Either Elon Musk has decided to fully lean into the “Big Brother” dystopian tech company stereotype at Twitter (X) full force, or there’s just some suspect new world order s### going on.
Whichever it is, Musk, Twitter (X) and the whole team of feds presumably working over there at Twitter-turned-tyranny, got me all the way f###ed up if they think I’m uploading my government ID directly to a social media app.
While it appears the new ID Verification feature coming to Twitter (X) will allow users to verify their account by uploading photos of their identification to the app, it seems like no one really knows if it’s going to be mandatory to keep your profile or just for verification purposes when applying for a blue check. There’s one rumor circulating though—accounts will apparently receive a special “ID Verified” badge once they have submitted identification.
I can’t lie; this just feels wrong. It’s like when life imitates art, but the art depicts a weird advanced society where the government and major corporations have both the ability to grotesquely infringe on privacy rights and make a profit from the exploitation of the lack of one’s peace. I’m really out here contemplating being on my J Kwon “Tipsy” vibes and hollering “Yo I got a fake ID tho” when the Twitter (X) ID police come knocking on my door.
But let me chill and quit acting like this is a scene from They Cloned Tyrone before the neighborhood lab sends out a fresh clone and the goons to come get me. Until I find out more, I’m gone leave y’all with some words of wisdom from this generation’s oracle—none other than Druski.
Willie D discussed the state of his relationship with fellow Geto Boys member Scarface on the AllHipHop podcast. The veteran rapper admitted he’s still upset with Scarface for doing a solo performance of the Geto Boys song “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” at the 2023 Grammys Awards.
“When Geto Boys have an opportunity to perform at the Grammys and only one-half performs and makes the decision to do it all by himself, then I gotta take exception to that,” Willie D told AllHipHop’s Chuck Creekmur and DJ Thoro. “Especially when I’m the other half.”
He added, “It was a major slap in the face. For all these people that’s running they mouth and saying, ‘Ah, get over it,’ and da-da-da and, ‘Oh but it was still a good look,’ f### you! Real talk, f### you in your ass.”
Scarface performed the Geto Boys classic as part of a Hip-Hop 50 medley at the Grammys. Willie D’s absence led to a heated argument between the two on a February episode of their Geto Boys Reloaded podcast.
Months later, Willie D remained frustrated. He explained why a simple apology cannot fix the situation.
“[Scarface] said [I should’ve been there], but he said it in a condescending manner,” he said. “And it wasn’t sincere. But I’ma tell you the truth bro. Even if he had [apologized], I still wouldn’t have accepted it ‘cause I knew that it was intentional. So, I don’t accept it when it’s intentional.”
Willie D was asked if there was anything Scarface could do to mend their relationship. The answer might worry Geto Boys fans.
“I don’t know right now,” Willie D said. “Time is a good start.”
Check out Willie D on the AllHipHop podcast below.
EST Gee could be the most interesting man in the world, but it’s more likely he’s the most impatient. Fans of the CMG signee certainly found the latter to be true this week after a clip of EST Gee allegedly walking out of a podcast interview went viral. It’s unclear at the moment what triggered the Kentucky native’s silent walk-off. The clip currently circulating appears to show EST Gee becoming visibly frustrated after being bombarded with questions about his past experiences as a star student and athlete.
However, walking down memory lane isn’t what set it off. Apparently, the clip itself was proof that his actions were warranted. EST Gee, who eviscerated the podcast host in an Instagram Story post because he essentially “tried it” with him, alleges the interview wasn’t even filmed less than two hours prior to the clip being released. The 29-year-old also claimed it was useless banter about pornstars and aliens that forced his hand to leave the podcast midway through the conversation.
“@bootlegkev You tryna play it like I walked out cause of football like [I] ain’t did plenty interviews talking about playing and talk about it in my music,” EST Gee wrote. “You asking me if I remembered an old man pornstar. If I believe in aliens and the NFL combine????? WTF do that got to do with my album dropping Friday? And I literally just walked out that interview 2 hours ago you already got a clip up??? You tryna go viral LOL 100. I got real life s### going [on] ask around Ion feel like playing so please don’t play wit me cause I play crazy.”
On the flip side of things, EST Gee reportedly arrived at least 90 minutes late to the interview and was never engaged in the conversation in the first place, according to the host.
And get this, EST Gee’s team reportedly told the host that he was interested in topics such as the Universe and Quantum Physics and didn’t want to do a regular promotional interview focused on his upcoming El Toro 2 project.
About the @ESTGEE thing- I’m a fan of his music & was genuinely excited to talk to him. I was told by his team that he wanted to not have an interview NOT filled with typical stuff where we talk about music this music that etc.
While there’s no telling who’s really right or wrong in this one, EST Gee surely is getting a load of free promo from the entire moment, as is the platform. Everybody eats B—or so to speak.
Gucci Mane wants to add a country artist to his record label’s roster. The 43-year-old rapper expressed interest in signing viral sensation Oliver Anthony to 1017 Global Music on Wednesday (August 16).
“Aye fam I need y’all help on this one I’m trying sign these guys as my first country artists to 1017!!!” Gucci Mane wrote on Instagram. “I need the info asap.”
Gucci Mane posted a screenshot of a link to Anthony’s song “Rich Men North of Richmond,” which dropped on August 11. An acoustic performance of the track racked up more than 15 million views on YouTube as of August 16.
Anthony’s song attracted a conservative audience thanks to many right-wing figures sharing it on their platforms. Anthony claimed he was nonpartisan in a video released on his YouTube channel.
“I sit pretty dead center down the aisle on politics and always have,” Anthony said. “I remember as a kid the conservatives wanting war and me not understanding that. And I remember a lot of the controversies when the left took office, and it seems like both sides serve the same master. And that master is not someone of any good to the people of this country.”
Gucci Mane did not elaborate on why he hoped to sign Anthony as 1017’s first country artist.
