The long-awaited head-to-head between Drake and Kendrick Lamar could be arriving soon. According to rapper-turned-podcaster Joe Budden, both Hip-Hop superstars have dueling diss tracks prepared.
“I have it on good information that both sides went in the booth and came out,” Budden stated on the latest episode of his podcast. “And what I’m hearing about both sides is that it’s nuclear. It’s up, up.”
The New Jersey native also said, “I’m hearing this from people that can rap. So I want to come in here and say that speculation time is over. Debate time is over.”
Kendrick Lamar Kicked Off This Round With “Like That”
Many Hip-Hop fans have waited over a decade for a non-subliminal Drake versus Kendrick Lamar lyrical battle. The latest round in the longstanding feud began with Lamar directly aiming at Drake on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That” single.
Joe Budden Confirms People Have Heard Drake’s Diss Track
After J. Cole bowed out of the contest, attention turned to Drake to see if the OVO leader would step into the rap ring with Kendrick Lamar. Some Hip-Hop followers have questioned if Drake can match up to the Pulitzer Prize winner.
“I’ve been saying for a few pods now that I’ve seen absolutely nothing from Drake to get me excited enough to think that he will be capable of doing what needs to be done against the likes of a Kendrick Lamar,” Joe Budden admitted.
However, Budden supposedly received information that changed his mind about a potential Drake diss record for Lamar. The retired MC added, “I’m here to say that there’s no need for me to instigate anything. We’re here. And apparently, he did it. And people heard it.”
Kevin Gates is quite the enigma, but he is talking so we understand.
The rapper shares insights into his latest album, The Ceremony, and also how he has transformed as a man. Backstage as a show in New York City, Gates shares his journey of self-accountability, discipline, and even addiction. He narrates his journey to Brandi Williams, which a fresh face, look and vibration.
Embracing the transformative power of ego-death, Gates expounds on lessons learned about sacred masculinity and the divine feminine, but also his committment to being supremely authentic.
He’s still a people’s champion, but he’s rapidly becoming beacon of hope, a proverbial catalyst for personal growth.
AllHipHop: So, word is this is your most vulnerable album yet, so I wanted to know what did that bring up for you? What new emotions have you experienced or what’s coming up new that you haven’t seen in your last previous albums?
Kevin Gates: It was always me, but I used to vent back then. Now I was just being super transparent, showing people my insecurities and the things that just as a man, you always taught to be tough. And like I said earlier, it takes more courage to show vulnerability than it does to be a tough guy. We all know you faking.
Also, I talking to myself though, when I say that I talk to myself a lot, that’s how I process things. Yeah…
AllHipHop: For sure. I mean, that’s a good way of processing things as well. Talking to yourself and being really…
Kevin Gates: Holding yourself accountable. I had to look at myself in the mirror and say, “Hey, you know, you a b#tch right now. You a b#tch. You not honoring the commitments that you made to yourself.” So how are you going to honor the commitments that you’re supposed to make to the universe and everybody else? You have to honor the commitments you make to yourself so you can respect yourself. Right. Discipline equals self-restraint, self-restraint equals self-respect.
AllHipHop: Exactly. Okay. So how would you advise anyone who’s going through any addiction or avoiding self-accountability? Do you have any advice for anyone going through that?
Kevin Gates: Which question?
AllHipHop: Self-accountability. How did you hold yourself accountable in the beginning?
Kevin Gates: Well, I had a way of, my ego was in a way, I had a way of making anything that I was doing seemed like the right thing and I had a way of flipping it and even lying to myself. It was kind of narcissistic in nature until you really realize that everything that goes on in your life is your fault. I’m held responsible for the places that I place myself, and that’s self-accountability. When you don’t lie to yourself and you be honest with yourself and you do the necessary things to remove the distractions, it’s going to be difficult. We love to just procrastinate and distract ourselves with nothingness. And then the other one was addiction.
