactly what they intended to happen this time around.
I organized a meeting between the mayor and 50 of the most powerful Black men in the city. We talked, we met, and we reconciled. I chose my heart over politics in this scenario. Tishaura Jones is a Black woman like my mother. She looks like one of my sisters. She’s a single mom herself, so I identified with parts of her story.
After the meeting, the brothers gave me the green light. From there, I could proceed to do whatever I needed to do for us to have a fighter’s chance in this situation. In the primary, only 18% of the city voted—and a lot of these racist white folks were basically styling on us.
Tishaura’s opponent was a white woman named Cara Spencer. Her campaign slogan might as well have been “Make St. Louis Great Again.” And after we met, in my mind I said, we have to double down on the fact that Spencer is the enemy. She was guilty, in my mind, of using propaganda to manipulate the Black community.
So I said, let’s go to war. And I was nervous to do this because I knew we would have to polarize the entire city—kinda geographically place Saint Louis into a state of civil war, socially and politically.
Either you’re with us or you’re not. Black St. Louis—they’re finally upping the ante and coming for us! If the mayor was going to fight, then we wanted to fight with her. Differences to the side, understanding that this was a straight political hit job.
The first track I released was produced by Hugo Bawse, titled “Ghost of Ivory Perry.” I personally felt like this race was symbolic—whether or not we were going into the hall of fame as organizers in our city. Ivory Perry is a legendary Saint Louis organizer who fought these same forces all his life.
It was an honor to name the song after him because it made me feel like I briefly resurrected one of our ancestors to help us join the fight. But this was the song that initially sparked a reaction from Spencer. I’m a retired 106 & Park Freestyle Friday battle rapper—so we know how to agitate.
We know how to reshape narrative. And I said to myself, what if I use this same type of momentum to raise awareness and at least vilify Cara Spencer to the Black millennial community of voters in Saint Louis as much as possible? Some people in our community considered this selling out. It was a kamikaze mission from the start… but in my city, it’s my job to always die on the cross with Black St. Louis.
So we used Hip-Hop to attack a mayoral candidate the same way Kendrick went at Drake. I picked my side, and it was Black St. Louis—for what it was worth. The community responded saying, “keep going”—so I kept going.
Sunday morning, my lawyer informed me that I was placed under an open investigation, which was shortly closed after it was determined that my constitutional rights would be in violation if law enforcement pursued anything over a couple of political rap songs. Now, I went from raising awareness to being in direct conflict with the system over my lyrics.
I used Kendrick beats because they carried the energy I felt was necessary for the moment. I doubled down, knowing I was ultimately using the moment to tell my city—no matter how this goes down, we fought. And despite how many millions of dollars they spent, they could never actually defeat the trenches. Tishaura Jones lost tonight, but we fought—and in the history books 100 years from now, they’ll say Hip-Hop stood up when the Black woman mayor was under attack.
Needless to say, I was inspired—by Tupac, K. Dot, Nipsey. And in general, I know there are unseen consequences for doing something like this. Especially since Cara Spencer got the police involved. We broke the matrix for a weekend in Saint Louis and caused complete pandemonium in the city for a second. If nothing else, that speaks to the true power of our culture. And even though Tishaura Jones lost, we did our best to give her an Honorable Discharge in the eyes of our people.
We’ll never stop resisting tyranny and oppression. Hip-Hop is a weapon—and we proved it can be used nonviolently to get our point across. People are saying nothing like this has ever happened before: a rap battle against the future mayor, being used to electrify the politics of an entire city.
T-Dubb-O.
This started in 2023.
I was asked by a few aldermen to speak at a town hall and give testimony against a bill proposed by Cara Spencer that would ban the state right to open carry in the city of St. Louis.
I was the only non-elected person given free rein to speak because of my knowledge of Second Amendment rights and my understanding that limiting those rights wouldn’t reduce crime. My statements made her look like the closet racist she is. In return, she sent the police after me. She claimed she felt threatened by me. My car was surrounded by police, and me and my homie were arrested. We were let go three hours later.