Babyfxce E is the newest artist to come out of Flint, Michigan, and he’s ready to make an impact on the rap game once and for all. Equipped with hard-hitting bars and unpredictable melodies, the rising star is a walking testimony of an underdog who makes it out of his city — with Flint arguably being one of the hardest places to break out of.
Babyfxce E states, “Everything you invest in and put your time into is not going to always work how you plan. Just don’t stop grinding because it ain’t over.”
The crazy part is, Babyfxce E only released his first song two years ago. Fast forward to today, he celebrates breaking out, as he continues to create nothing short of bangers for his growing fanbase.
Most recently, Babyfxce E unveiled the official music video to “Charge It To The Game,” which follows the success of his previous single “Today.” Babyfxce has also opened for Glorilla and Luh Tyler, comparing the performances to when he used to hoop on the basketball court.
AllHipHop spoke with BABYFXCE E to discuss his roots in Flint, love for music, his name, new music, signing to a major, favorite Detroit artists, goals, and more!
AllHipHop: How would you describe your sound?
Babyfxce E: I have a variety of sounds. Most of the time, rap, but I like to step in the autotune bag. I like to hop on different beats I’ve never tried before. It’s really the beat. Once I hop on a certain beat, that’ll change my sound, or give me a different sound to go for.
AllHipHop: Being from Flint, what was that like growing up?
Babyfxce E: Flint is different from every other city, because it’s so small. There’s only 70,000 people that live here, so everybody in my age group I really know. You see everybody. It ain’t really too much money flowing through here. The water’s messed up, it’s crazy here. A lot of violence.
AllHipHop: When did you fall in love with music?
Babyfxce E: 2 years ago, right after I made my third song. After my first song, I was really still doing it. Just rapping. I didn’t really have a passion or love for it yet. But after my third song, it was more of a different beat, different melody, everything. That’s when I really fell in love. I want to keep going to the studio, keep going in the booth and making new music.
AllHipHop: Any artists that made you want to rap?
Babyfxce E: Lil Baby, Rio Da Yung OG. Those are my main two, biggest inspirations forreal for rapping.
AllHipHop: How’d it feel to see Rio Da Yung OG blow up in your city? I feel like he paved the way for other artists out of Flint.
Babyfxce E: It’s crazy. When I seen Rio blow up, I didn’t really think nothing about rapping. I didn’t think I was ever going to rap at all. I was really just a listener, but it was crazy seeing him blow up because I ain’t seen nobody from Flint blow up off music. Especially our generation at least. There’s MC Breed and people like that, but we wasn’t around when they were around. It was crazy. It put us on the map forreal.
AllHipHop: When did you realize you could do music for a living?
Babyfxce E: When everybody was telling me I was good at it, and I wasn’t getting no bad reviews. Every person that heard my music said I was good. They were serious though, they weren’t just saying “you good.” They’re like “you’re nice. Ay bro, you might be able to go somewhere” type s###. That’s what really made me lock all the way in and invest all my money into music.
AllHipHop: How’d you get your name?
Babyfxce E: My name was given to me. I was trying to drop a song. I was rushing, trying to find a name. Everybody ended up giving me the name. I was going to go with Lil E, but it’s already a rapper in Flint called Lil E. He goes by GRINDHARD E, but his nickname’s Lil E. So I couldn’t go with that. But everybody always said I had a baby face. Before, they always said that: “you got a baby face.” I didn’t want to use it because of Babyface Ray’s name, but I ended up going with it and putting my own little twist on it. At first, it was with an ‘a’. I changed the ‘a’ to ‘x’.
AllHipHop: You just dropped “Charge It To The Game,” congrats. What inspired this record?
Babyfxce E: I appreciate you. When I recorded “Charge It To The Game,” I was really skipping through beats. Skipping through a lot of beats and freestyling. I was in my basement, on my speaker playing beats. I’d freestyle, load up a song so I can rap. I freestyled that. The first thing that came to my head was the first two lines of that song. As soon as I thought of the first two lines, I loaded the beat up and started rapping on it.
AllHipHop: Do you freestyle everything?
Babyfxce E: Yeah. It don’t be one take, but I don’t have to write. I don’t have nothing prepared when I go to the studio. I just go there and punch in.
AllHipHop: Did you shoot the music video in your hometown?
Babyfxce E: Yeah, I shot it in Flint. It’s a privilege, because you can’t really shoot videos everywhere. Not in Flint at least. It’s cool.
AllHipHop: Bring us back to when you made “Today.”
Babyfxce E: When I did “Today,” I was really in Atlanta doing a lot of shopping for that day. I just got done shopping and I came to the studio in Atlanta. Same as “Charge it To The Game,” I was running through beats, but that’ beat took me a little longer. I was freestyling and I came up with the hook. I’m like, “I think I wanna trip today.” I started mumbling, coming up with the hook.
AllHipHop: What is it you want fans to get from your story?
Babyfxce E: One thing I did that everybody should do, especially if they care about their career, is invest in it. People be scared to invest in something that they really want to do, and that’s what I did. I invested all my money into rapping. I done went broke on it before. Anything that they really want to do, invest into it.
AllHipHop: How were you getting money before the music?
Babyfxce E: A couple different ways, just hustling forreal.
AllHipHop: You’ve only been rapping for what, two years?
Babyfxce E: I dropped my first song two years ago. It’s wild.
AllHipHop: How much of a role did Tik Tok play in your career?
Babyfxce E: It didn’t play a big role, because it didn’t go viral. But it was growing more views than any other TikTok I ever posted before. All my other TikToks get a thousand views or something. I posted it at night, I woke up the next morning, it was 30K views. Later that day, it was at 60K views, then it got deleted. But it gained that traction from TikTok, it damn near became a word of mouth thing.
AllHipHop: How was it opening for Luh Tyler on tour?
Babyfxce E: It was smooth. I was surprised to see everybody who was interacting with me in each state. It was a good experience.
AllHipHop: You actually opened for Glorilla in Flint. How’d that happen?