Anything that you do, they say be conscious of your thoughts because your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions and your actions become your habits. I wouldn’t say go cold turkey from something that you love. If you say, if you’re drinking alcohol, you love it. It makes you feel good. It is social, it’s cool. I just say, every time that you get the craving or the urge to do that, you replace it with another habit. Don’t just go cold turkey. Replace those habits with healthy habits. It’s your choice in what you want to do. But I got a little trick. I do, like if I’m about to get on Instagram, I drop down and do 25 pushups, 30 pushups. And I do pushups, and then it became a habit. Now when I go places, people look at me like, you’re weird. You’re doing pushups, but look at my body and look at yours.
AllHipHop: So I wanted to know also about your ego-death, because I know that’s a big thing. Honestly, to experience ego death is a very hard…
Kevin Gates: I had my ass really kicked. That’s when I learned about sacred masculinity and the holy divine feminine. And it is a long story, but I’m going to just say I was humbled and I pray that God keeps me humble. So I never had to be humbled like that again. It was very humbling.
AllHipHop: That’s a real experience right there. Okay, and I have one more question for you. So I heard that you’ve never gotten a tattoo covered up. Is that true?
Kevin Gates: No, I never got a tattoo covered up. If I did it, I meant it.
AllHipHop: Right. So I want to know, so I know you’re going on this journey right now with yourself, where it’s like you have all of these new emotions coming up. You’re being more vulnerable and becoming divine masculine, like you mentioned before, sacred masculine. So I wanted to know, how do you deal with going through the process of life and avoiding that feeling of regret?
Kevin Gates: How do I go through the process of life and avoid the feeling of regret? Right? If you do have something that you regret, you go back and you add a positive feeling toward it, you think about it and process it, and honestly look at yourself like a baby. You’re nurturing yourself like, “It’s okay, you made a mistake. Just don’t do it again. It is okay.” I talk to myself like that almost like a baby, and then I go back and place a positive feeling toward it because if it didn’t happen, I wouldn’t be here.
Had this not have happened, this wouldn’t have happened. So look at all the positive and beautiful things that’s going on in my life right now. Those really not even negative things, they was just adversity. Adversity builds character. If it ain’t rough, it ain’t us. If you ain’t tested, it ain’t been through a test, you’re not going to have a testimony. So these was really beautiful things. Now that I look back, I just didn’t understand it when I was going through it. Now I welcome challenges and that’s where fitness come in because when you challenging yourself, you welcome challenges.
Megan Thee Stallion has women in the industry following her lead in the “Wanna Be” twerk challenge. Social media users placed a lot of attention on Meg’s butt in recent days, but the Houston Hottie addressed rumors about another body part.
“They be like, ‘Oh my gosh, she got her nose done. B####, y’all hoes wish I got my nose done,'” Megan Thee Stallion said in a video captured by LiveBitez. “Y’all hoes need to comprehend how much [time] the recovery surgery takes.”
The “Hiss” hitmaker continued, “I’ve been on your ass since 2017. At what point in life I had time to lay down and let you hoes breathe? Keep up, hoe.”
Megan Thee Stallion released the Make It Hot EP in September 2017. She followed that project with 2018’s Tina Snow, 2019’s Fever, 2020’s Suga, 2020’s Good News, 2021’s Something for Thee Hotties and 2022’s Traumazine.
A lot of recent news surrounding Megan Thee Stallion focused on her new collaboration with GloRilla. The Texas-Tennesse pair teamed up for the “Wanna Be” single off Glo’s Ehhthang Ehhthang mixtape.
In addition, Megan topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2024 with “Hiss.” That single sparked a days-long tirade and widely panned “Big Foot” response record from Nicki Minaj.
Joyner Lucas recently dropped his Not Now I’m Busy album in March. The Worcester, Massachusetts native recently spilled some tea too.
Apparently, Joyner Lucas used to date R&B singer Ashanti. Their supposed relationship will be a topic in Lucas’s upcoming interview with The Jason Lee Show.
“It was dope. She’s a really dope person. She really is,” Joyner Lucas said about dating Ashanti in a preview clip for the April 10th episode.
He also added, “I’m a private n####. I don’t really talk about it. But what I will say is that she is an amazing person. I’m just excited about how much she wanted to be a mom.”
