Kelly Rowland has been offered a chance to return to Today with Hoda & Jenna. The singer/actress reportedly left a previous episode of the morning program over concerns about a dressing room.
Several outlets claimed Kelly Rowland left the February 15 episode of Today before taking on a planned guest host role. On Tuesday (February 20), the talk show’s regular hosts, Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager, addressed the situation with the Mea Culpa star.
“I just want to say this. I have great love and admiration for Kelly Rowland,” Hoda Kotb stated. The veteran television personality continued, “I adore her, and I want her to come back on our show, and I want her to host again.”
Jenna Bush Hager also added that Rowland is welcome on the show anytime. Hoda Kotb then referenced the reported backstage issues by saying, “She can share my dressing room. We’ll be in it together.”
Hoda says she has ‘great love’ for Kelly Rowland: ‘She can share my dressing room!’ pic.twitter.com/ax5ZEtv8aP
Kelly Rowland’s alleged disappointment about her preferred green room being occupied by This Is Me… Now album creator Jennifer Lopez made national headlines. Comedian Marlon Wayans defended his The Curse of Bridge Hollow co-star on Instagram.
“Y’all stop with these false narratives,” Marlon Wayans stated. “I’ve worked with @kellyrowland as a star/producer. I will honestly say she was nothing short of AMAZING. Sweet, kind, professional. On time, great energy, impeccable manners and professionalism.”
Wayans continued, “She was nice to EVERYONE on set. Not one diva moment. S### happens in Hollywood. Get both sides before you castrate anymore legends. Love this woman. Y’all stop this BS. This woman was nothing short of a humble, loving queen… PERIOD.”
Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ’Em” made it to the top spot of the latest Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. That feat gives the Houston-raised singer a historic accomplishment.
According to reports, Beyoncé became the first Black female recording artist to lead the Hot Country Songs rankings. She also made history by being the first act to score a No. 1 single on seven specific genre charts.
Queen Bey has now led the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs, Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, Hot Gospel Songs, Hot Latin Songs, Hot R&B Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. “Texas Hold ’Em” currently sits at No. 2 on the Hot 100.
In addition to “Texas Hold ’Em” finding success on the Hot Country Songs chart, Beyoncé’s other newly released “16 Carriages” placed at No. 9 on that tally. “16 Carriages” debuted at No. 38 on this week’s Hot 100.
There appeared to be some initial rejection of playing “Texas Hold ’Em” and “16 Carriages” on certain country music stations. However, mass media corporation iHeartMedia confirmed “Texas Hold ‘Em” will get a radio push.
Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” will likely live on the tentatively titled Renaissance Act II studio album. Both surprise singles premiered during the Super Bowl LVIII broadcast on February 11. Act II will arrive on March 29.
In a new conversation with AllHipHop, rapper Blacc Zacc and producer Neeko Baby discuss the essence of their latest project, 48 Hours, an album recorded entirely over just two days. Throughout the interview with AHH’s Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur, they offer insights into their backgrounds, the influential forces behind their artistry, and their navigation through the complexities of the music industry.
On top of it all, they reveal where they are headed. Blacc Zacc shares his ambitions for his label, Dirty Money, aiming to cultivate a roster of top-tier artists, while Neeko Baby discusses his passion for producing and his strategic approach to re-entering the rap scene after achieving a hit record. Both men explain their deep devotion to family and how that interacts with their relentless pursuit of the music. They explain why the South’s dominance may never cease in Hip-Hop.
Blacc Zacc And Neeko Baby Discuss Their New Album
Neeko: it’s just really a vibe though, man, with our engineer, who had engineered all the songs, and I just… I don’t know, I just thought about like 48 Hours and I just called him. I’m like, “Bro, we need to do that. That’s fire.” And then bro was like… He just really pushed the button for real as soon as I told him. As soon as I told him, the next day he was just like, “We’re going to the studio. I just booked the studio.”
How The Process Works Without Writing Down Raps
Blacc Zacc: I just always felt like, if you going to write it, you might as well just say it. I don’t feel like nothing wrong with it. I feel like you probably can make better music if you write it because you take your time. But just the new culture, that’s just how it is. When you write, yeah, it kind of takes away from the natural because you can write something one day and if you don’t go record it right away, I’ll be feeling a whole different way by the time it’s time for me to record it.
How Blacc Shifted From Sports To Making Money With Music
Blacc Zacc: I always made money, but at the time, we was playing basketball, played football a little bit, but that was too much of a contact sport for me and you can’t do nothing about it if you get slammed like that. You know what I’m saying? But I loved basketball and s### like that and baseball. We played baseball, too, at the time, but other than that, it was just, s###, get some money coming up.
Blacc Talks About Dirty Money, His Label
Blacc Zacc: It always started, I feel like, with me. So I just had to keep branding myself. And then, as me branding myself, I got into learning the business like bro saying. There’s more to it than just making a song. So learning the business and then just being a fan of the music and then went from that to finding artist and just investing.
His Biggest Business Lessons
Blacc Zacc: The biggest lesson…I guess sometime at the beginning I used to kind of believe everything…people said. Not everything a person say in this industry, but I guess have my expectations too high for certain people.
Blacc And Neeko Reveal The Goats They Looked Up To
Blacc Zacc: Coming up, I was coming up off Gucci, Jeezy, Boosie. Who else? And then it got to the other era to like the Migos, Rich Homie Quans, and all them type people. That was hard back then too. But now, I don’t really… I just listen to us now. I ain’t going to lie.
