New details surrounding the attempted 2008 home invasion and shooting that occurred at Soulja Boy’s residence have surfaced and suggest Big Draco was ducking for cover rather than shooting at the intruders.
According to a statement that was allegedly written by Soulja Boy following the incident, he didn’t actually jump out like Rambo and start shooting at the perpetrators, at first. Instead, when the masked men forced their way into his home, the “Crank Dat” rapper allegedly went into fight or flight mode—immediately opting for the latter.
“Like five or six dudes broke into my house,” Soulja purportedly wrote in the statement. “I cut all the lights off and hid with my eyes closed.” The statement goes on to reveal that Soulja stayed hidden until his “homie came in the room and said they were gone and we all left the house.”
Mickey Truth found Soulja Boy written statement from 2008 incident 👀😳 Does the story match the one he told in the infamous interview⁉️ pic.twitter.com/59uR2Ww7ZJ
It does appear as though Soulja Boy did disclose he let off several shots in the statement, but the scenario described is nothing like the animated anecdote he shared in his viral 2016 interview with DJ Vlad. “I shot a gun about five times then they took the gun and knock [sic] me down and ran out,” Soulja purportedly wrote in the statement.
It’s unclear whether Soulja Boy actually shot someone or not, but based on the statement, he certainly didn’t stand over his intruders after unmasking them as if he were Batman like he’s led us to believe all these years.
Prosecutors urged a Florida judge to conceal the names of jurors in YNW Melly’s double murder case. According to the Sun Sentinel, the prosecution raised concerns over a notebook containing the names and physical descriptions of the jury from his first trial. The notebook was discovered at the home of co-defendant YNW Bortlen, who was arrested for witness tampering on October 2.
“There is evidence that suggests potential or seated jurors in the upcoming jury trial will be subjected to improper outside influences or harassment,” prosecutors argued.
YNW Melly, whose real name is Jamell Demons, was tried for the 2018 murders of YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser this past summer. The trial ended with a hung jury.
The 24-year-old rapper awaits jury selection for a retrial. Jury selection was previously scheduled to begin on Monday (October 9). It was delayed so Judge John Murphy could sort out the defense’s request to recuse prosecutors from the case.
Defense attorneys claimed prosecutors withheld evidence in YNW Melly’s first trial. His lawyers wanted Judge Murphy to dismiss their client’s case or remove the Broward State Attorney’s Office from it.
A pre-trial hearing was supposed to take place on Tuesday (October 10). One of YNW Melly’s lawyers fell ill, forcing Judge Murphy to postpone the hearing.
YNW Melly has remained in jail since his 2019 arrest. He faces the death penalty if convicted of murder.
The Only Generals Tour has started and Kevin Gates is making news with his first Virginia show. Known for creating controversial moment, his latest antic was just as wild.
During a recent performance, Gates invited a female fan to the stage and performed a sexually explicit stunt right in front of thousands of his fans. He asked her, “I can do whatever I wanna do?”
Once she consented, the woman leaves her spot in the audience, steps up and gazes in the rapper’s eyes. He sits her in a chair, tilts her head back while standing over her, and tells her to open her mouth.
After she obeys every command, he spits into her mouth. The woman, who fans speculated might’ve been pregnant, seemed to enjoying every bit of it. Fans thought it was disgusting.
“Kevin gates been did some crazy s##t, but spitting in that lady mouth on stage was sumn i never had to see,” one person tweeted.
kevin gates been did some crazy s###, but spitting in that lady mouth on stage was sumn i never had to see
“I’m totally against spitting in my mouth but to let a stranger ass ni##a do it. Like b##ches be trash !!! Literally!!!!!!! Kevin Gates ain’t the nasty one. The b##ch that let him do it was !” another tweeted.
I’m totally against spitting in my mouth but to let a stranger ass n#### do it. Like b###### be trash !!! Literally!!!!!!! Kevin Gates ain’t the nasty one. The b#### that let him do it was !
Ultimate Rap League has shot down rumors a judge urged them to settle their legal dispute with former talent scout Dagoberto Velez, otherwise known as Street Star Norbes.
The response comes after blogs began speculating that URL were set to lose millions in the case that Norbes filed back in 2020. On Monday (October 9), URL rejected the “false” reports, sharing a letter from their lawyers clarifying the recent settlement allegations.