As far as Joyner Lucas, his Not Now I’m Busy studio LP contained features by YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Conway The Machine, Logic, Twista, the late DMX and more. That project joined a catalog that also contains 2020’s gold-certified ADHD.
According to footage posted to the internet, J. Cole popped up at the event in Manhattan. The North Carolina-bred MC unexpectedly performed for the Irving Plaza crowd.
The Might Delete Later mixtape creator’s appearance during Bas’s set came after he shocked many Hip-Hop fans by apologizing for dissing Kendrick Lamar, his longtime collaborator.
Might Delete Later hit DSPs on Friday (April 5) with a closing track titled “7 Minute Drill.” That T-Minus-produced record served as a response to Kendrick Lamar’s “Like That” verse. Lamar took obvious shots at Cole and Drake on the song by Future and Metro Boomin.
On Sunday (April 7), Cole issued his mea culpa to Kendrick Lamar during the 2024 Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, North Carolina. The on-stage speech quickly went viral on social media platforms and became a trending topic for numerous days.
J. Cole received widespread online criticism for walking away from the brewing lyrical battle with Kendrick Lamar. His performance in NYC was the first time Cole appeared in public since the backlash.
In a recent interview with the New York Times, Lizzo, who has faced negative comments targeting her weight throughout her career, revealed her new stance on the body positivity movement.
“The idea of body positivity, it’s moved away from the antiquated mainstream conception,” she said. “It’s evolved into body neutrality.”
Lizzo continued, “I’m not going to lie and say I love my body every day,” Lizzo, 35, said. “The bottom line is, the way you feel about your body changes every single day.”
However, Lizzo focuses on pouring love into herself.
The clip went viral as fans debated the “shawty” in question, with many believing Latto was referring to Nicki Minaj but refused to name because of the bad blood between them.
Latto and Nicki Minaj engaged in a bitter online spat back in 2022, with the pair trading insults. The tension continued, and fans speculate they dissed each other on recent tracks.
Latto did little to demystify her Top. 3 remarks, posting ” NP: Plies ft. T Pain – Shawty,” on X 9formerly Twitter) as the clip gained traction.
“Nicki is really every female rapper’s Voldemort,” one fan declared. “They scared to death to say her name! Kim: “ole girl” Cardi: “female rapper” Latto: “shawty” I thought y’all skill was words??? Y’all tripping up over the word “Nicki” I’m dead.”
😂😂😂😂 Nicki is really every female rapper’s Voldemort – they scared to death to say her name!
Doechii sounded off at Azealia Banks after the controversial rapper insinuated that she’s a “wannabe” version of her.
The breakout rapper and singer recently released her first single in 2024, a collab with fellow Floridian City Girls’ JT, and decided it was time to coin a name for her devoted supporters.
“Ok y’all… what should our fandom name be?” she asked her fans earlier this week,
While “The Swamp” and “Gaytors” were popular choices for the self-proclaimed Swamp Princess, Azealia Banks trolled Doechii with an alternative suggestion.
“Definitely should call them ‘the wannabe’s,’” she replied to the post.
Doechii responded, referencing past tension between them, and urged Banks to back off.
“The first time you came for me I let it slide outta respect for my elders,’ she stated. “It’s not my fault you sellin bussy soap and I’m sellin platinum records. Leave me alone PLEASE.”
Banks recently rejected comparisons to Doechii following the release of her JT collab.
Calling her “that Doechii girl,” she claimed fans are not impressed by her music. “So that means you need to go back, and you need to discover who you are as an artist.”
Azealia Banks comments on the comparisons to Doechii’s new single, via Instagram Stories
Rihanna may be a global fashion icon with a multi-billion-dollar brand to match, but she still gets upstaged by her more stylish partner A$AP Rocky.
The mother of two opened up about her relationship with the rapper in a cover story for Interview Magazine. She told the publication’s editor-in-chief, Mel Ottenberg, and her former stylist that she feels like the “bummy” one in the couple.