Neeko Baby Explains His Beat Making Process
Neeko Baby: Man, my process is really just… With music with me, I think it’s just a vibe thing. So even if I make something from scratch or if I use a loop, if it don’t catch my attention the first three seconds, I’m going to just start something new. Feel me? So that’s really my process. It’s a vibe with me. That’s how I operate. And even when I play beats for him, if his head not nodding instantly, I’m going to go to the next beat. You feel me? That’s just how I operate.
Five Things They Need To Create that Vibe In The Studio
Neeko Baby: Patron. I need some Patron. We need some wings-
AllHipHop: Okay. Wait, wait, wait. I need specifics on the wings.
Neeko Baby: Lemon pepper, all flat.
AllHipHop: I’m a connoisseur of wings.
Neeko Baby: Lemon pepper, all flats.
AllHipHop: I’m a drum man.
Neeko Baby: I’m a all flat type of guy.
Neeko Baby: I like cookies for sure. Cookies and milk.
AllHipHop: Okay. I’m a specifics, what cookies?
Neeko Baby: Chocolate chip. Chocolate chip.
AllHipHop: Okay. That’s four.
Neeko Baby: I think about some vibes.
AllHipHop: No girls, though?
Neeko Baby: That’s the vibe.
AllHipHop: Oh, that’s the vibe. Okay. The girls is the vibes. All right, I got you. I got you.
Neeko Baby: Because they a part of it too.
Blacc Zacc: I ain’t going to lie, I just need smoke, the engineer and s###, Neeko there. That’s it.
Blacc Zacc Discusses Being A Mixtape King and His Secret To Success
Blacc Zacc: Most def. Just staying consistent, always dropping. That’s where it started, because when I first started doing music, it was the mix tape area. It was more like hard copies and s### like that so we was just out passing it, me and bro. Even back then, we was outside at Side by Side where it’s like, passing out hard copies of the music and just really just touching the people that way. Then, the digital side came with all the other s### like the streaming and s### like that and we just got in tune with that and switched it over.
What They Hate Most About The Rap Game
Neeko Baby: Fake. That’s why I was telling you earlier, with me and Blacc project, it was organic. You feel me? I already know what’s up with bro. You feel me? So even you see how you asking him about who we deal within the industry, you can’t really name too many people because it’s not organic. It just be cap, for real. Somebody always want something. You know what I’m saying? So it be weird to me.
And you had said something earlier too about the lesson. I just feel like, with my lesson, keep your eyes on your own paper type s###, because if you ain’t paying attention, somebody’ll pull one over you. You know what I’m saying? With the industry, I’m pretty sure y’all know how it go. You can get one pulled over you off of not paying attention, you know I’m saying? So I had to learn that, with me personally.
The Dynamic Duo Discusses If The South’s Dominance Will Ever Wane
AllHipHop: What about the South? The South is a huge region. It’s massive. But it seems like the South’s been running Hip-Hop for about at least 20 years, maybe more. Do you think it’ll ever end?
Blacc Zacc: Like come back up North?
AllHipHop: Like, Yeah.
Blacc Zacc: Nope.
AllHipHop: No? Why not?
Blacc Zacc: I just feel like the kind of vibe that… The kind of music that’s being made now, it’ll never really probably go all the way back to… Because around that time, I feel like it was more serious. People was really taking music more serious. It wasn’t probably too much freestyling and stuff until Jay came or whatever, but people was really probably taking it more serious and it was just a different style.
Nicki Minaj delivered a message to the world about her diehard fans known as the Barbz. On Tuesday (February 20), the “FTCU” rapper praised her supporters for their devotion to defending her and attacking her foes.
“I be tryna tell y’all nobody is exempt,” Nicki Minaj tweeted. “ANYBODY CAN GET IT. It don’t matter WHO start it, the Barbz ALWAYS finish it. I been doin this s### for a long time now & [every time] I ever tried to warn [people] that the Barbz are different, they had to learn the hard way.”
The 41-year-old rapper then listed six things she claimed to have learned about her Stans since joining X (formerly Twitter) in 2009. Minaj posted:
They NEVER Forget [unamused face emoji]
They don’t care how long it take to get a OPP bakk
They NEVER stop once they start. They’ll be in that ass #ForLife (moment 4 Life voice)
They beat everyone @ their OWN game while laughing & supporting Onika.
They make a fun sport out of giving ppl a taste of their own medicine. So if you do something, they will patiently wait for their turn & chiiiiiiii. WooWEE [face with open eyes/hand over mouth emoji]
It’s never business with the barbz. Once they feel that line is crossed, it’s personal.
😂🤣 I be tryna tell y’all nobody is exempt. #ACGI ANYBODY CAN GET IT. It don’t matter WHO start it, the barbz ALWAYS finish it. I been doin this s### for a long time now & every-time I ever tried to warn ppl that the barbz are different, they had to learn the hard way.
In addition, Nicki Minaj alerted any potential adversaries about her parasocial relationship with the Barbz. She added in the tweet, “I’m not their fave, I’m their family. Know the difference & then… Play @ your own risk.”
Minaj has been involved in several high-profile feuds with other celebrities. Throughout her career, the Pink Friday 2 album creator publicly clashed with Lil Kim, Remy Ma, Cardi B, Latto,Megan Thee Stallion and others.
Previously, Nicki Minaj instructed her Barbz not to attack people. In November 2023, the Young Money crew member shared an open letter on Instagram. She wrote, “Dear Barbz… Be sure to never threaten anyone on my behalf. Whether on the internet or in person. Whether in jest or not. I don’t & never have condoned that.”
Trigger Warning with Killer Mike debuted on Netflix in 2019. The docuseries has recently become a topic on social media again after an old clip from the show began making the rounds.
In an episode of Trigger Warning, Killer Mike addresses a classroom of children. The scene features one Black student talking about wanting to be “a president” in the future.