Tititled: “URL’S RESPONSE TO THE FALSE ‘MEDIA’ REPORTS,” the letter begins by clarifying that URL have won their legal battles so far.
“The trial court already ruled that this talent scout was not a partner of a URL,” the letter states. “A round one victory for URL. URL also won round two by knock out, as the appellant court also ruled that the talent scout was not a partner of URL, and not entitled to be treated as a partner.”
The document also addresses speculation the court instructed URL to settle and explains that settlement conferences are a standard requirement.
“Now, false rumors are being spread that URL was instructed by the Court to settle. This statement is demonstrably false,” attorney James Sammataro writes. “Instead, all parties were directed to participate in a settlement conference. This is an unremarkable requirement for every case.”
The letter also alleges “blatantly false reports” “have ostensibly been leaked” and includes a transcript of the recent court hearing “to clarify what actually occurred.”
URL Looks Forward To “Winning Ways”
Sammataro continued, noting “there was not a single word regarding money,” in the transcript.
“Not one,” he concluded. “Any claim to the contrary is made- up. URL looks forward to its winning ways, and remains convinced that once the facts are heard, its victory will be complete.”
Back in 2020, Norbes filed an 80-page, $40 million lawsuit against URL, claiming he was one of the owners/partners.
However, in December, the Supreme Court of the State of New York Appellate Division ruled Norbes is not a co-owner of the “world’s most respected battle rap league.” The ruling also said that URL never misrepresented Norbes’ role with the company.
The decision also noted that “the only people referring to him as a “partner” were “third parties or by the plaintiff himself.”
Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace lost his life in 1997 at the age of 24. Fellow Bad Boy Entertainment artists, like Mason “Ma$e” Betha, had to deal with the tragic death of the record label’s flagship act.
Ma$e recently discussed The Notorious B.I.G. losing his life twenty-six years ago. On the October 9th edition of the It Is What It Is sports talk show, the Harlem World album creator recalled the apparent dangerous fallout from Biggie’s murder.
“I was actually in a hotel with a young lady,” said Ma$e. He also added, “I actually was trapped in the hotel… It was about, probably like, 70 or so Bloods in the hallway. I couldn’t even leave my room.”
The 48-year-old New Yorker also stated, “After Big got killed, they were probably looking for more Bad Boy artists. And I couldn’t even leave the room until [Sean ‘Puff Daddy’ Combs’ ex-bodyguard] Gene Deal had to come get me.”
Ma$e released his Harlem World studio LP via Bad Boy Entertainment seven months after The Notorious B.I.G. died. The protégé of Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs also appeared on Biggie’s Life After Death posthumous album.
“Mo Money Mo Problems” featuring Ma$e and Puff Daddy became one of the standout Life After Death singles. That Notorious B.I.G. track peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks in 1997. The collaboration also earned a Grammy nomination.
Before Life After Death hit record stores on March 25, 1997, a gunman fired fatal shots into The Notorious B.I.G.’s vehicle during a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles on March 9 of that year. Local authorities have not arrested any suspects in connection to the 26-year-old cold case.
Even twenty-seven years after his death, Tupac Shakur is still one of the most-talked-about rap stars. Many Hip-Hop historians consider him one of the greatest rappers of all time, but one industry insider believes Kanye West and Future left a bigger impact on Hip-Hop than 2Pac.
Atlanta-born music producer ATL Jacob (“Super Gremlin” by Kodak Black, “Wait for U” by Future) decided to share some of his opinions about 2Pac on the X platform. Jacob’s comments about the late West Coast MC sparked a lot of debate on the social media app.
“I [have] never seen another Tupac.. but I [have] seen 100 Kanyes… the influence is brazy,” posted ATL Jacob on October 8. The 24-year-old beatmaker was responding to an online poll where 76% of the respondents apparently voted that Pac was more impactful than Ye.
i never seen another Tupac .. but i seen 100 Kanyes .. the influence is brazy https://t.co/pz7hGtnM4r
ATL Jacob did not stop with that one take. Yesterday afternoon (October 9), he put over the Freebandz record label boss. He tweeted, “Tupac [was] a great rapper but Future [is] more influential than him as an artist 💯💯.”
Around two hours later, Jacob returned to X to once again compare Ye and 2Pac. The Producer of the Year nominee at the 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards wrote, “Kanye West has done more for Hip-Hop than Tupac… facts.”