Babyfxce E: The promoter got Glorilla to come down here, and they set everything up. Other artists from Flint perform also. It was big. It was one of the biggest performances I had, for sure. It was the same narrative. I wasn’t too surprised because it was in Flint, but I was very surprised to see that many people excited to see me there.
AllHipHop: Were you nervous?
Babyfxce E: I was nervous before, but when I got on the stage I wasn’t nervous. Like when I used to play basketball, I used to get nervous before the game. When the game started, I wasn’t really nervous.
AllHipHop: You still hoop?
Babyfxce E: Yeah I be hooping. I don’t play on no team now, but I be going to the gym.
AllHipHop: Who do you listen to in the gym?
Babyfxce E: I listen to a lot of artists. I listen to a lot of mainstream. I listen to people from Detroit. Babyface Ray, he’s hard. Veeze, 42 Dugg. Skilla Baby, Sada Baby. I really like all the Detroit artists. Tay B, Peezy.
AllHipHop: What do you like to do for fun, when you’re not rapping?
Babyfxce E: Basketball, fishing. I like car stuff. I like going out of town. That’s about it.
AllHipHop: Any goals for yourself at this point in your career?
Babyfxce E: Right now, my next project, I really want to sell a lot of copies and chart. That’s my goal.
A woman seemingly over-policing Black culture has gone viral and now, wears the name “Black Karen.”
Alewia Tola Roba, the person behind the camera, came into an Asian-owned boba shop in Colorado and accused them of cultural appropriation and “stealing Black culture” because they used the word “trap” and “plug” as a part of the store’s name and in their logo. Although the video is a few years old, a re-circulated version has more than two million views.
Roba, a Denver resident of Ethiopian descent, was offended and asserted that the Indonesian business was allegedly tricking people into thinking they were Black-owned to get customers.
“Do you think you’re not using Black culture to gain attention?” Roba asks. “Trap Tea? The boba plug? You’re using Black culture to gain customers. This establishment is not Black-owned. You’re stealing Black culture.”
People working behind the camera tried to explain there was no offense, but she shut them down, saying, “You’re thieves! Asian people stealing Black culture once again. It’s OK, you’ll be exposed though. You’re not Black-owned. You’re stealing Black culture.”
Many on social media thought Roba was taking it too far.
“Black people that get mad at other races using our ‘culture’ what do you want? You want it to remain exclusive to Black people only? Are you wanting to unite? Or is the goal to stay divided? I really hate Black people like this because it gives us a bad name,” one person tweeted, while another said, “Imagine gatekeeping the slang word for the location of drugs.”
A Reddit user wrote, “A trap house is a house known for drug dealing (usually old and rundown, where drugs are made/sold). I highly doubt ANY race would claim that as their ‘culture.'”
Roba owns her own company, Alewia’s Hair Care, which she claims is Black-owned and only uses homemade products free of harsh chemicals and sulfate. Another person showed how the Trap Tea owners changed their name and responded to all the attention that Roba had sent their way.
The brand took to Instagram and the wrote in August 2020, “Today has been an interesting day and we have received a ton of exposure. Some good and some bad but at the end of the day we want everyone to know that trap tea is about love and bringing everyone together.”
The company has since changed its name to “Banned Boba Bar.”
T.I. and Kanye West have been collaborating on music since the 2000s. Since that time, both rap stars have dealt with public challenges that nearly marred their respective careers.
Specifically, Kanye West lost deals with billion-dollar corporations after he made several comments deemed to be antisemitic. Ye also angered many of his fans by parroting anti-Black talking points used by white supremacists.
T.I. recently sat down with The Breakfast Club to discuss the 20th anniversary of his second studio album, Trap Muzik. The conversation included Tip reflecting on working with West for the “Doin’ My Job” track.
“Kanye was cool as hell,” the Grand Hustle Records founder told DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God. “I ain’t even gonna cap. Kanye was more conversational. He read the room a lot better. It feels like Ye got to a point where he just stopped reading the room and just gave everything everywhere.”
T.I. went on to recall West’s excitement while playing him records such as “Through the Wire,” “Jesus Walks” and “All Falls Down” for the first time.
Ye produced “Doin’ My Job” off T.I.’s Trap Muzik and other songs by the Atlanta resident. They also provided verses for the posse cut “Swagga Like Us” alongside fellow Hip Hop heavyweights Jay-Z and Lil Wayne. The Grammy-winning “Swagga Like Us” lives on Tip’s 2008 album Paper Trail.
The Atlanta Braves currently have the best record in Major League Baseball (77-42). The NL East Division leaders tapped hometown hitmaker, Quavo, to entertain the crowd at Truist Park on Tuesday.
Quavo performed his “Who Wit Me?” single for the Atlanta fans. The 32-year-old Migos rapper ran through the record as he stood on top of the Braves dugout before the game began.
“Who Wit Me?” will presumably live on the forthcoming solo project from Quavo. Following his Truist Park performance, the former Berkmar High School athlete announced, “Rocket Power, the album, Friday.”
https://youtu.be/gqUZiSucKss
Rocket Power will join an album discography that already includes 2018’s Quavo Huncho. That 66-minute project peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart.
In addition, Quavo teamed up with Travis Scott for 2017’s Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho. He also joined forces with his nephew/Migos groupmate Takeoff for Only Built for Infinity Links in 2022.
Takeoff was shot and killed in Houston on November 1, 2022. Four years before his passing, Takeoff released The Last Rocket. Quavo’s Rocket Power album title seems to be an ode to his late relative.
The trio known as Migos dropped four studio LPs between 2015 and 2021. Quavo, Takeoff, and Offset reached the top of the Billboard 200 album chart with 2017’s Culture and 2018’s Culture II.
Migos scored a No. 1 hit when “Bad and Boujee” featuring Lil Uzi Vert made it to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Quavo also achieved a Hot 100 chart-topper as one of the guest features on DJ Khaled’s “I’m The One” collaboration.