“You owe your parents not to dream big. You owe it to your parents to dream practical and start making money as soon as you can. You’re not going to be able to be president,” Mike told the young boy.
The black community is filled with dream killers and haters
Everything is about being “practical/realistic” . Imagine telling a young black boy that he’s not gonna be president , but instead just get a trade and that’s it pic.twitter.com/pAQ3pqwB00
Killer Mike Reacts To Complaints About His Trigger Warning Comments
Those comments from the Atlanta-raised Michael album creator did not sit well with many social media users. For example, one self-described educator called out Killer Mike on X.
“Did this man tell a Black child and other Black children in the room that he didn’t owe their parents to dream big?!!? Don’t ever tell [me] what he is doing for the community again! I’m so livid right now that if I said what I truly wanted to say, I would be banned!” read a tweet from the Thee Shawn Roberts account.
Killer Mike responded, “Ohhh Shawn b4 u get ya self banned lemme say ‘Thank U for being an educator.’ It is truly a noble profession. Lastly, as an educator, it is important u know all the facts. That beautiful Black boy is Canadian and he can NEVER be POTUS however he can be Prime Minister of Canada.”
Did this man tell a Black child and other Black children in the room that he didn't owe their parents to dream big?!!? Don't ever tell what he is doing for the community again! I'm so livid right now that if I said what I truly wanted to say, I would be banned!😡😡😡 https://t.co/dufMAYjwTS
Ohhh Shawn b4 u get ya self banned lemme say "Thank U for being an educator". It is truly a noble profession. Lastly as an educator it is important u know all the facts. That beautiful black boy is Canadian and he can NEVER be POTUS however he can be Prime Minister of Canada. https://t.co/Mj8BU4LX5T
Netflix Pitched Trigger Warning As An Examination Of Cultural Taboos
Another X user named Dane Weeks wrote, “[Thoroughly] engaging with a white child about their future while lecturing Black children not to dream big, is nasty work.”
Those remarks also got a response from Killer Mike. He tweeted, “Gotta get u hooked up with the white folks that saw my engagement with the white as bad for him [because] of my allusion to his privilege. That way all u ‘stupid s####’ can learn about ‘Satire’ together.”
Trigger Warning with Killer Mike ran for six episodes on the Netflix streaming service. The expressed purpose of the series was to examine cultural taboos and explore the human condition using nontraditional approaches.
“Not everyone will agree with my methods (and some of what we’re putting out is f###### crazy), but this show is about embracing your freedom to challenge societal expectations and conformity. This show is if an anarchist determined the status quo,” Mike explained in 2019.
Thorougly engaging with a white child about their future while lecturing Black children not to dream big, is nasty work.
Gotta get u hooked up with the white folks that saw my engagement with the white as bad for him becuz of my allusion to his privilege. That way all u "stupid s####" can learn about "Satire" together. 😄 ❤️🙏🏾 https://t.co/0er9PvXHWd
Digga D jumped on Instagram Live as armed police executed a raid on his home in the early hours of Wednesday morning (February 21).
The U.K. drill trailblazer could be heard shouting from inside the home as cops attempted to force entry to his residence.
“What do you lot want? he yelled repeatedly as thudding sounds, and the shattering of glass is heard in the background. “I am here! Stop! What are you lot doing?”
He attempted to communicate to police stating, “I am on the floor.” Digga continued pleaded with them to stop as more breaking glass was heard off camera.
As officer shouted, “Armed police!” Digga D replied, “I’m coming! Why are you lot doing that – yes I heard you.”
The cop commanded Digga to “Come to the front door with your hands up,” before the stream was cut.
It is unclear what led to the raid or whether Digga D was arrested or detained following the incident.
The West Londoner, who recently made history after becoming first drill artist and the youngest rapper headline London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall, is subject to strict restrictions imposed by a criminal behavior order (CBO) in 2018.
The order, the first of its kind in the U.K., restricts where he can go and who he can meet. Additionally, he must also submit any lyrics to police within 24 hours of releasing them in song. Authorities also banned him from performing specific songs and have removed his videos from YouTube.
Digga D On Criminal Behaviour Order Restirctions
In a 2023 interview with The Guardian, Digga D explained the “headache” he endures as a result of the CBO, which expires in 2025. He insisted, “They’ve got me banned from areas and people I don’t even know.”
Digga D’s lawyer Cecilia Goodwin, added, “Everything in his life has changed, apart from the CBO. He is not the same person – yet he is still the subject of this order that hasn’t moved with him, that hasn’t adapted to his life, or his success. So is it necessary?”
Nicki Minaj is putting the finishing touches on her upcoming Pink Friday 2 tour and needs the “funniest man in show business” Katt Williams to join her.
The “Barbie World” hitmaker hopped on Instagram Live on Tuesday (February 20) before heading off to rehearsals. After recently adding Monica to the North American leg of her tour, she decided that she needed to add a touch of humor to the show.
“I know that this is the busiest man in show business, ok?” she told her viewers. “I know that he’s rich, and I know that he’s the funniest man in showbiz. Can y’all hit up Katt Williams and ask him what would be his price…to be a part of the Pink Friday 2 Gag City Tour.”
A fan in the chat told Nicki Minaj that Katt Williams was currently on his own comedy tour, but Nicki Minaj was undeterred. She revealed she has a “big bag” to persuade him to join the tour at some point.
“He ain’t got to come out every day,’ she replied. “But I would like to know if on one of his off days, if I could slide him a little bag, I mean a big bag and then have him come out. Can y’all imagine if Katt Williams was in Gag City for like a few minutes? Tell him to holla at me.”