“Isn’t he the best?” Rihanna remarked when Ottenberg and her former stylist complimented her earrings, a gift from Rocky. “I be feeling bummy as s### next to this man. I feel like, g######, I look like his assistant. I’m getting on a plane. We should be in sweats. He wants to be in a full Bottega suit. I’m like, “Why you got to do that to me?”
However, Rihanna says there’s no competition between them. Instead, she injects her sense of style into their two young sons and makes practical choices for herself.
“I spend my time getting the kids dressed to death, and then I’m like, “What’s the most comfortable outfit to wear around them?” she explained. “What’s not going to feel uncomfortable on their face or on their body or make me feel like I can’t hold them properly?” Moms are lazy dressers in real life.”
Rihanna recently admitted her fashion choices led to her inadvertently revealing her pregnancy with son Riot during her Halftime Show performance. She intended to wear a jumpsuit to hide her growing baby bump. However, the zipper wouldn’t faster over her belly, leading to her iconic reveal.
Rihanna and Rocky share two sons. The couple welcomed their first child, RZA, in 2022, while Riot was born the following year. The singer told the outlet that she wants at least one more child.
When it comes to the rap game, Straffa Boy might be the most determined rising star emerging in the DMV. He went from being the lead in one of DC’s biggest Gogo bands to stepping on the scene as a solo artist.
Proudly reppin his city, Straffa takes pride in making music his community can relate to. He is more than just a music maker. He is a story teller in his own right and a prime example of how hard work and dedication can take you to the next level.
The DC Hip-Hop artist not only has the support of his city but also major players in the industry. He came into the game being co-signed early on with co-sign from DJ Big John from 93.9FM and DJ Akademiks from 95.5FM. He also has a distribution deal with Equity. His love for music goes back to as long as he could remember.
Growing up listening to the likes of Lil Wayne, Jay Z, Boosie and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, it was important from him to stay to true to himself and his life experiences when making his music. Though he is relatively private on social media, you know everything that is going on with him through his music.
He embraces his struggles and the rules of street culture. This is clear on his latest single “Know Nuffin,” which speaks for itself. Some lyrics from the song include: “I ain’t know he got shot. I ain’t know he from the block, I ain’t know he ain’t ever leave the house without a glock. I ain’t know he ran it up. I ain’t know what’s in his cup. I ain’t know who he smokin when he say he rollin’ up.”
Growing up Straffa knew it was important to mind his business and anyone looking for answers shouldn’t come asking him because he literally won’t know nuffin. The single is already going up and creating a buzz in his city but there is a lot more to come.
Straffa plans on releasing his next single “My Cup,” this month and his EP in time for the summer. You can stream “Know Nuffin,” on all platforms and follow him on Instagram at @straffaboy.
Even though the disagreement between Meek Mill and Wale was very real, Twitter (X) continues to be the single platform with least serious response to the incident, even though it’s where everything unfolded.
In case you missed it, like Bobby Shmurda, Meek Mill called Wale out on the social media platform in a lengthy, multi-tweet rant in which he accused his former Maybach Music Group labelmate of perpetual jealousy and “bad energy” among other accusations. Believe it or not, the entire disturbance was exacerbated by a single photo Wale posted of himself with one of Meek Mill’s former associates, @dean_stayreadyy on Instagram, from Wrestlemania Weekend in Philadelphia.
And even though both Dean and Wale seemingly responded to Meek Mill’s backlash regarding the photo, essentially reassuring the “Dreams and Nightmares” rapper there was no collusion between them with intended ill-will for his persons, an Twitter user believes they got to the bottom of what the real issue is.
“Ohhh you was posted up with his boo. now I see why he snapping,” the user wrote in a quoted reply of a photo Wale posted with Fanatics founder/CEO Michael Rubin.
Considering the tweet was published less than 48-hours from the time of this article being published, over 1.2 million views on the tweet is damn near overkill. But in as sense, it’s telling in regard to the extreme degree of which the Diddy sexual assaults lawsuit allegations have tarnished Meek’s image. I mean, yes, Rubin’s full-body hug of Lil Baby at his All White party went viral last year, due to the suspect implications of such body-to-body contact between two grown heterosexual men. However, this is a whole new level of zesty already being added to Meek’s mounting allegations of a romantic relationship with Diddy.