Taurus “Polo G” Bartlett’s album discography contains three full-length projects. The Chicago-raised rapper plans to add another LP to his catalog in the very near future.
A new album titled HOOD POET will arrive from Polo G on September 15 via Columbia Records. Veteran Hip Hop producer Southside worked closely with the 24-year-old Midwesterner on his latest body of work.
On August 15, Polo made the official announcement for HOOD POET during a 24-hour live stream for his fans. He also began the project’s rollout by dropping a 98-second trailer on YouTube.
HOOD POET serves as an acronym for “He Overcame Obstacles During Pain Or Emotional Trauma.” The forthcoming album is being described as Polo G’s most personal project to date.
https://youtu.be/obwqgSylFJ0
Previously, Polo G presented 2019’s Die a Legend, 2020’s The Goat, and 2021’s Hall of Fame. The RIAA has certified each of those albums as 2x-Platinum. Hall of Fame debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Polo has also led the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “Rapstar” made it to the pinnacle of the weekly rankings in 2021. “Hate The Other Side” with Juice WRLD, Marshmello, and The Kid LAROI peaked in the Top 10 as well.
“Barely Holdin’ On” – the lead single from HOOD POET – will be released on Friday, August 18. Arrad directed Polo G’s “Barely Holdin’ On” music video. He worked as the director for the “Rapstar” visuals as well.
Bravado and pride are common traits of top-performing Hip Hop recording artists. NLE Choppa showed off his self-confidence on social media this week.
On August 14, NLE Choppa took to the X platform to big up himself. The Memphis native’s 2023 run includes achieving commercial success with songs such as “S### Me Out,”“Do It Again” with 2Rare, and “Angel, Pt. 1” with Kodak Black, Jimin, JVKE, and Muni Long.
“I’M THE GREATEST. Y’ALL COUNTED ME OUT, NOW THEY LOST COUNT. I DO THIS TIME AND TIME AGAIN, HIT AFTER HIT, SONG AFTER SONG. DON’T PLAY WITH ME. BET NOT EVER TRY AGAIN. SHOW EM MY STREAMS MAMAMMMMAAA #ItsGettingHot,” posted NLE Choppa.
IM THE GREATEST YALL COUNTED ME OUT NOW THEY LOST COUNT. I DO THIS TIME AND TIME AGAIN HIT AFTER HIT SONG AFTER SONG DONT PLAY WITH ME BET NOT EVER TRY AGAIN SHOW EM MY STREAMS MAMAMMMMAAA #ItsGettingHot
While Choppa’s “It’s Getting Hot” has found moderate success on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (No. 49), one member of The Joe Budden Podcast slammed the song. Lamar “Ice” Burney expressed hatred for the new rendition.
“I hate this,” declared Ice. “I like NLE Choppa, I hate this is what I’m saying. I want everybody involved arrested. From top to bottom, everybody that was involved in this, I want y’all prosecuted… It didn’t do the classic justice.”
Earlier this year, NLE Choppa released his sophomore studio LP, Cottonwood 2. The album hosts “S### Me Out” and “Do It Again” as well as “Champions” and “Ain’t Gonna Answer” with Lil Wayne. Cottonwood 2 became Choppa’s third Top 10 entry on the Top Rap Albums chart.
Sean “Diddy” Combs will present the inaugural Revolt World on September 22-24 in Atlanta, Georgia. The event will feature panels, keynote addresses, and performances from a star-studded lineup.
“Revolt World was created to celebrate the global impact of hip hop and introduce a new live event category that represents the highest level of entertainment, education, and opportunity,” said Diddy in a statement.
The Revolt network founder added, “Our vision was to build on the tremendous success of Revolt Summit and deliver a first-of-its-kind event that reimagined the intersection of culture, community, and connections with the most influential leaders across generations.”
Yung Miami, Moneybagg Yo, Joey Bada$$, G Herbo, Don Toliver, Jeezy, Juvenile, Uncle Waffles, Omarion, Queen Naija, Maiya The Don, and DVSN have been confirmed for this year’s Revolt World.
In addition, Diddy’s Revolt World will host live editions of shows such as Caresha Please, Assets Over Liabilities, Big Facts, The Jason Lee Show, and Drink Champs. Plus, “We Are Hip Hop”-themed conversations will feature Lauren London, Rotimi, Jemele Hill, and others.
“We are thrilled to present this extraordinary lineup of talent at Revolt World who share our mission to provide access, knowledge, and opportunities that amplify our culture’s influence,” stated Detavio Samuels, Revolt CEO.
Samuels continued, “From industry icons to visionary thought leaders, these individuals embody the spirit of creativity, empowerment, and change that Revolt stands for. Together, we will ignite conversations, spark inspiration, and create a lasting impact on a global scale.”
Hip-Hop icons Snoop Dogg and Ice-T are celebrating each other as the world recognizes 50 years of the genre.
The Death Row Records honcho kicked off the praise in a recent interview which has been doing the rounds on social media. In the clip, Snoop Dogg named Ice-T among his Top. 5 best West Coast rappers of all time. Ice Cube, E-40, and Too $hort make up the other places, with Snoop also listing himself.
Ice-T caught wind of the love from his fellow West Coast OG and returned it in kind. He took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter) to share the praise while giving Snoop Dogg his own flowers while he can still smell them.
“Thanks for the LOVE,” Ice-T wrote alongside the video of Snoop Dogg. “You’re in my opinion the most Famous and Recognizable rapper of all time.”
Meanwhile, Snoop Dogg wants to make sure Southern rap gets the respect it deserves, offering to team up with 2 Live Crew’s Uncle Luke in a celebration of Hip-Hop from the West and South.
The Florida icon recently voiced his dissatisfaction at the “disrespect towards Florida hip-hop” during the Hip-Hop 50 festivities.
“We will continue fighting,” Uncle Luke wrote on Saturday (August 12). “There will be a day this year where we come together and celebrate Florida hip-hop artist from the top of the state to the bottom.”
Snoop Dogg saw the comments and offered to step up.