I was supposed to do a show at the art museum with DJ Trackstar and Poe that night. But after jail, I wasn’t in the mood. Cara showed up again looking for me—with police.
Fast forward, she announced her mayoral campaign. This lady had intentions of major gentrification and no real plan for Black citizens. Poe dropped a record, and she pulled the same “cry wolf” act. Called the chief on Poe, but our lawyer got on it ASAP and killed the investigation before they did him like they did me.
This wasn’t just an attack on Black people—it was specifically an attack on Black women in political positions of power. So we decided to link up and turn this s### up a notch. This is what Hip-Hop should be doing in these moments—and who better to lead the charge than the two emcees who’ve been leading it for the last decade?
Congressional lawmakers found rare common ground in Washington this week as Democrats and Republicans rallied behind the NO FAKES Act.
The bipartisan proposal aimed at shielding artists and public figures from unauthorized AI-generated replicas of their voices and likenesses.
The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) officially threw its support behind the legislation, which was reintroduced by Senators Marsha Blackburn, Chris Coons, Thom Tillis and Amy Klobuchar, along with Representatives María Elvira Salazar, Madeleine Dean, Nathaniel Moran and Becca Balint.
“The NO FAKES Act is a significant first step towards safeguarding artists, journalists, performers, and all performers whose professional recordings and videos are maliciously exploited in AI-generated deepfakes and voice clones,” said Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, co-founder and president of BMAC.
The bill, formally titled the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act of 2025, seeks to establish a federal right protecting individuals from digital impersonations created without consent.
Initially introduced in 2023, the NO FAKES Act is the first federal legislation designed to directly address the growing misuse of artificial intelligence in creating unauthorized digital copies of real people.
The bill creates a new intellectual property right covering a person’s voice and image, making it illegal to distribute or profit from such replicas without permission.
“Nobody—whether they’re Tom Hanks or an 8th grader just trying to be a kid—should worry about someone stealing their voice and likeness,” said Senator Coons. “Incredible technology like AI can help us push the limits of human creativity, but only if we protect Americans from those who would use it to harm our communities.”
The legislation also includes a carveout to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, allowing platforms to be held liable if they fail to remove unauthorized content quickly.
Violators could face damages of at least $5,000 per incident. Protections would extend up to 70 years after a person’s death if their likeness continues to be commercially used.
Exceptions are built in for journalism, documentaries, biographies and other forms of protected speech, ensuring that the law does not stifle creative or critical expression.
The bill has drawn broad support across industries, including from the Human Artistry Campaign, child advocacy groups, Google, OpenAI, IBM, the National Association of Broadcasters and the Motion Picture Association.
BMAC joins a growing list of advocacy organizations backing the bill, including the Recording Academy, SAG-AFTRA, and the Songwriters of North America.
The goal is to create a consistent legal standard across all states, sparing artists from having to file lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions.
For more insight, watch Dr. Grouchy Greg Watkins, founder of AllHipHop, in conversation with Senator Chris Coons as they break down the NO FAKES Act and its impact on the future of entertainment.
Yak Gotti was officially released from jail Tuesday after pleading guilty to aggravated battery and securing a deal that wiped out the rest of his charges.
The rapper had been locked up since May 2022 after becoming entangled in the sweeping YSL RICO case.
He was one of 28 individuals indicted in the high-profile 56-count case targeting alleged members of Young Slime Life, a group prosecutors claimed was a criminal street gang operating under the guise of a music label.
Though he was acquitted of racketeering and murder in December 2024, Yak Gotti remained behind bars due to separate charges stemming from a violent jailhouse altercation and contraband accusations.
The incident at the center of the plea occurred in June 2024, when Yak Gotti and several co-defendants reportedly entered another inmate’s cell and attacked him using an electrical cord, according to prosecutors.
On Wednesday (April 9), Yak Gotti appeared in Fulton County Court and entered a guilty plea to a single count of aggravated battery.
Prosecutors dropped all other charges, including allegations of riot and assault, in exchange for the plea.
Judge Paige Reese Whitaker handed down a 12-year sentence but credited Yak Gotti for time served, allowing him to walk out on probation.