Fans React To Nicki Minaj’s Invitation To Katt Williams
However, some fans questioned Minaj’s motivation for inviting the comedian, who recently went viral following his infamous Club Shay Shay interview.
“Nicki tickets must not be selling if she trying to convince Katt Williams to perform on her tour,” One X user wrote. “like the man ain’t announce he was on his own tour this year.”
Nicki tickets must not be selling if she trying to convince Katt Williams to perform on her tour like the man ain't announce he was on his own tour this year.
Tiffany Haddish is catching heat online after announcing she was flying to Israel to learn about the ongoing conflict with Hamas.
On Tuesday (February 20) the actress and comedian, who had her Bat Mitzvah at 40 in 2019 after discovering she was Jewish, took to Instagram Live to announce her plans.
“This is an educational trip for me … I’m gonna learn about the politics,” Haddish explained. “See, I feel like I can’t believe I see everything on the Internet … I need to go see for myself, I’m one of those people.’
She added, “I’m gonna ask questions – see with my own eyes.”
Haddish said she was going to “talk to people” In Israel, stating, “I’m gonna go find out why is this happening? Why is this going down?”
When a commenter asked why she wasn’t going to Gaza, Haddish replied that she was. “Who said I wasn’t going to Gaza? I said I was gonna see with my own eyes, got to go to Israel first, and isn’t Gaza in Israel? Ain’t it all on the same little piece of land, same … surrounded by water?” she stated, although Gaza borders Israel and Egypt
While the war in Israel is well documented on traditional news outlets and social media, Tiffany Haddish cited her own experiences for her refusal to ” believe everything” on social media.
“’I know a lot of stuff on social media be not true because … I see stuff people say about me, and I live my life – I’m living my life and I’m like, “That’s not what I said, that’s not true.”‘
Social Media Users Respond to Tiffany Haddish’s Israel Trip
Her comments sparked criticism from social media users, with some accusing her of taking a check for the trip.
“The fact you can fly and ‘holiday’ in Israel but Gaza is pretty much destroyed gives you all the information you really need. This isn’t a war, it’s [genocide],” one person wrote in the comments.
The boxer appeared on the latest episode of The Pivot Podcast Tuesday (February 20). While discussing his relationship with NBA Youngboy, who shares a son with his daughter Yaya, Mayweather veered off on a tangent, addressing Diddy’s recent allegations.
“I’m not going to speak bad about P. Diddy ’cause he still a Black man,” Mayweather stated. “Mistakes happen. I can’t say if it is or it’s not a mistake. Things happen in life, and P. Diddy business is P. Diddy business. It’s not my job or anyone else’s job to go on the internet and stomp him and kick a man while he’s down.
Mayweather added, “My take on it is it’s not my business. I don’t think it’s right at all and I don’t condone it.”
He continued, “Even if that happened to my daughter. I would be hurt but that’s a choice that my daughter made.”
“I’m not gonna speak bad about P. Diddy, he’s still a black man… mistakes happen”
The day before the Floyd Mayweather interview aired, Diddy filed a response to a Jane Doe accuser, denying her allegations. In her lawsuit, she accuses Diddy, former Bad Boy Entertainment president Harve Pierre and an unidentified man of gang rape and sex trafficking in 2003.
The disgraced Hip-Hop mogul settled one suit with his former girlfriend Cassie, which was followed by sex assault lawsuits from multiple women.
Mayweather faced backlash after clips of the interview surfaced online. Check out some of the reactions below.
Floyd Mayweather sounds dumb af saying its not his place to condemn Diddy… It should ALWAYS be our place to condemn domestic violence, rape Etc..
It’s not surprising for a dude who beats up women himself, Floyd Mayweather to not speak up on P Diddy and his behavior. Call out disgusting behavior same way y’all was so vocal about everyone else situation. #JustSayingpic.twitter.com/37PqepxSHc
Diddy is denying he participated in the gang rape and sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl in 2003.
The Hip-Hop mogul challenged the allegations in new court documents filed Tuesday (February 20). He denied allegations against him and former Bad Boy Entertainment president Harve Pierre and an unidentified man, per Rolling Stone.
In addition, Diddy argued the timing of the lawsuit violates his constitutional rights because the Jane Doe plaintiff waited so long to file her case.
In her complaint, Jane Doe accuses Diddy and the two co-defendants of gang-raping and trafficking the woman in 2003. She claims they plied her with “copious amounts of drugs and alcohol” and took turns assaulting her at Diddy’s NYC recording studio, Daddy’s House.
“While at the studio, Ms. Doe was gang raped by Mr. Combs, the Third Assailant and Mr. Pierre, in that order,” the complaint reads.
“(Combs) never participated in, witnessed, or was or is presently aware of any misconduct, sexual or otherwise, relating to plaintiff in any circumstance whatsoever,” the filing reads.
Diddy also disputed the “context, genuineness, and/or accuracy” of photographs submitted by Jane Doe. One such image allegedly features his accuser sitting on his lap at his recording studio. Diddy argued, “Plaintiff’s decision to wait more than two decades to file her complaint has prejudiced defendant, as he has lost the ability to defend himself fully and fairly in this action.”
Diddy Claims Suit “Unconstitutional”
The filing continued, “some or all evidence that otherwise would have been available if the action had been promptly commenced may be unavailable, lost, or compromised.”
Diddy argued the lawsuit should be dismissed because it was filed under the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Act (GMVA), which lawyers argued is purportedly “unconstitutional.”
“Allowing this action to proceed violates defendant’s rights under the U.S. Constitution and the New York State Constitution.”
According to the outlet, Harve Pierre also filed a response to the complaint in the Southern District of New York on Tuesday. He claims he “never participated in the sexual assault of the plaintiff nor did he ever witness anyone else sexually assaulting the plaintiff.”