Tupac a great rapper but Future more influential than him as an artist 💯💯
ATL Jacob worked with Kanye West on the legendary musician’s Donda2 album. Listeners were only able to officially hear that 2022 project on the Stem Player device. Last year, Jacob talked about not understanding how the producers on the album would receive compensation.
“Everybody was confused like, ‘How we get paid?’” admitted ATL Jacob during an interview. “I’m still confused. If he’s banned from Stem Player, then how we get paid?” He also said, “I ain’t tripping though, because I learned a lot just working on [Donda 2].”
TMZ spoke with Joe Budden’s former Slaughterhouse groupmate, KXNG Crooked, to get his opinion onDrake’s recent takedown of the New Jersey native. Crooked sided with Budden despite recent tension involving the Slaughterhouse members.
“I feel like [Drake] threw me a stray, I caught a stray,” KXNG Crooked said. “Because I love talking about Hip-Hop. I think it’s a dope, natural progression and evolution of an MC’s career to jump behind the microphone and start speaking about the game as a commentator.”
The head of the Crook’s Corner YouTube channel added, “I was like, ‘Ouch!’ I felt like he shot at me with that, even though he wasn’t. It was like, ‘Dang, dog. We can’t even do that?’ So, no I don’t think Joe is a failed rapper who turned into a podcaster.”
KXNG Crooked also specifically addressed Drake comparing his level of wealth to Joe Budden’s level of wealth. The Long Beach, California representative suggested that someone of Drake’s status shouldn’t even pay attention to anything Budden has to say.
“Skills matter, respect from your peers matters, because if they didn’t, Drake wouldn’t have answered Joe Budden,” he argued. “If those things did not matter, [Drake] wouldn’t have [responded] because he has everything else… Him just responding to Joe just gives Joe the power that Joe probably wanted.”
Drake released his eighth studio LP, For All the Dogs, on October 6. However, most of the conversation surrounding that project has less to do with the music and more to do with Budden’s critique.
But Budden also expressed disappointment in the final product. He complained Drake seems too focused on trying to appeal to a younger audience rather than maturing as an artist.
Drake fired back at Budden on Instagram with a scathing message. The Toronto-bred superstar took direct aim at Budden’s rapper-turned-podcaster career by referring to his supposed lack of success as a musician.
“You have failed at music,” Drake said. “For any artist watching this just remember you are watching a failure give their opinion on his idea of a recipe for success.
“This guy is the poster child of frustration and surrendering. You retired and we never hung up your jersey we don’t even remember your number… You withdrew from rap not cause you accomplished all you need to, it’s cause it wasn’t working for you.”
Hip-Hop is struggling commercially. Juicy J took to social media to share his thoughts on the genre’s apparent diminishing financial returns.
“I know a lot of people don’t want to hear this, but I’m being real,” he said. “Rap music is down 40 percent. Check the charts. Check the math. I don’t make the rules. What are we, as rappers, producers, composers, going to do about this sh##? Because it’s down 40 percent this year. Check the charts. Do your research. This is a fact.”
Only three rappers have managed to make it to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2023. Atlanta-raised rhymer Latto became the first rap chart-topper as a guest on “Seven” by BTS singer Jungkook.
Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” and Drake’s “Slime You Out” featuring SZA also made it to No. 1 on the Hot 100 over the last 10 months. All three singles only combined for five total weeks at the top.
The Billboard 200 album chart has seen just as few No. 1s from rap acts this year. Lil Uzi Vert’s Pink Tape, Travis Scott’s UTOPIA and Rod Wave’s Nostalgiaare the only No. 1s on those weekly rankings so far.
“Let’s have a conversation,” Juicy J continued. “What are we gonna do? We gotta figure some sh## out. We gotta sit down and talk. Let’s have a meeting, let’s meet up somewhere and have a big-ass f###ng meeting.”
Juicy J dropped the 18-track Mental Trillnessproject in March 2023. The Memphis, Tennessee native has spent the last several weeks promoting his new book, Chronicles of the Juice Man: A Memoir.
Back in 2019, 21 Savage (born Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph) made international news after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials took the rapper into custody. The world became aware of the fact that Savage is actually a citizen of the United Kingdom.
It turns out 21 Savage was born in London, England, not Atlanta, Georgia. Apparently, the I Am > I Was album creator entered the United States around the age of seven, but his non-immigrant visa expired in July 2006.