Yak Gotti’s sentence includes probation terms that prohibit him from owning firearms or promoting gang activity. His release comes just ahead of a new album, though no official release date has been announced.
“I wish you good luck on your forthcoming album,” Judge Whitaker said during sentencing.
Kanye West has shared insight as to why he chose to fully self-produce his recent album BULLY, uncovering his theory that Taylor Swift and his previous album collaborators led him to make the decision.
West revealed the theory while detailing his thoughts behind producing his latest album during a recent live stream with Digital Nas.
In doing so, he admitted that his recent album Vultures 2, was a turning point. While mentioning collaborators like Quentin Miller, Don Tolliver, Ty Dolla $ign, Malik Youssef, and Billy Walsh who contributed to BULLY, West said the fact Vultures 2 notably didn’t debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking a first in his career, made his frustration with the creative process ran deeper.
And while most artists might take a flop in stride, Kanye seems to think external forces were at play, placing part of the blame on the “artists” associated with Taylor Swift.
“Just for Vultures 2, this is my first album that was not a number one in my entire career and who did they use to do that? Taylor Swift’s artists, and this n#### I never heard of, Monty Litman, or some,” West vented, clearly dissatisfied with the impact of those involved in the project.
He hinted at a deeper conspiracy, where the competition to secure a chart-topping spot was intentionally skewed—a move he framed as possibly being orchestrated behind the scenes while defending his own work on Vultures 2 buy pointing to key standout tracks.
“People will say they don’t like this album, ‘I don’t like this album’,” headmitted. “But the crazy thing is, there’s crazy songs… like ‘Field Trip’ is on that album, that s###, like ‘530’ is on that album.”
In the aftermath of the album’s commercial struggle, Kanye took a new approach to his creative process, one that pushed him to rely solely on his own instincts.
“I was like, ‘Man, I’m just gonna get on the ASR, I’m gonna chop up some s### myself,” he explained. “So I was really big when I did that [BULLY] album, of not allowing other producers to work on the album.”
He ended his remarks by dishing about his excitement over his upcoming WW3(World War 3) project while also emphasizing the importance of having moments of solitude to focus on his personal expression.
“I’m working with other people on World War 3, so I like that, bringing people in, [but] sometimes you gotta have, like, these quiet moments, too, to just express your exact thoughts,” he added.
Keri Hilson’s recent comments about her controversial track “Turnin Me On (Remix)” has triggered a chain reaction exposing the mastermind behind the record that has become known as a Beyoncé diss.
In case you missed it, Hilson appeared in an interview with The Breakfast Club on Wednesday (April 9), during which she broke down how the remix to her 2009 hit came to life in the first place.
Hilson ended up speaking for nearly 15-plus minutes on the matter, revealing she felt forced to record and release the remix while also expressing her remorse for the track.
“It’s a regret, but not in the way that people would think, because that’s a song that I actually didn’t write,” Hilson said when asked about the song.
She continued, “Those are not my words. I was on tour, Polow [Polow Da Don] wanted me to do a remix to ‘Turnin’ Me On’ He had produced the record, and I wasn’t, because I was on tour with Lil Wayne, I wasn’t able to, like, lay anything down. He had been on me for a couple weeks about, we need to do a remix. Okay, so I take off. It wasn’t happening quick enough for him. I take off, we fly in, and he had another writer in our camp at the time. He had her write this, so he played it for me.”
Soon after the clip of Hilson appearing to place the brunt of the blame on Polow Da Don began circulating on social media, users began digging up old clips of the Atlanta vocalist seemingly owning up to the Beyoncé diss embedded within the track.
“I love B always will and if she wanna dis record on somebody I’ll write that,” Dean wrote in a reply to a fan comment on the post.
Almost simultaneously, singer and songwriter Ester Dean released a statement admitting that she wrote the track and was also not proud of the legacy the song has left behind.
“I submitted a lot of verses for that remix—one got picked, and it was co-written with Keri,” Dean wrote in the caption of a post she shared on Instagram. “Looking back, it was childish and didn’t age well. I see how it hurt people, especially women, and I take full accountability. I’ve worked with and supported many women since, but that doesn’t erase the moment. I’m sorry for my part in it. Growth is real, and so is this apology.”