Additionally, Diddy’s Bad Boy Entertainment, who is also named in the suit, filed a motion to dismiss.
Snoop Dogg recently sat down with Benny The Butcher and revealed how he helped cultivate weed culture in New York in the pre-legalization era.
On Tuesday (February 20), the Griselda rapper appeared in a new episode of Snoop’s GGN YouTube series to discuss several topics, including Benny’s new weed strain “The Butcher’s Breath.” While recalling a previous trip to New York when Benny supplied him with some of the strain, Snoop began breaking down how he helped influence the cultivation and consumption of chronic for his East Coast peers in the before times.
“You know what’s crazy,” Snoop started off. “How, and I’mma be honest, hey guys I’m just telling the truth, New York used to be known for trash used to be known for straight trash. No this is no joke you can ask the rappers n###a they used to have seeds and all kind of s##t in they s##t they could be rolling up a blunt putting seeds and sticks you be like what the f##k is you doing?”
Snoop continued, “S##t they didn’t know no better until n###a start catching that flight, f###ing with the real n###as out here [West Coast] cuz we f##k with y’all and n###a show the n###as what that s##t was and n###as saind, ‘Well we can’t get it there, how about we just get it there,’ you dig—and the connection was connected and there you have it weed stories one-on-one.”
Snoop went on to explain how he put rap crews such as Wu-Tang Clan, Roc-A-Fella Records and rappers such as Onyx and more before the major recreational marijuana push in the 2010s’.
Check out the full interview below—the clip begins around two-and-a-half minutes into the video.
Machine Gun Kelly has unveiled a new tattoo amid promotions for his upcoming single. On Tuesday (February 20), Kelly shared images of his new ink in an Instagram post. The massive piece, which was done in black ink, covers most of Kelly’s torso—despite a huge cross in the center of his chest, which exposes his bare skin and older tattoos.
“for spiritual purposes only,” Kelly wrote in the caption before thanking the artist @roxx____.
In a separate Instagram Story post, Machine Gun Kelly showed off the 44-needle tattooing gun used to complete the massive piece, which he waited months to reveal.
”been wearing a turtleneck for 3 months, taking the shirt off tomorrow idgaf,” he wrote in the tweet.
While Machine Gun Kelly didn’t release any additional details about the tattoo, it appears the reveal could be a part of a coordinated rollout. Kelly also tweeted a watch page for a visual entitled “Don’t Let Me Go.”
Check out the preview for Machine Gun Kelly’s upcoming single below.
The saying “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” may need to be altered—considering the next step in genetic development and treatment for men started with animals.
According to a recent report from The Daily Mail, Israeli scientists have announced for the first time that they’ve grown artificial mice testicles in a petri dish. The purpose of the lab-grown testicles is rooted in infertility treatments for men. Dr. Nitzan Gonen of Bar-Ilan University has been responsible for leading the development of the artificial testicles onsite at the universities nanotechnology building.
Even though the mouse g##### are not yet fully functional sperm-producing organs, they do have many of the same structures and genetic characteristics as human male testicles. And scientists intend to genetically engineer the lab-grown organs to produce artificial sperm to help study research which suggested that environmental pollutants in impact male fertility.
Believe it or not, some of these factors and or pollutants could be affecting men as early as their toddler years as chemicals in children’s have been linked to possible fertility issues. Statistically, fertility problems affect 10 to 15 percent of men, and plays at a role in half of conception issues among couples.
Gonen says the goal is to eventually engineer a pair of artificial human testicles to further research sperm production.
“We plan to create human t##### organoids and explore whether a sperm can be generated there,” Gonen said.
Donald Trump’s beef with Snoop Dogg nearly prevented Michael “Harry-O” Harris from receiving a presidential pardon. According to Rolling Stone, Trump threatened not to commute the Death Row Records co-founder’s prison sentence due to Snoop’s past insults.
Snoop quietly campaigned for Harris’ commutation in the final days of Trump’s presidency. Trump’s aides reportedly encouraged him to remove Harris’ name from the list of prisoners receiving pardons to punish Snoop. The aides cited a paragraph from a 2021 Daily Beast article, which recounted Snoop dissing the former president.
“’I don’t give a f###, I tell ’em straight up, m###########: If you like that n####, you m###########’ racist,’ Snoop Dogg said about Trump, his MAGA fans and the president’s pal Kanye West in 2018,” the paragraph in question read. “’F### you and f### him. Now what?’ In March 2017, Trump had tweeted, ‘Can you imagine what the outcry would be if @SnoopDogg, failing career and all, had aimed and fired the gun at President Obama? Jail time!’ (Trump was referring to a music video — in which Snoop aims a toy gun at a clown who looks like the 45th U.S. president — that had clearly gotten the leader of the free world worked up.)”
Weldon Angelos, an activist who worked on securing Harris’ pardon, confirmed the article created issues.
“I was aware that the [Daily Beast] article caused a problem for Mr. Harris’ clemency petition, and I was asked by someone close to the White House to send a clip of a previously recorded message from Snoop where he commended Trump’s efforts on criminal justice reform,” Angelos told Rolling Stone. “The campaign to free Harry-O was recorded for documentary purposes.”
Trump changed his mind after viewing the documentary footage as he reportedly believed Snoop’s message was sincere. Harris, who spent decades in prison following his arrest for attempted murder and drug trafficking, received his pardon from Trump before the ex-president left office in January 2021.
The dramatic reconsideration likely explained Snoop’s recent praise of Trump. The popular rapper raised eyebrows when he said he had “nothing but love and respect for Donald Trump” in a 2024 interview with the Sunday Times.