“His whole public persona is false. He actually came to the U.S. from the U.K. as a teen and overstayed his visa,” an ICE spokesperson told the media at the time. Savage’s legal team claimed their client filed for a nonimmigrant U visa in order to stay in the U.S. legally.
Fast forward to 2023, 21 Savage heads back to the United Kingdom to perform in his home country. The Grammy Award winner’s first-ever U.K. appearance will take place at The O2 Arena in London on Thursday, November 30, 2023.
21 Savage gave his first international performance on July 10 in Toronto. He joined his Her Loss project collaborator Drake on stage at the It’s All A Blur Tour stop in the OVO rapper’s hometown. Prior to that performance, Drake broke the news of Savage’s receiving a green card on the “8AM in Charlotte” track.
Drake also tapped 21 Savage for a feature on his newly released For All The Dogs studio album. The Canadian/British duo’s Her Loss joint effort dropped in November 2022. That LP debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 404,000 first-week units.
Savage travels to the U.K. with three No. 1 albums in his discography. In addition to Her Loss, the Slaughter Gang leader scored Number Ones with 2018’s I Am > I Was and 2020’s Savage Mode II with Metro Boomin.
While 50 Cent is involved with a number of professional sports partnerships, with teams from some of the biggest sporting leagues in the world, he didn’t think twice about giving a helping hand when a Welsh under-14s girls soccer squad came calling.
The players at AFC Rumney in Cardiff will walk out on the pitch this weekend in their new yellow G-Unit kit branded with the Hip-Hop mogul’s name.
This is quality!!!
AFC Rumney's under 14s girls side has been sponsored by 50 Cent after their manager worked with him on tour!! 👏 https://t.co/TkmHDHRDtK
The sponsorship came about after one of the fathers on the team began working on Fiddy’s Final Lap tour. Not only did he agree to sponsor the girls, but he also showed a keen interest in the team.
Richie Brown, the team’s coach and father of two girls on the squad, said 50 Cent was enthusiastic about the deal.
“Straight off, without hesitation, he agreed,” Brown explained to The Telegraph. “At first it was an unbelievable feeling. We were a bit cheeky and asked for more and he also sponsored our tracksuits. I’ve been involved in female football for 10 years, it’s really appreciated that it came around when we were in need of new stuff, we love his support for us.”
🚨50 Cent has shockingly agreed to sponsor a Welsh under-14 girls' football team, AFC Rumney, with his name and G-Unit logo on their kits.
🚨 This sponsorship is a massive deal for a grassroots club like AFC Rumney, as funding can be hard to come by at that level.
The team hopes the new kit will boost the girls after losing the first three games of the season.
“This could give us our confidence back,” Brown added. “We’ve sent a few photos over to him. 50 Cent actually showed an interest in who he was sponsoring, he wanted to know more about the team.”
While 50 Cent hasn’t shown up to a match yet, he’s more than welcome if he visits Wales.
“If he’s ever around Cardiff he should come along,” Coach Brown offered.
"It was a parent of one of our players, and he was working on the American tour with 50 Cent."
Cardi B says artists who collaborate with her don’t have to worry about picking a side if they also work with her opps, as long as they keep it real with her.
The “Bongos” hitmaker addressed the topic during a recent interview with the Spout Podcast. The episode aired last month, but a clip from the show went viral on Monday (October 9).
According to Cardi B, business is the only priority concerning the artists she collaborates with.
“If I like you, and I meet you, and we do a song, I don’t expect you to, like, pick a side or anything,” the NYC icon explained. “You could work with whoever you want to work with. Because at the end of the day, this is a business, and you gotta look out for yourself, always.”
However, Cardi warned those acting “fake” with her will be held accountable.
“Just don’t s### on me,” she added. “And don’t show me that you’re a fake b####. That’ll be breakin’ my heart. And when I see you, I’ma let you know. And when I have to express myself, I’ll express myself.” Check out the clip below and watch the interview at the end of the page.
Elsewhere during the interview, Cardi B revealed she’s using Beyoncé as the perfect example of how to handle haters.
“Surprisingly, I have held myself back a lot … from a lot of things,” she stated. “You see how Beyoncé addresses her things — she does not address them at all.”
Nonetheless, last week, the Grammy Award-winning rapper warned her “haters” that she will drop years-old receipts and bring out “Belcalis the Demon,” to handle them if she has to.