In the comments section of the post, Dean further expressed her regret over the situation while also making an appeal to Beyoncé to literally write her wrongs.
Michelle Obama dismissed ongoing rumors about a split from former President Barack Obama during a podcast appearance where she addressed her recent absence from public events and the assumptions that followed.
Speaking on Sophia Bush’s Work in Progress podcast, the former First Lady made it clear she’s not walking away from her 31-year marriage but rather choosing how she spends her time.
“I mean, so much so that this year people were, they couldn’t even fathom that I was making a choice for myself, that they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing,” she said.
The speculation began after Michelle was noticeably absent from several high-profile events with her husband, leading to whispers about a possible rift.
However, the 61-year-old lawyer and author explained that her absence had nothing to do with marital issues and everything to do with setting priorities.
“I still care about girls’ education. The library is opening in a year from now, (but there are) certain things I am and am not doing with the library,” she said, referring to the Obama Presidential Center, which is under construction in Chicago.
She also spoke about the pressure women face when they choose to say no.
“But, the interesting thing is that when I say no (to a project), for the most part, people are like, ‘I get it’ and I’m OK. That’s the thing that we as women struggle with – disappointing people.”
Michelle expressed frustration with how quickly the public jumped to conclusions about her marriage instead of recognizing her autonomy.
“This couldn’t be a grown woman just making a set of decisions for herself. But, that’s what society does to us. We start actually finally going, ‘What am I doing? Who am I doing this for?'”
Michelle and Barack Obama have been married since 1992 and have two daughters. The Obama Presidential Center is scheduled to open in 2025.
Bow Wow is opening up about Karrine “Superhead” Steffans, praising her as “one of the illest women” he’s ever met and revealing that she’s still on his mind—whenever he sees a washing machine.
During a sit-down with Cam Newton, the rapper and actor reflected on his past with the infamous former Hip-Hop vixen.
Bow Wow credited Steffans with teaching him basic life skills that stuck with him. “
She taught me how to wash clothes, bro,” he said during the interview. “Something so simple, I did not know how to wash clothes.”
Even years later, the memory lingers. “That woman is different,” he added, explaining that laundry-related moments still remind him of her.
According to Bow Wow, Steffans has a way of permanently embedding herself into people’s lives without interfering.
He added, “She knows how to stay in your life for the rest of your life without being in your life.”
Their relationship started after Moss signed with Cash Money Records. Steffans was reportedly still involved with Lil Wayne at the time, which created tension between the two rappers.
Bow Wow apparently never told Wayne about his involvement with Karrine Steffans, and the situation escalated due to Wayne’s possessive behavior.
The romance didn’t last long. Steffans claims Bow Wow eventually told her she needed to align herself with more powerful men.
Steffans later confirmed in a 2022 interview that she was romantically involved with both Bow Wow and Lil Wayne while married.
She described them as her “boyfriends” and said they would call her at all hours. Her husband, she claimed, was fully aware and even supportive—cooking for her and running baths when she returned home.
Gene Deal has pointed to a $1 million check as the potential key to uncovering whether Sean “Diddy” Combs had any role in the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur, urging federal investigators to “follow the paperwork” during a new interview.
Speaking with The Art of Dialogue on Tuesday (April 8), the former bodyguard for Diddy didn’t mince words when asked about federal authorities reportedly investigating his ex-boss in connection to Shakur’s murder.
“The way the law enforcement been talking about it is that they believe that there was a check for a million dollars that were paid out,” Deal said. “Follow the paperwork.”
Deal also referenced a civil lawsuit filed by former Bad Boy Entertainment president Kirk Burrowes.
Burrowes accused Diddy of being tied to a deal with Duane “Keefe D” Davis, the man currently facing charges in Las Vegas for allegedly orchestrating the drive-by shooting that killed Shakur.
“Kirk Burrowes came out in his lawsuit and said that Diddy has something to do with it… follow the check,” Deal said. “The individuals that they try to say that had something to do with it or got paid for it showed us a check for $1 million.”