Trap Dickey is here to tell his story the best way he knows how—through the music. Hailing from Hartsville, South Carolina, Trap Dickey quickly became a product of his environment. At age 21, he was shot in the face as a result of a crossfire. Instead of turning to the streets, the rising star instead locked himself in the studio, pouring his heart into his rhymes while expressing his hardships through his art.
Trap Dickey describes himself as “so South Carolina.” He continues, “I’m from the Carolina’s. I’d describe myself as well-respected. A good person. I got a good personality. But fasho fasho, I’m the face of South Carolina.”
Trap Dickey recently made his mark after bodying his freestyle with On The Radar Radio in Philly. His lyricism is a testament to his resilience and strength, and his ability to preserve no matter how hard it gets. On the music tip, Trap has released a string of standout singles, including “I35”, “No Apologies,” and “Keep Forgetting” featuring Hardaway. The music video for “Blue Devils,” taken from his latest project Trap Or Die, has also been doing numbers.
AllHipHop spoke with Trap Dickey in downtown Los Angeles to discuss his background, getting shot in the face, why he started making music, having his family’s support and more.
AllHipHop: Can you paint the picture for Hartsville? Because I have no idea what it’s like.
Trap Dickey: Hartsville is very small. We talking about 7,000 people. It’s only two or three stores open after 12 o’clock. There’s only one Walmart. Everybody knows each other. Of course, we one of the most violent cities in South Carolina. Towns, Google isn’t going to show that. I’m not going to put poverty on it because it’s so small that you can’t tell. There’s some good people there, but mainly small environment though. Small environment in Hartsville, South Carolina.
AllHipHop: Growing up, when did you realize you want to do music?
Trap Dickey: At age 21. My brother was rapping, he’s way younger than me. He was rapping, so I started rapping with him to be honest. When he took off rapping, I just followed right behind him.
AllHipHop: Is he doing this thing?
Trap Dickey: Yeah he’s doing his thing. He’s doing well.
AllHipHop: When’d you fall in love with music?
Trap Dickey: The same age. Nah, I’ma say before that. I fell in love with music at 18, 19. When I saw he was really good at it, I started studying music more and more. I like music.
Trap Dickey: Meek Mill. Rylo Rodriguez. Rod Wave. André 3000. Those types of guys.
How would you describe your music?
Trap Dickey: I describe it as so South Carolina, a preacher’s grandson type stuff. I’m really preaching.
AllHipHop: You were shot in the face. How old were you?
Trap Dickey: Exactly 21. I was actually shot in a crossfire, walking into somebody’s line of fire. It wasn’t like somebody was trying to kill me. I was walking in the way of somebody, turned around and it hit me. It stayed inside. It hit me, it stayed inside my head. I had to cut it out.
I didn’t fall. It was a big mistake. It wasn’t like I was targeted or I was running. It was, “Boom! I think I got shot. Let me look in the mirror and see the bullet wound. Aw s###, I got shot. Let me go to the hospital.” I never lost contact. To be honest, the doctors were so amazed at how I was acting. They didn’t want to call my mom, they told me to call her. They’re like, “Let your mom hear your voice so she could feel good.”
AllHipHop: I’m sure you have trauma from that?
Trap Dickey: As you can see, lazy eye. But trauma? Nah. To be honest, I was so ignorant to the situation. I kept running in the street. As soon as they told me it wasn’t a death-threatening thing as of right now, I just kept going. No surgeries, no nothing. Kept going full throttle.
AllHipHop: You started doing music after that?
Trap Dickey: Yeah. I already started recording. But after I got shot, I started taking it serious. I shot my first video, stuff like that. I started taking it serious because all the attention was on me. A lot of people can’t say they know somebody that got shot in the face. I took full advantage and took rapping full-blown.
AllHipHop: How much of your life experiences do you put in your music?
Trap Dickey: S###, I’d say 95%. I put 95% of my lifestyle in the music. The other stuff is entertainment, but majority of my life is in the music. You can really describe me as some of the songs and some of the stuff I say in the music.
AllHipHop: Were you in the streets with music?
Trap Dickey: Yeah, before the music I was in the streets. Before music and school, I’ll say it like that.
AllHipHop: Was it hard to leave?
Trap Dickey: Hell nah! It wasn’t hard to leave. Best thing that ever happened to me. It’s an easy way out. Think about it: you can do the same thing you want to do and it’s some Hip Hop music. Or pop music, any type of music. Just doing music, it takes you away from the streets. It’s really easy for me to leave. Easy decision.
AllHipHop: How’d you get your name?
Trap Dickey: I got it from Virginia. My real name is Travis so people used to call me Trav. When I went to Virginia, a group of Mexicans started calling me Trap. Literally: “Trap, Trap, Trap.” I stuck with it and ran with it since ninth grade. When I said it, my family went with it too. “There goes Trap.”
AllHipHop: Is Dickey your real name?
Trap Dickey: Dickey’s my last name, for sure for sure. My official name. Dickey is my government last name.
AllHipHop: What inspired your song “I-35”?
Trap Dickey: I was in bad traffic from Oklahoma to Dallas. Real bad traffic, I was stuck on I-35. I made the song on I-35. Wrote it and all that. As soon as we got to Dallas, [snaps]. Boom, it’s going up.
AllHipHop: How do you record? Do you normally freestyle or write?
Trap Dickey: Somewhat of both. I’ll go in, write half of it on my phone. After I got the vibe of what we’re doing, let’s punch in. Let’s get it.
3things you need in the studio at all times?
Trap Dickey: Water, Carmax, and a microphone. lI need that all the time. Anything else, I don’t need it.
AllHipHop: “Blue Devils” is going crazy, talk about that record.