“I love and respect what u did for me and my hip hop journey uncle Luke on and off the mic,” he replied. “Let’s do a southwest Hip hop celebration so we can get the flowers to you and the other founders who mean so much to this thang called hip hop.”
Freddie Gibbs has added another piece of indelible art to his collection with a huge new leg tattoo featuring portraits of some of his idols.
The Gary, Indiana-bred hitmaker took to social media Tuesday (August 15) to unveil his fresh ink. The tattoo covers half of his leg, from ankle to knee, and features three famous pop culture icons.
A portrait of Samuel L. Jackson in his role as Jules Winnfield in the 1995 cult classic Pulp Fiction covers the lower portion while an inking of Wesley Snipes as the titular character from the Blade movie franchise sits next to Gibbs’s knee. In between the two actors is an image of Mike Tyson holding up stacks of cash.
“Bad Mother F#####,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter, alongside a video of his new tattoo.
While the video garnered some admirers, many of the replies mocked the tattoo, particularly the accuracy of the Tyson portrait. However, Gibbs was able to see the funny side and got in on the jokes.
“That’s 50 Tyson,” read one response, which drew a laugh from Freddie Gibbs.
While 50 Cent often uses his Instagram page to troll unsuspecting targets, clap back at critics and name and shame anybody who owes him a dime, he recently blessed his IG followers with a sweet video from a young fan that made his day.
The video was first shared by the boy’s father who gifted the nine-year-old tickets to Fiddy’s The Final Lap Tour for his birthday. However, little Karter is a certified 50 Cent superfan and pulled up to the concert dressed as a miniature version of his idol.
As well as the white wife beater, iced-out pendant chain and Durag/NYC fitted cap combo that became 50 Cent’s signature in the early 2000s, he also donned a fake tattoo sleeve on one arm. The video features a beaming Karter at the concert with his father, flawlessly rapping along to the G-Unit mogul’s hits.
The heartwarming video put a smile on the “In Da Club” hitmaker’s face. On Tuesday (August 15) 50 Cent shared the video with his nearly 30 million Instagram followers.
“This is the coolest video I’ve seen on line,” he penned in the caption. “It made my day.”
Karter is around the same age as Fiddy’s youngest son Sire. Earlier this week, 50 Cent shared a new photo of him while reflecting on how quickly time passes.
“Look how big my baby got, SIRE,” he wrote alongside an image of the 10-year-old. This is crazy he eating that filipino cuisine.”
Donald Trump has until noon on August 25 to surrender himself to authorities in Fulton County, Georgia, where the sheriff promised to have a mugshot ready and waiting for him after the former President was indicted alongside 18 others for trying to reverse the outcome of the 2020 election in the state.
Despite being indicted on three previous occasions, Trump is yet to have a mugshot taken. However, the local sheriff says he will treat the former commander-in-chief just like any other detainee.
“Unless somebody tells me differently, we are following our normal practices,” Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat told reporters. “It doesn’t matter your status. We have a mugshot ready for you.”
Donald Trump will have his mugshot taken when he’s arrested in Fulton County GA, says Sheriff Pat Labat. pic.twitter.com/lSixT9djyY
While so-called Donald Trump mugshots have circulated online following each indictment, they are all fakes. Even Michael Steele, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, has shared one.
On Tuesday (August 15), he posted a fake mugshot on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “This photo is AI Generated,” the reader-added context note reveals. “The random, meaningless text in the background is a characteristic of AI.”
#Indicted. Over 80 times. And now indictments handed down in Georgia for a racketeering conspiracy to steal the 2020 election. This is the once and future nominee of the Republican Party for President of the United States. Pathetic. pic.twitter.com/waEpkscM9T
Meanwhile, former Donald Trump adversary Hillary Clinton, who lost the 2016 Presidential election to Trump, said she felt a “great profound sadness” at the state of affairs.
However, she did let out a few laughs during her MSNBC interview Monday night (August 14) as news broke of the indictment.
“I didn’t think that [the appearance] would be under these circumstances,” she told Rachel Maddow with a laugh. “It’s hard to believe. I don’t feel any satisfaction.”
Donald Trump was indicted on 13 counts in Georgia, including racketeering and conspiracy. He now faces over 90 charges in total across four indictments.
Jay-Z is driving an uptake in NYC library visitors after the Brooklyn Public Library issued 13 limited edition library cards featuring artwork from each of Hov’s solo studio albums.
New York State residents are eligible for free cards, and they are arriving in droves to claim their souvenirs from “The Book of Hov,” exhibition at Brooklyn Public Library branches. They can collect all 13 versions which are available on a rotating basis through August. The schedule is available on the BPL website.
— Brooklyn Public Library (@BKLYNlibrary) July 28, 2023
The initiative has already seen 14,000 new library accounts as bookworms and fans alike rush to collect all 13 Jay-Z themed cards, a spokesperson for the Brooklyn Public Library told CNN.
Meanwhile, the 40,000-square-foot “The Book of Hov” exhibit has been extended to run through October. The exhibition opened on July 14 with a star-studded premiere with Jay-Z as guest of honor in attendance with his wife Beyoncé and their daughter, Blue Ivy.
The exhibition features “archived objects, including original recording masters, never-before-seen photos, iconic stage wear, prestigious awards, and recognitions, as well as videos and artifacts from every facet of Jay-Z’s professional life.”
In addition, the interactive “Book of Hov” website features a recap of the exhibit narrated by NYC radio legend Angie Martinez.
Kid Cudi and Alexa Demie have been tapped to star in Calvin Klein’s Fall 2023 campaign. Calvin Klein officials unveiled their latest campaign, which “redefines sensuality through scenes of pleasure and play.”
In their debut campaign for the global fashion brand, “Euphoria” actress Alexa and rapper/actor Kid Cudi join Calvin Klein ambassadors Kendall Jenner, Jennie from BLACKPINK, and Jung Kook from BTS.