I mean, lord knows I am a rationale man, but this is certainly casting doubts on my core beliefs about Meek right now. Like, brother, I get that you wanted to leave prison in style in 2018. But the reaction to all of this is certainly making it seem like Rubin swooping you up in the helicopter and treating you to an NFL playoff game somehow may have more than just a friendly gesture. He wasn’t tricking on you, was he Meek? (I’m trolling at this point.)
No Diddy, Meek gonna have to play hardball behind this one!
In a jaw-dropping moment during Mexican TV station RCG Media’s coverage of the solar eclipse, viewers were left stunned as a pair of testicles mysteriously appeared on screen.
As if the uncensored genitals weren’t enough to stealing the spotlight from the celestial event itself, reports have seemingly revealed that these t##### might belong to someone famous! The nutty occurence unfurled just as the eclipse reached totality. In the moment, RCG’s news anchors were deep in commentary, considering areas in Mexico experienced upwards of an 80 percent coverage of the sun’s disk.
However, just as the sun should have been the focus, all eyes were forcibly fixated on the unexpected cameo. Without warning, these “{shining” orbs dipped into frame, leaving the anchors visibly shocked. While RCG Media might not be laughing, the internet is having a field day with this viral moment, joking that the surprise “moon” caused more damage to viewers’ eyesight than the eclipse itself.
But how did these unexpected guests crash the broadcast? Rumor has it that RCG asked viewers to submit their personal eclipse footage, a risky move that backfired spectacularly. And here’s where it gets juicy–social media is buzzing with speculation that these testicles belong to none other than rockstar Tommy Lee!
Why Tommy Lee? Well, the Motley Crüe drummer allegedly posted and then swiftly deleted a similar eclipse re-creation featuring his own family jewels. Could it be that his footage somehow found its way into the RCG control room? Let’s just hope Lee will better wrangle his testicles in future eclipses in North America, considering he’ll be in his early 80s by the next U.S. total solar eclipse in 2044.
Rick Ross spit a bar on “Everyday Hustle” with Future and Metro Boomin saying, “Baby mama still the biggest opp”. On no. Why did he do that? Tia Kemp has ramped up and I think she wants to live up to his proclamation. She’s ramping it up and it looks like she’s putting the pedal to the metal. In a recent live broadcast, Tia dropped some bombs, alleging that Rozay is featured on Diddy alleged “notorious “freak tapes.” “I want you to talk. Don’t be scared now. No Diddy huh?” she kicked off her rant.
Before we continue, I just want to say that these allegations are just that, ALLEGATIONS. We have no proof whatsoever as of now. On the flip side, she is going BUCKWILD!
“You scared now. I know you’re on them tapes. Freaky b##ch. I know you is,” she said. There seemed to be an ulterior motive. She’s saying Ross hasn’t reached out to her, and their kid’s prom is just around the corner. “What you quiet for? Nobody wants to see your Louis outfits and sneakers.” I can’t call it.
The live video went viral faster than the Flash with the sh#ts. Of course the internet peanut gallery chimed in, but I do not care about what they have to say. Tia also alleged the Biggest Boss has a secret son, but I really do not want to get into that. “I want to see my stepson that looks like Drake. I wanna see him. I’mma go tell the world. I’m gon make this b##ch mad. I’mma make him make a whole f#ckin song about me. You want to play with me on Future song? I know motherf#ckin Future, you put you and them f#ckin churns together.. b#tch we can play a motherf#ckn g###### Jack Jones!”
I do not know who Jack Jones is, but…lets not play. And that’s Tia Kemp for you. Keeping it hot!
Boosie Badazz defended disgraced singer R. Kelly with outrage over a dating age gap involving Russell Simmons’ daughter. The opinionated rapper believed Black people unfairly attacked Kelly while overlooking a 65-year-old man named Vittorio Assaf dating Simmons’ 21-year-old daughter Aoki.