Trap Dickey: Yeah, “Blue Devils” is going crazy!As you know, Blue Devils is a Carolina college team from North Carolina. I’m from South Carolina, but California as whole it means a lot. I freestyled it. Heard the beat, heard the sample. Felt it a little bit and wrote it out like boom boom. I didn’t think it was going to do what it did and do what it’s doing, but I’m happy.
AllHipHop: Best memory from the video shoot?
Trap Dickey: [laughs] Watching them boys do their wheelies all up in the road. Watching them have a competition with themselves, who can walk (means to pop a wheelie) their bike the longest. That was one of the best moments of the video.
AllHipHop: One thing you want people to get from your project Trap or Die?
Trap Dickey: The concept I want them to get from that is when you in the streets, you only got two options: trap or die. You gotta take it serious for what you’re doing. If you gon’ be in the streets, take it serious. I don’t want no one to be in the streets, nobody should be in the streets. But for the ones that’s in the streets, don’t play it. If that’s your plan A, take it serious. Go full throttle.
AllHipHop: How’d it feel for your On The Radar freestyle to go up?
Trap Dickey: It felt like a blessing. Just to go all the way to Philly to do it, I went to Philadelphia to do the On The Radar. I got a lot of family in Philly. My mom’s from Philly, my granddad’s from Philly and my sisters are from Philly. My grandma’s sisters is from up north. That was the whole reason of me going up north to do On The Radar, just to do something together with the family.
AllHipHop: How do they feel about your music going crazy?
Trap Dickey: All my family, I won’t say they look at me the same. Of course they see me change, but it wasn’t like they didn’t look at me to do something before music. They’re happy I found something to do that’s not getting me in trouble. That’s how they look at it: not getting in trouble, you doing the right thing.
AllHipHop: You donate a lot of money to your community. Can you touch on that?
Trap Dickey: I wouldn’t even call it donating; I call it giving back. I wouldn’t even look at it as donations, it’s me giving back to the hometowns and cities around me. Even the ones that is my hometown, I give away to the ones around me, just to keep their motivation going to in school. You don’t have to be in the streets to see Trap Dickey. You can go to first period and you might see Trap Dickey today.
That’s my whole thing of doing it. Don’t give up that school, because I graduated. Folks don’t know, I graduated from high school. I want everyone to know: at least try to get the diploma. At least that. That’s all your mama or dad cared for, at least try to get the diploma. If you don’t, it’s okay. But always try that main thing for them.
AllHipHop: Best encounter you have with a fan?
Trap Dickey: He wanted me to just show up to some birthday. They didn’t want me to perform or anything, just wanted me to show up. He told me his son was a big fan of mine. Not saying race is not a bad thing, but he wasn’t the same color as me. It made me feel like okay dope, I got people different races listening to my music. When I came out, I saw the love his family gave me, it was crazy to me. I seen his grandma, his great grandma. They’re all showing me the same love it looked like they would show their family. That made me feel a lot different.
AllHipHop: What can we expect next?
Trap Dickey: You can expect to see me more. Not only hear me, you can expect to see me. Wherever the local places are, you might end up seeing Trap Dickey around. That’s my whole thing. I want people to understand, I’m not just rapping. I’m not just talking. You’re going to see me. I’m going to be everywhere. Even when a song starts off, they’re like “there goes Trap!” That’s the main thing I want people to understand. There I go! I’m coming.
DC Young Fly urged a thief to give him back a bag filled with personal items, including his late partner Jacky Oh’s death certificate. The comedian made a public plea for the bag’s return via Instagram on Tuesday (February 20).
“I was really trying to refrain from this video, but I just want my bookbag back,” he said. “It’s got some personal belongings in that m###########. You feel me? Some personal belongings in that m###########. Really wasn’t no money in there or nothing. Wasn’t nothing. It’s just personal s### that’s in there. I really hate that I gotta do all this s###, bruh. Bruh, just bring me my bag, bro. Bring me the bag, bro. The bag got my girl’s death certificate in it. It got personal belongings in it. I just need the bag, bro. I just want the bag, bro. Really just bring it back with everything in it ‘cause there wasn’t nothing in it. Just bring me the bag.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3k69rlpb6V/?hl=en
DC Young Fly told the thief to bring the bag to the Hollywood Improv in Los Angeles. The bag containing Jacky Oh’s death certificate was stolen less than a year after her passing.
“Jus drop it off Shawty .. don’t thro it away,” DC Young Fly wrote in a second post. “Drop it off discreetly at Hollywood improv.”
Jacky Oh, whose real name was Jacklyn Smith, died from complications stemming from cosmetic surgery in May 2023. The 33-year-old mother underwent a gluteal augmentation procedure and experienced no issues during the operation, but she developed a severe headache after the surgery. She reportedly started feeling like her head was burning and had difficulty speaking. Her aunt called emergency services. Jacky Oh was brought to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
DC Young Fly and Jacky Oh shared three children. The two worked together on Nick Cannon’s show Wild ‘N Out.
NBA YoungBoy apparently received a bust down chain from Playboi Carti—similar to the one he gave to Ice Spice. On Monday (February 19), NBA YoungBoy delivered his latest video, “No Time,” which included a cameo from his close associate ILoveMakkonen and views of his sprawling Gravedigger Mountain Utah estate.
Upon release, a clip of the video began circulating on social media and the song went viral after fans uncovered NBA YoungBoy’s reference to Playboi Carti—and the gift.
Near the 30-second mark of the video, NBA YoungBoy issues the shoutout to Playboi Carti while seemingly flexing the black diamond tennis chains he was gifted as he raps, “Diamond chain from Carti/Don’t know why he didn’t start me, b###h/I ain’t tryna market, I don’t know why the label bought me.”