Each has starred in a photoshoot, resulting in a dazzling mix of color and black-and-white images shot by fashion photographers Inez and Vinoodh.
Alexa, who is best known for her role as Maddy in HBO’s “Euphoria,” has been captured in a bold and seductive shoot modeling several of the brand’s signature looks, reimagined with her sense of style. She also showcased a selection of simple bralettes, lingerie pieces, and shapewear.
Meanwhile, Jung Kook showed off a matching denim jacket and trousers set in various fun and playful images, and Kendall and Jennie exuded femininity in a selection of ’90s-inspired looks, including oversized denim jackets and loose-fitting suits.
A Missouri police chief tried to convince a judge to hand down a lighter punishment to Tory Lanez.
According to Meghann Cuniff’s newsletter, New Haven Chief of Police Chris Hammann was one of the current and former government officials who asked Judge David Herriford for leniency ahead of the Canadian rapper/singer’s sentencing.
Judge Herriford sentenced Tory Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, to 10 years in prison on August 8. Hammann, a Kansas City councilman, a former city parks commissioner from California and others requested a lenient sentence in a July 26 letter to the judge.
“While we acknowledge the serious nature of the charges against Mr. Peterson, we also believe in the power of redemption and the potential for personal growth,” the letter read, per documents obtained by Cuniff. “Our legal system should not solely focus on punishment but should also provide opportunities for rehabilitation and reintegration into society.”
Iggy Azalea wrote a similar letter, which surfaced online. She received backlash for supporting Tory Lanez, prompting her to respond on social media.
“I don’t ‘support’ anyone,” she declared. “The whole thing is full of oddities … I was told this was for a judge only, yet it’s being discussed in public? I never intended to publicly comment.”
Last December, Tory Lanez was convicted of three felonies for shooting Megan Thee Stallion. He maintains his innocence.
Travis Scott allowed more fans to see his Circus Maximus movie by releasing it on YouTube on Tuesday (August 15). The film premiered at select AMC theaters in July.
Circus Maximus features music from Travis Scott’s latest album Utopia. The film includes contributions from award-winning directors Nicolas Winding Refn and Gaspar Noé, among others.
Earlier this month, Travis Scott thanked the film’s contributors via social media. He specifically shouted out the directors for “making this happen in the craziest time.”
“Every one that work on the film with me from the grip to the person that pick up the last thing from the set just wanna thank ya for your time and make this happen with me when everyone that thought It was impossible,” he wrote on Twitter.
Travis Scott dropped Circus Maximus on YouTube after his Utopia album secured a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Utopia was the second Hip-Hop album to top the chart in 2023. Lil Uzi Vert’s Pink Tape was the first.
Later this year, Travis Scott intends to hit the road for a tour in support of Utopia. His plans faced some pushback from the Houston Police Officers’ Union, which spoke out against him booking a concert in Houston after the Astroworld tragedy.
Tone Trump is a legend in his own right, someone who’s proven his talents in the rap game, firmly stands on what he believes in, and truly brings to life the real definition of a ”hustler.” In fact, he’s best known for his motivational catchphrases “let’s win” and “hustle or starve.”
In describing himself, Tone states, “The first thing I always say is I’m a Muslim. I’m a striving, praying Muslim. I’m a father, and I’m the greatest hustler alive. You can Google ‘greatest hustler alive,’ and my picture comes up first. I’m the ultimate hustler, in and out of music and film. In the streets, in my community, I’m just the ultimate hustler.”
Born and raised in West Philadelphia, Tone Tump, real name Tony Brice is a rapper, actor, father, influencer, motivator, and entrepreneur all in one. Having been raised by a single mother, who protected him from the poverty and violence that surrounded him, Tone is a proud praying Muslim, who’s got one hell of a story to tell.
With music being his saving grace, Tone went from being shot (and almost going blind) to signing a six-figure contract in New York. To date, Tone has been affiliated with 50 Cent’s G-Unit crew, as well as Jeezy’s CTE camp.
But now, he inks yet another distribution deal with Jim Jones’ Vamplife Records, who will be releasing his forthcoming project titled Still Striving. The album is executive produced by Kevin Gates, slated to be released this September.
AllHipHop spoke with Tone Trump who was posted in Philly shooting a commercial before heading to New York for the weekend. Read below as we discuss how he got his name, tapping in with 50 Cent and Jeezy, his new project, his relationship with Kevin Gates, his love for Nipsey Hussle, giving back, and more!
AllHipHop: What are you doing in New York?
Tone Trump: They have a Halal Food Festival this weekend, so I’m doing a Meet & Greet. Eat a bunch of good foods and shooting content, the fun part of the job. It’s 200 different Halal vendors. It’s massive, it’s going to be 20K people there. It’s a really big deal. Basically all the best Halal foods in the Tri-state area, we have a bunch of activities. It’s a big Muslim event at Nassau College in Long Island. It’s gonna be nice.
AllHipHop: You pride yourself in being a hustler. Where did you get that mindset?
Tone Trump: Yeah. My mom told me when I was nine years old, I was the man of the house. From the beginning of my life, I had a structure and I had a responsibility. I had to take accountability, to make sure my mom and my little sister was good. I always chased a dollar. At times, it got me in trouble. At times, it’s helped me make history. It’s a part of my DNA. I’m a born hustler. I gotta go get it.
AllHipHop: How’d you get your name?
Tone Trump: I got my name when I was little. I’m from Philly, and Philly is close to a city called Atlantic City, New Jersey. Atlantic City, New Jersey is a casino town. Before everybody started hating on Donald Trump and he became President, Donald Trump was loved by our culture. When you would go to Atlantic City, his name was real big. In the lights, you’ll see it. At the time, I had aspirations to live a fast life, get money lifestyle. That was the perfect name to attach to my mogul status and me wanting to be the ultimate businessman from the streets. I set that name and handle, and it stuck with me. The Tone part, my government name is Tony, so that’s short for Tony.
AllHipHop: You were signed to G Unit, as well as Jeezy’s CTE camp as well. Could you summarize your time at both?