“You got Russell Simmons’ daughter with a 65-year-old man and ain’t nobody saying nothing,” Boosie said. “But you tripping on R. Kelly … The way we on our own Black people, but the Black people ain’t saying nothing to [Assaf]. It’s a shame how Black people can drag Black people.” Simmons, unlike Boosie, didn’t publicly condemn his daughter or Assaf.
“I’m not gonna kick and scream about her choices,” Simmons told TMZ. “All I can do is offer my advice and unconditional love.”
Boosie spoke out in support of Kelly in the past, doubting stories about Kelly holding women against their will. Boosie thought Kelly was unfairly punished for sex crimes and deserved a lighter prison sentence.
“People getting 15/20 years for murder n he get 30!” Boosie wrote in 2022. “Yes he was wrong af for manipulating young girls n sexing them but he didn’t kill anyone, aggravated rape anyone .N no blame on the parents who knew everything. Resentence this man! College professors get probation for this s###.”
He added, “Get this man some help n some jail time but don’t give him a death sentence, 30 years! Maybe he can one get out one day n warn these young girls about older predators n make a difference? but 30 years like Come on world!
Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for sex trafficking and racketeering in New York. He received an additional year for enticing minors into sexual activity in Chicago. Kelly appealed his conviction, seeking a reversal or a new trial. He awaits a court’s ruling.
The California Highway Patrol arrested Don Toliver on suspicion of DUI on Tuesday morning (April 9). According to TMZ, cops noticed signs of impairment during a traffic stop near the San Fernando Valley.
Cops pulled Toliver over for speeding. He was cited for driving under the influence, but authorities didn’t take him to jail. The Atlantic Records artist was allowed to leave with an unidentified person who was sober.
Toliver’s arrest occurred weeks after he welcomed his first child with singer Kali Uchis. The couple announced their baby boy’s birth in March.
“You are everything we could have hoped for & more,” they wrote on Instagram. “Thank you God for our beautiful healthy baby boy & thank you all for the Good energy along the way. may our home & your homes forever be blessed with peace, happiness & health.”
Toliver and Uchis managed to keep her pregnancy private for months. Uchis discussed the couple’s reason for secrecy in January.
“We always talked about wanting to have a kid, so we were really happy,” she explained. “[But] I didn’t want to share that journey with just anybody. There’s so many people out there, even within my own family, that don’t wish me well. I didn’t want anybody to know until I felt that my pregnancy was viable. Ask any pregnant woman [why] they’d want to keep it private. It’s such a vulnerable situation.”
Toliver is preparing to release a new album titled Hardstone Psycho, which is scheduled to drop later this year. The project will be the rapper’s follow-up to 2023’s Love Sick.
Fans got a preview of Hardstone Psycho when Toliver dropped singles in recent months. He released “Bandit” in February while “Deep in the Water” arrived in March.
Watch the music videos for “Bandit” and “Deep in the Water” below.
Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones Jr. has made more wild claims against Sean “Diddy” Combs in a sworn declaration to the court.
Jones, once an insider in the world of the Bad Boy Records mogul has recently offered the court a recording purportedly of Combs bragging about engaging in violent and illegal activities throughout his storied career.
Jones, a producer who collaborated with Combs on The Love Album: Off the Grid, claims to have firsthand knowledge and evidence of Combs’ illicit actions, including physical assault, tax evasion and, more disturbingly, the shooting of a woman.
“He shared how he would get things by force,” Lil Rod explained. “This included record deals, signatures on contracts, sex acts from women and men, as well as the women of his enemies.”
Jones alleges that Combs’ boasts on the recording encompass a wide variety of criminal activities—from coercing individuals into record deals and sexual acts to physically assaulting industry executives and evading taxes through offshore accounts.
Among the startling accusations Jones makes in his $30 million lawsuit against Combs, he asserts that he took pleasure in recounting his influence over celebrities and artists, particularly in manipulating circumstances to his favor.
Jones also recounts Combs admitting to involving Jennifer Lopez in potentially illegal activities, leveraging his position to have Shyne take the fall for a nightclub shooting in return for a record deal with Arista Records courtesy of L.A. Reid.
“He bragged about departed attorney Johnny Cochran’s savvy legal skills and ability to pay off the witnesses through private investigators and other third parties,” Jones claimed, explaining how Combs supposedly avoided conviction.