He continued, “Everything is already laid out there. All they have to do is, nine times out of 10, follow the paperwork.”
Deal had previously claimed he personally saw Harlem street figure Eric “Von Zip” Martin with a $1 million check, believed to be tied to the alleged murder-for-hire arrangement.
In Burrowes’ lawsuit, he alleged that Keefe D was expecting a $1 million payment in connection to Shakur’s murder, but the money was never delivered.
“Upon information and belief, Keefe D was expecting a payment of $1 million, which had not been received,” the filing stated.
Audio from 2023 surfaced of Keefe D saying he struggled to get paid after the hit, claiming Diddy promised the money but that Von Zip avoided him after the murder.
Despite Keefe D’s past admissions that he was in the Cadillac involved in the fatal shooting, he now insists he was at home in Los Angeles the night Shakur was killed.
He maintains there is no physical evidence tying him to the crime scene, the weapon or the getaway vehicle.
Deal believes Keefe D is being used as a scapegoat and predicted his release. “Keefe D gone be free pretty soon,” he said.
He also warned that unnamed people may try to get Keefe D out of jail to permanently silence him.
“If he were to be killed, the Las Vegas Police Department would say the person responsible for Shakur’s death is dead,” Deal said. “No, that’s a copout. They have no evidence to prove that Keefe D had anything to do with the death of Tupac Shakur.”
Deal accused law enforcement of feeding Keefe D a false narrative.
“He made up some lies for cops in California; that’s a proven fact,” he asserted. “FBI agents had came out and said he made up lies and he was given a script and adhered to the script that was given to him.”
Referencing a recent jailhouse interview, Deal said Keefe D knows Las Vegas police “don’t have nothing on him” and wants to return home.
He added, “Keefe D should get him a lawyer and sue the Vegas Police Department.”
Keefe D remains in custody and is awaiting trial in Nevada.
Kevin Liles has moved to dismiss a sexual assault lawsuit, arguing the claims from a former Def Jam employee are both outdated and baseless.
The longtime music executive, who currently serves as CEO of 300 Elektra Entertainment, filed a motion on Tuesday (April 8) in New York, requesting the court toss out the suit, which accuses him of sexual misconduct dating back over two decades.
The anonymous plaintiff alleges Liles harassed and assaulted her between 2000 and 2002, including claims of rape, groping and inappropriate remarks during her time at Def Jam.
Liles’ legal team contends the lawsuit should be thrown out because the statute of limitations has run out and the complaint lacks the detail required to proceed in court.
The suit was filed under the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law, which was revised in 2022 to temporarily allow survivors to bring forward previously time-barred claims until March 1, 2025.
In addition to Kevin Liles, the complaint names Universal Music Group and Def Jam Recordings as co-defendants, accusing them of enabling the alleged misconduct.
According to the filing, the companies “not only knew or should have known” about Liles’ “propensity to commit the aforementioned crimes of violence” but also “facilitated” his behavior.
Liles has firmly rejected the accusations since the lawsuit was filed earlier this year.
“These outrageous allegations are completely untrue,” Liles said in a statement. “After nearly 40 years of service to our culture, I’ve intentionally built a reputation for doing things the right way, treating people the right way, and empowering women.”
He added, “My attorneys and I will fully clear my name, and when we are successful, this anonymous accuser and her attorney will face a defamation lawsuit and every other available legal consequence.”
The court has not yet ruled on the dismissal request.
Sada Baby flashed a wide grin in his mug shot after being arrested in Shelby Township on Tuesday (April 8) for felony drug possession stemming from a traffic stop earlier this year.
The Detroit rapper, whose real name is Casada Sorrell, was taken into custody after officers pulled him over in his black Dodge Ram in January for having illegally tinted windows.
During that stop, police discovered he had an outstanding warrant for driving without a valid license. While conducting the arrest, authorities reportedly found less than 25 grams of a substance believed to be cocaine.
That discovery led to a felony narcotics possession charge. After the arrest, the rapper claimed the cops profiled him.
“My truck got profiled because of where I was at the time of night,” he wrote shortly after his arrest.