Tone Trump: The G Unit relationship, many years ago 50 was shooting the pilot for a TV show that was covering artists in Philadelphia and the underground Hip-Hop scene. He put together a group of artists from Philly, I had the honor of being a part of that. We shot a show. The show was really really good. It never came out. A lot of us, a lot of the brothers involved got locked up. A lot of crazy stuff started happening. So obviously 50 had to move forward, but it was a great learning experience to get to build with 50 and Yayo and them.
That was 2009, 2010. Fast forward to 2012, I had a record called “Afghan” that picked up in the streets. Radio, Funk Flex started dropping bombs on it. Jeezy and them reached out, Jeezy got on the record for me for free. We did a deal. I ran around with the Snowman and toured with him for about two years and made music. Both of those situations were positive, I still love both of them brothers. I learned a lot about being a boss, and I move forward now as my own CEO.
AllHipHop: Talk about your new project that’s dropping, in partnership with Jim Jones.
Tone Trump: Yes ma’am. I just did a distribution situation with my company, MDF. The MDF stands for militant, discipline, and fearless. That’s my company. Jim’s company is Vamplife Records, then EMPIRE is part of the distribution situation. Our first project is called Still Striving, it’s a great project. I took a break from music. I’ve been working out the country, doing stuff in Africa and Saudi Arabia. Now, it’s time for me to get back in the streets. Music is therapy for me, and I wanted to get back to the music.
Still Striving is a project that reintroduces my music, my new sound. I got some great features on there, some big records. I got records with CeeLo Green on this project. Freeway, Jim Jones a bunch of great artists. Production from Ali The Greatest. I’m excited to get it out. It’ll be out in September inshallah, God-willing.
AllHipHop: Is it easy for you to get these fire features?
Tone Trump: Nothing is easy in the music industry. But I will say this: relationships is better than money. I’m somebody who when I first started off, I’ll be transparent, I didn’t have no money to pay for big features. But I had great relationships, I got a clean face. I’m respected everywhere I go. I’ve never paid for a feature in my career. I got records with everybody from Akon, Birdman, the late great Kay Slay, Jeezy. Not many people got Jeezy records, I got multiple Jeezy records. I got a whole album with CeeLo Green, five time Grammy winner.
My relationships from the streets to the prisons to the masjids to the industry are super solid, so I’ve never paid for a feature. I won’t say it’s easy, but winners respect winners and G’s respect G’s. When I reach out to people like Jim Jones, he sees what I’m already doing. Not just in music, but in the streets and in my community. I’m not talking about no gangster s###, I’m talking about positivity. They honor that, they all good men that come from the same struggle as me. I represent the trenches in the highest form, so it’s only right that they give Tone Trump a verse. It’s a good look for them too, so respect to all the people I work with.
AllHipHop: What’s your relationship with Kevin Gates?
Tone Trump: That’s my brother. That’s way beyond music, that’s my little brother. Recently I’ve put out some footage of him saying how I’m inspired him, but he inspires me as well. It’s a brotherhood. Obviously, we both Muslims. We both come from the same struggle. He’s one of my favorite people in the world. Couple years ago, I was dealing with some mental health issues. He was one of the people that helped lift me up and opened his home up to me.
Somebody like him, he gets six figures for a feature. He gave me a verse, he gave me a hook. Wouldn’t dare take no money from me, cleared the record right away. Shout out to Gates, that’s my brother. That’s beyond music. We’ll hurt someone about Gates. We’ll go to the ultimate level for Gates, and he knows that. We love him and his whole team and family. Shout out to lil bro.
AllHipHop: How did y’all meet originally?
Tone Trump: We met originally, through the streets honestly. Not no music stuff. When Gates was young, Gates was locked up in a juvenile situation. I was heavy on DVDs, and he was a fan of what I was doing. When he got his light, he reached out to me like a real one’s supposed to, and gave me my flowers. We’ve been linked ever since then, from traveling the world together.
When I went to Mecca, he was one of the first people I FaceTimed, because he had went right before me. We experienced things together through this industry. But more importantly, through our faith and through our families. He calls and checks on my kids and vice versa. It’s just a bond. It’s unbelievable. You would think we were born in the same city, but we weren’t. We connected through realness and through the streets, and through the honor of Islam.
AllHipHop: What’d it mean to have him executive produce your project?
Tone Trump: It means everything to me because Gates is younger than me, and Gates is very successful in this industry. He’s able to see things that I don’t see no more, because I really don’t pay attention to music. I’m creating my own genre. I call myself the TOP AHK, I represent the black Muslim struggle. I’m not chasing down being in the top Spotify artists or nothing like that. I’m trying to carve my niche into my own genre, then open the door for other young Muslim artists in the streets, who don’t want to compromise to the wickedness of the music industry.
For me to have Gates involved to EP my project, it means everything because he’s current. He’s poppin’ right now. He can help me with picking beats. He could tell me “no, put so and so on a song.” Different things like that. Even with the marketing, he says I inspired him. When he first started doing vlogs, Gates said he learned that from me. But now it’s ways that he does marketing, he knows how to go viral at the drop of the hat. We see him do it all the time. He’s on every blog site in the world saying the craziest stuff, but that’s an art to that. That’s a skill. Stuff like that, I can learn from my little brother, who’s a multi-Platinum artist. He’s not no regular degular. He’s one of the biggest in the world, so shout to Gates.
AllHipHop: I really respect how much you give back. Why is that important to you? Where did that come from?
Tone Trump: It came from my mother. Since we was little, even when we didn’t have anything, my mother taught us the importance of giving back. I’ll give you an example. I remember being in fourth grade, my mother would make an extra sandwich with my lunch. She’d tell me if somebody doesn’t have no lunch, you make sure you share this sandwich with him. As I grew older and I started to acquire things, first of all in my faith, I’m obligated to give back as a Muslim. Just as a man of honor, you should want to uplift your community.