Jones also claimed Combs still reveled in aggressively handling record executive Steve Stoute over a business dispute over Nas’ “Hate Me Now” video. The assault left Stoute with a broken jaw and arm.
“Mr. Combs bragged about the power he has and the fact that he beat up record executive Steve Stoute’s ‘a##,'” Jones told the court. “He laughed uncontrollably as he talked about busting him in the head with a bottle of champagne and a chair. On another occasion, Mr. Combs bragged about beating up Gerard Rechnitzer outside of a nightclub in Hollywood.”
The lawsuit paints a picture of a man with considerable sway over the industry’s legal and financial machinations and claims Combs maintained control through investments in shell companies and the strategic movement of money to untraceable accounts overseas.
“Mr. Combs also informed me that only poor people pay taxes,” Jones claimed. “He shared that it is a common practice in the music industry to wire money from anonymous accounts overseas. This way, if there is ever a need to take care of a problem, it would never be traced back to him. These accounts were in Germany.”
Combs has already dismissed Jones’ lawsuit as “pure fiction” through his lawyer Shawn Holley, who slammed Jones and his lawyer Tyrone Blackburn for launching a lawsuit that was “nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines.”
In addition to Jones’ legal action, Combs is being scrutinized by Homeland Security. The federal organization recently raided his mansions and Los Angeles, New York and Miami over alleged ties to a sex trafficking ring.
The daughter of Trevor Phillips, a former Donda Academy employee suing Kanye West, reportedly remains involved in Donda’s choir. According to Page Six, Phillips hasn’t tried to get her out of the choir program despite the disturbing allegations in his lawsuit against Ye.
Makayla Myles-Phillips has allegedly been participating in the choir since January. Page Six cited copies of attendance sheets, which listed her as present in recent months. Phillips’s daughter and her mother’s side of the family learned of his lawsuit when the public did. Myles-Phillips’ half-sister also attends Donda’s choir.
Phillips sued Ye for discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination and more on April 2. Phillips accused Kanye of threatening to shave children’s heads and lock them in cages at the Donda Academy.
The lawsuit claimed Kanye continued spewing antisemitic rhetoric in front of Donda Academy and Yeezy employees after Adidas cut ties with him in 2022. Ye allegedly said the Holocaust was fake as he doubled down on conspiracy theories.
“Gay people are controlled by Bill Gates so that they don’t have children for population control,” Kanye declared, per the lawsuit.
Phillips accused Ye of creating a hostile work environment and mistreating Black employees. Kanye once threatened to punch Phillips in the face, the lawsuit alleges.
“Kanye’s ill-will towards the plaintiff ultimately culminated in a vulgar lashing in front of schoolchildren and their parents,” Phillips’ lawyer wrote. “Kanye even threatened Phillips with physical violence.”
The lawsuit included allegations of Kanye simulating masturbation and discussing pornography at a meeting with staff members. Phillips claimed Ye became aroused “then FaceTimed a female friend” before demanding she wear lingerie the next time he saw her. Phillips said he recognized the woman because Kanye “flaunted nude pictures of her to many of the Yeezy staff members” before the incident.
Phillips sought at least $35,000 in damages in his lawsuit. He requested an injunction to stop Kanye from owning or operating any school for children under the age of 18 in California.
Beyoncé wasn’t the only member of her family making history with the release of Cowboy Carter. The music superstar’s daughter Rumi Carter became the youngest-charting female on the Billboard Hot 100 thanks to the child’s appearance on Beyoncé’s song “Protector.”
Beyoncé’s “Protector” debuted at No. 42 on the Hot 100, helping 6-year-old Rumi break a record held by her older sister Blue Ivy Carter. Blue Ivy was 7 years old when she earned her first Hot 100 entry. Blue Ivy achieved the feat by contributing to Beyoncé, SAINt JHN and Wizkid’s song “Brown Skin Girl” from 2019’s The Lion King: The Gift album.