Despite the serious nature of the charges, Sada Baby appeared unfazed in his booking photo, smiling broadly in a pose that quickly made the rounds online.
Social media users wasted no time reacting to the image, with some calling it “iconic” and others questioning the timing of the smile. Scroll through the replies for some of the wildest takes.
Donald Trump, Martial Law & TikTok Conspiracies Collide in a Storm of Paranoia and Hashtags
“Donald Trump” and “martial law” are trending again. If this isn’t enough to do away with TikTok, what is? Fear, fantasy and federal policy are all on the menu. Trump signed an executive order on Inauguration Day with a very specific ask: get the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security to hand him a report by April 20 about what’s really happening at the Southern border. He also asked…whether the Insurrection Act of 1807 might need to be dusted off. Wait a sec…what is that?
“The Insurrection Act of 1807 is a United States federal law that empowers the President of the United States to deploy the U.S. military and federalized National Guard troops within the United States in particular circumstances, such as to suppress civil disorder, insurrection or rebellion.” – Wiki
We all know Trump is what he is, but what happened next is mostly a lot of trash…at least for the 20th of April.
People are now predicting a dystopian America under martial law. The hashtag #martiallaw has popped up in ore than 21,000 posts, with some creators saying we’re days away from tanks in the streets and curfews in suburbia. One TikTok maven said, “The only way [Trump] has to do this is to declare and publish a proclamation that orders these parties to disperse.” But Trump never said that.
Again, Trump’s date marks a deadline for a report, not a declaration of martial law or military mobilization.
Also, the Insurrection Act and martial law are not the same thing. So let us get it right. The Insurrection Act is centuries old and has been used a few times. They employed it to crush the KKK (wink wink) and later George H.W. Bush used it after the Rodney King verdict. Martial law is a full constitutional override. Everything about the nation is postponed or suspended. Civil liberties, civilian courts, freedom of speech and assembly are all gone. In my opinion, this is actually on the menu. NOW.
Back in the day, Ice-T had a skit that really captured the vibes.
So these TikTokers are wrong, but they may be right in due time. Yes, the executive order explicitly addresses “operational control of the Southern border,” and nothing rolling out troops in Times Square. BUT…I would not put it past them over the next four years. I think Black folks need to stay home as we have so we can’t be targeted like we have in the past. We’ve noticed there is an ABSENCE of military since they took to the streets. I think we have a quorum here.
For a glimpse into the future, check out the movie 2073 because it will open your eyes.
Cardi B reacted with visible grief after a nightclub roof collapsed during a packed merengue concert in the Dominican Republic, killing 124 people and injuring 160 others, according to local officials.
The Bronx-born rapper, whose roots trace back to both the Dominican Republic and Trinidad, took to her BG Secret Society Instagram channel to express sorrow over the tragedy that unfolded Tuesday night at Jet Set, a well-known venue in Santo Domingo.
“I’m in literal tears scrolling down my timeline seeing my Dominican people being rescued some wit lives and some gone,” Cardi B wrote, according to a screenshot shared widely online. “l’m sad seeing families crying desperately in pain looking for love ones… I feel like every Dominican around the world is in a big Hora Santa (holy hour) praying for survivors and praying for the ones that are gone to be in Gods Glory (sic).”
Authorities said the roof gave way during a live performance, trapping concertgoers inside. Among the deceased was Rubby Pérez, a beloved merengue singer whose voice had become a staple across generations.
He was 69.
“For the people who lost a family or a friend don’t have bad memories they left this earth singing and dancing and most likely happy and enjoying themselves and that’s how the lord will receive them (sic),” Cardi B added.
The Grammy-winning artist closed her message by honoring Pérez’s legacy and urging her followers to keep the victims in their thoughts.
“Its so heartbreaking to see one of our iconic artist Pérez leave in such a tragic way. Im glad tho our final memory of him was him sharing his beautiful voice to us… Sang one last time. I want my fans to pray for those who was in that building last night (sic).”
Authorities confirmed the death toll and injury count on Wednesday as recovery efforts continued through the night.