We do feedings every Sunday in the roughest section of Philly, which is Kensington. We’ve raised millions and millions of dollars from Philadelphia all the way out to East Africa, with the work I do raising money for cataract surgeries, raising money for water wells. That’s what we’re doing now, we own a water well project. This is something that not just me, but the whole MDF, the whole family, we take a lot of pride in that. Me and my brother, sometimes we go out just me and him. We wake up one day like “let’s go feed the people.” We’ll order 100 meals and just hit the block.
We do it in every city we go to. When we go to Atlanta, you won’t see us at the hookah lounge, but you’ll see us outside the recovery center giving out Halal sandwiches. That’s the way we want to be remembered. Because right now, we working for our afterlife. When people tell my kids about me, I want them to tell them “your dad used to do this. He used to give back.” Not talk about rap beefs or no b#######. I want to make sure we set up our legacies, and that’s why it’s important to us.
AllHipHop: Hip-Hop celebrates 50 years this year, what does Hip-Hop mean to you? What was the moment you fell in love with Hip-Hop?
Tone Trump: Hip-Hop means everything to me. Other than the permission of Allah, Hip-Hop saved my life. I’ll never forget Kay Slay calling me. I was on my block one day and I was still doing illegal activities. Kay Slay called me and told me he was thinking about putting me on the cover of Straight Stunnin Magazine. I said “Slay, you can’t tell me you’re thinking about it and not do it.” Slay knew some of the stuff I was involved in, he said “you gotta pick.” I said Slay, if you give me this opportunity, I’ll stop what I’m doing. I never went back to selling drugs again.
I was on 54th Street between Market and Orange. He put me on the cover of Issue 14 of Straight Stunniin. I took music serious and I got a record deal about 20 months after that, it changed my life. It means everything. It’s embedded in our culture. You can’t be from where I’m from or be from my nationality — I’m black and Puerto Rican. You can’t be that and not love Hip-Hop. I’m talking, I had Kool Herc on stage with me when I did my signing party. I had Melly Mel on stage with me. I always try to make history with Hip-Hop. The first time Cassidy and Freeway was on stage together, was at one of my shows. I put that together to bring peace between them brothers after their legendary battle. For me, Hip-Hop is a tool of peace and love, and opportunity. I make money, I travel the world. I love this culture.
AllHipHop: What else are you excited for?
Tone Trump: We just opened up a new building in Chester, Pennsylvania. We have a cheesesteak restaurant called Union Steaks. We have a merch boutique, where we want to have all our merch and clothing, as well as other independent African American and Latino business owners with their clothing. All independent clothing and sneakers in our store. We have a podcast studio and a barbershop educational center, where we want to teach children how to do podcasts on and off camera, as well as get their barber license. Me and my brother have that business in Chester, Pennsylvania. I’m excited about that.
Inspired by the late, great Nipsey Hussle to give brick and mortars in our community. Nipsey was my brother too. I never got to meet Biggie and Pac, but Nipsey was my brother. He’s very dear to me, so I definitely want to mention him and say I love him. He’s the reason why we putting up these buildings and having centers for children. I tell people, this isn’t a restaurant. This is a building, we building up the same young black and Puerto Rican boys and girls to give them better options. Because right now in Philadelphia, in Chester and the surrounding areas, there’s so much gun violence. Instead of preaching about it, we gotta come up with solutions. We gotta say, “Yo I got a job for you lil bro. You don’t gotta do that.” That means more to me than any song, any video, any movie. So God-willing, we’ll be doing that. We do our soft grand opening on August 20th, cutting the ribbon. I’m excited about that.
AllHipHop: How did you and Nipsey tap in?
Tone Trump: That’s my brother man. I knew Nip before the world knew Nip. I was going out to LA, this was back in 2011. Honestly, I got into some drama out there. Nipsey Hussle being a brother in Hip-Hop once again, I got in some s### with some guys you don’t want to get in some s### with LA. Nipsey Hussle stood up for me like we grew up together. At the time, I didn’t know him other than through Twitter. He came through for me, frontline like “nah, he with us.” From that point on, they always took care and loved me.
When I first was going to Cali, I was going out there with some brothers from the red side. I didn’t know how that worked with the politics, so I wouldn’t really hitting Nip up. Nip’s like “man, f### that. You my brother. I don’t care who you with.” I was with Compton Menace and a bunch of the homies from the Piru side. Nip pulled up, took me around. Anytime I would go to LA, even if he wasn’t there, he made sure I had anything I needed. He made sure I was good. That goes for him and everybody from the 60’s, they my brothers. Much love to Kumasi, much love to Big U and the whole neighborhood.
Much much love to Nip. I just was in LA and I spoke at a masjid on Crenshaw. I donated a lot of money to that masjid on Crenshaw, in honor of Nipsey Hussle. It’s called Islah Educational Institute. It’s a black Muslim-owned school on 2900 Crenshaw Avenue. I wanted to do something special for Nip. All my merch that was Nipsey blue, we donated a portion to that school on Crenshaw. That was in honor of my brother Nipsey Hussle, so I’m really proud of that. I’m real real proud of that.
AllHipHop: If there’s one thing you want people to take away from Still Striving, what would that be?
Tone Trump: That I put together an authentic project. It’s gangsta. It’s no cursing from me on there, some of my features curse. But I’m showing the young boys you can express yourself. Be tough, be fly, be strong, without calling women the b-word. Without shooting, without the n-word at homies. We could talk about having fun, getting money, and living the dream, without self-destructing. It’s great music, it’s not boring.
And showing collaboration over competition. I got features from brothers from all over the world. I got Munna Duke from O’Block on there. I got Young Moe from VA. I got CeeLo. I got J. Stone from Crenshaw on there. I got Hardo from Pittsburgh on there. I wanted to get all over, strong, like-minded individuals who are leaders in their communities, to show that we can come together. We stronger together. That’s what Still Striving is about: do for yourself, but not by yourself. Link up with the brothers and sisters, and let’s build up.