Blue Ivy maintained some bragging rights in the Carter family as she’s still the youngest person to appear on any Billboard chart. As a newborn, her vocals were used for her father Jay-Z’s track “Glory” in 2012. The song peaked at No. 23 on Hot Rap Songs and No. 63 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs.
Rumi and Blue Ivy were never the youngest kids to chart on the Hot 100. France’s Jordy scored a hit single as a 5-year-old boy. His song “Dur dur d’être bébé! (It’s Hard to Be a Baby)” reached No. 58 on the Hot 100 in 1993.
Beyoncé released her Cowboy Carter album in March. The project debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 chart, giving her the eighth No. 1 album of her career. Cowboy Carter sold 407,000 equivalent album units in its first week. It was the music industry’s biggest week of sales in 2024.
Cowboy Carter also debuted at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart. Beyoncé was the first Black woman to score a No. 1 album on the country chart. Earlier this year, she became the first Black woman to hit No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
Rihanna discussed motherhood and her relationship with A$AP Rocky in a cover story for Interview Magazine. The mother of two pictured a future with at least one more child in response to a question about wanting more kids.
“As many as God wants me to have,” she said regarding her family plans. “I don’t know what God wants, but I would go for more than two. I would try for my girl. But of course if it’s another boy, it’s another boy.”
Rihanna and Rocky welcomed their first child, RZA, in 2022. The couple’s second boy, Riot, was born in 2023. RiRi said she knew Rocky would be a great father before they had kids.
“I let God lead and just let go,” she noted. “Because in previous relationships, I tried and tried and tried my best, and you still feel like it’s not enough. So when someone sees you completely, and believes in you, and thinks you’re worthy of being the mother of their kids, it’s a great feeling. I felt the same about him. I knew he would be a great dad.”
Rihanna and Rocky were friends for years before they started dating. She told Interview Magazine their romance officially began in late 2019. The Barbadian singer acknowledged the COVID-19 pandemic’s significant impact on their relationship in the cover story.
“COVID sped up our relationship, which I felt like God knew we needed because we were going to start a family,” she said. “And had it not been for COVID, we would’ve taken a lot more time to get comfortable with each other, to even know that we were ready,”
She added, “I mean, we didn’t even really talk about it. There was no denying it. It was the best thing that ever happened to us. It just happened.”
Rocky awaits trial in a Los Angeles shooting case. He was charged with two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
Supporters of Missy Elliott will have the chance to see the Hip-Hop legend live. Ciara, Busta Rhymes and Timbaland will join the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer. Mona Scott-Young-produced The Missy Elliott Experience tour.
“This is an incredible time in my life as I am experiencing so many milestone ‘firsts.’ Being the FIRST female Hip Hop artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and now going out on my FIRST headline tour,” Missy Elliott states.
She also adds, “Fans have been asking me to tour forever but I wanted to wait until I felt the time was right because I knew if I was ever going to do it, I had to do it big, and I had to do it with family! So get ready to be taken OUT OF THIS WORLD with me, Busta Rhymes, Ciara, and Timbaland! We can’t wait to share this experience with the fans!”
The Missy Elliott Experience kicks off Thursday, July 4 in Vancouver, British Columbia’s Rogers Arena. Additional dates include stops in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Montreal, Toronto, and other cities.
Mona Scott-Young Promises “High-Octane” Experience At Missy Elliott’s Tour
“Missy has always been an iconic groundbreaker and continuously pushes herself to be bolder and go where she has never been before – and surprisingly, one of those places is headlining her own tour!” Mona Scott-Young exclaims.
The Violator management company co-founder continues, “For decades, fans and peers worldwide have clamored for Missy to tour and they’re finally going to get what they’ve been asking for as she teams up with Ciara, Busta, and longtime partner-in-rhyme Timbaland, to deliver a start-to-finish, nonstop, high-octane, OUT OF THIS WORLD concert experience. This will be one for the books, so trust me, you don’t want to miss it!”
Missy Elliott rose to prominence in the music industry as a songwriter for acts such as Jodeci, Raven-Symoné and Aaliyah. The Virginia native also released her own solo albums, including 1997’s platinum-certified Supa Dupa Fly.