Ice Spice went viral earlier this month for her appearance at Super Bowl LVIII, where she was rocking a unique pink and black chain. Some fans interpreted as an upside-down cross and concluded she was a Satanist. But according to TMZ, the Alex Moss-designed necklace was intended to represent a normal cross.
Duane “Keefe D” Davis won’t face trial for Tupac Shakur’s murder in June as originally planned. A Nevada judge pushed back the trial’s start date to November 4 at a hearing on Tuesday (February 20).
Judge Carli Kierny delayed the trial due to Keefe D’s new lawyer Carl Arnold needing more time for discovery in the case. Keefe D’s next hearing is scheduled for April 23, but he may return to court sooner as he attempts to secure bail.
Arnold expressed confidence in Keefe D getting released on bail. Judge Kierny set Keefe D’s bail at $75,000. The judge required a source hearing to make sure his bail money was obtained with legitimate funds.
“He’s not concerned about making bail,” Keefe D’s attorney told reporters. “Bail will be made. What he was concerned about is just the media attention because the judge ordered a source hearing. And in that source hearing, someone’s gonna have to come forward and testify in regards to where the money came from. They just don’t want to be put on the news. He has family members that you guys haven’t taken pictures of and everything. They just want to maintain their privacy. So that’s why he has those concerns.”
Last year, Keefe D was arrested for Tupac’s 1996 murder. Prosecutors accused Keefe D of being the shot caller behind Tupac’s death. The prosecution cited Keefe D’s memoir and various interviews as evidence of him admitting his role in the murder.
Keefe D maintained his innocence, pleading not guilty to murder. The ex-gang leader claimed he only talked about Tupac’s murder to make money.
“Right now, the state hasn’t provided any evidence to corroborate the statement that he’s given,” his lawyer said. “I’ll give you an example. I can sit here all day long and say, ‘I shot JFK’ … But would I be convicted of that? Absolutely not.”
Reporters asked Arnold why he agreed to represent Keefe D at Tuesday’s hearing. The attorney mentioned the high-profile nature of the case as part of its appeal.
“It’s the biggest case since O.J. [Simpson],” Arnold said. “Why wouldn’t you want to take this case on? I mean it’s gonna be a historic case. I think it’s a challenge again with the statements that already came out. And to win this case would be quite an accomplishment.”
Arnold told reporters he would present a “sophisticated defense” at the trial. The lawyer also said prosecutors were “ridiculous” for calling Keefe D a danger to society in their efforts to keep him in jail.
A woman dismissed her sexual abuse and harassment lawsuit against Interscope Records co-founder Jimmy Iovine. According to court documents obtained by AllHipHop, Iovine’s accuser filed a notice of discontinuance of her claims with prejudice on February 15.
“Please take notice that pursuant to New York Civil Practice Law and Rules 3217(a)(1), whereas no party hereto is an infant, incompetent person for whom a committee has been appointed or conservatee and no person not a party has an interest in the subject matter of the action, this action as against Defendant Jimmy Iovine is hereby discontinued in its entirety with prejudice and without costs to any party as against the other,” her lawyers wrote. “This notice may be filed without further notice with the Clerk of the Court.”
The identity of Iovine’s accuser was not revealed. The woman identified herself as Jane Doe in the complaint against Dr. Dre’s longtime business partner. A spokesperson for Iovine said he was “shocked and baffled” by the allegations.
“This inquiry is the first we’ve heard of this matter,” his spokesperson said. “No one has ever made a claim like this against Jimmy Iovine, nor have we been contacted or made aware of any complaint by anyone, including this unknown plaintiff prior to now.”
Last year, Jane Doe sued Iovine for “multiple instances of sexual abuse and forcible touching of her, including a specific incident of sexual misconduct” in 2007. She pursued legal action via New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which expired in November 2023.
The Adult Survivors Act created a one-year window for sexual assault victims to sue their accusers regardless of when the alleged abuse occurred. Fellow music mogul Diddy faced multiple lawsuits under the act.
Jane Doe dismissed her lawsuit with prejudice, which means she cannot refile the claim again in the same court. She was seeking unspecific damages from Iovine before the dismissal.
DJ Khaled is an American-born entertainer of Palestinian descent. His parents immigrated to the United States from areas in the occupied West Bank territory.
As the Israel-Hamas War wages on in the Middle East region, DJ Khaled continues to face scrutiny for not speaking out about the deadly conflict. Over 29,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed since the start of the hostilities which began after Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attacks in southern Israel.
Fadie Musallet of Netflix’s Dubai Bling reality show specifically called out Khaled during an interview with the @hintofarab TikTok account. The Palestinian-American living in Dubai shared his thoughts on the God Did album creator’s silence on the crisis.
“Unfortunately, everyone has their reasons,” Fadie Musallet stated when asked about DJ Khaled. “But there’s no reason, there’s no excuse when you’re actually a Palestinian. For me, my mother lives there. We’re from the same village, same families, so there’s no excuse.”
The Florida State University graduate also added, “Right now, my heart and dedication are with Palestine. I go there a lot. Like I said, my mother lives there. I do a lot of charity work with a lot of refugee camps there. I do a lot of fundraisers to raise money for Gaza and all the refugees outside of Gaza in the West Bank.”
A few weeks later, Drake joined with other entertainers and activists to call on U.S. President Joe Biden to push for a ceasefire in Gaza. Other celebrities such as Daniel Caesar, Jennifer Lopez, Jon Batiste, Kehlani, Macklemore, Miguel, Run The Jewels, Vic Mensa, Victoria Monét and Wale also signed the Artists 4 Ceasefire letter.