“I will bring this internet into f###### shambles b####,” she declared in an Instagram Live on October 3. “I been trying not to disappoint my fans because I been tryna be Cardi B the professional. But Belcalis the Demon, it be really close to come out. And I don’t want that because I don’t want to disappoint my fans.”
He avoided jail time and was sentenced to three years of probation. In addition, Combs was ordered to “enroll and participate in and successfully complete a 3-month licensed first-offender alcohol and other drug education and counseling program”. The charge of driving under the influence was dismissed.
The 29-year-old was arrested and charged following a routine traffic stop in June. Cops claim Justin Combs ran a red light. After speaking to him, authorities questioned if he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
He was hauled off to jail on two misdemeanor charges for driving under the influence and having a blood alcohol content (BAC) higher than 0.08% or more. He was released later that day on a $5,000 bond.
Justin Combs’ mom, Misa Hylton, tore into Diddy in a scathing Instagram rant following their son’s DUI arrest.
“Everyone has to sit around for years and act like there isn’t anything wrong with you. This is where the buck stops for me,” Misa began. “If anything ever happened to my son GOD FORBID. What is anyone going to say to me? When we all know who’s fault it would be.”
Westside Gunn says his album era is over, and he’s going out with a bang on his upcoming album, set to be his last LP.
The Griselda rapper intends to focus his efforts on his projects outside of the studio, and although he still plans on dropping hits, Westside Gunn said his fifth studio album will be his final one.
“[This is] going to be the last album where I take the time to say ‘this is an album,'” he explained during a Rolling Stone interview. “When I was doing the Hitler Wears Hermes series, I was doing all them projects like mixtapes. I was recording the whole s### in two, three days. I’m not saying I won’t come with a five-song EP with Madlib or I won’t do a seven-song EP with Alchemist or I won’t rap. I’ll do all of that, but making a studio album, I’m done with all that.”
According to Gunn, his upcoming album And Then You Pray For Me “was pressure to me.” However, that pressure has now been relieved. He also revealed he’s “testing the waters on a few different things,” on the album. “It’s not like I’m going out of the box with it or I’m not being me,” Westside Gunn shared. “I’m still me, it’s just kind of a different sound.”
Westside Gunn Declares Upcoming Album Will Be “Album of the Year”
He continued: “I got so much other things I got going on now in my life that’s different. And I have new artists that I also want to break that are super dope. And I know they need my attention because [they] the ones that need the development.”
Westside Gunn declared And Then You Pray For Me a “MASTERPIECE,” in a recent Instagram post.
He also claimed it’s “album of the year,” and believes he can better every other 2023 project with “just the first 10” tracks. The feature-stacked 21-track album includes appearances from RZA, Rick Ross, Jeezy, Conway The Machine, Ty Dolla $ign, Denzel Curry, Stove God Cooks, Rome Streetz, Giggs and more. Set to arrive on Friday (October 13)
Ahead of the release of his final album this Friday (October 13), Westside Gunn is giving his fans a look behind the scenes at his creative process with a series of mini movies. Check out episode 3 below.
While Plies has been thirsting after Britney Spears for months, the pop princess set her sights on another rapper for a dream collaboration.
The “Circus” singer shared her wish on Instagram Sunday (October 8), posting a video of her dancing to Beyoncé’s “Daddy Lessons” with a proposal for Jay-Z. In the since-deleted video, Spears gyrates and twirls around wearing her signature low-rise panties while highlighting her bandaged finger.
“So many people have done remixes to my songs without my knowledge,” she penned in the caption. “So I guess it’s safe to say I will be redoing this song eventually !!!”
However, Britney Spears doesn’t want to cover the song alone; she wants a Jay-Z verse on her remix. “Just need to meet Jay-Z and add a rap to it,” she added. “What’s up ???”
Britney Spears says she would like to remix Beyoncé's “Daddy Lessons” with Jay-Z pic.twitter.com/5vGjeb9fsE
While he is yet to publicly respond, Jay-Z is a fan, joining his wife Beyoncé at a Britney Spears concert in Las Vegas in 2013 and revealing ”Toxic” was his favorite song of hers in a Twitter Q&A in 2015.
Earlier this year, rumors of a potential Beyoncé and Britney collab surfaced. The “Cuff It” hitmaker asked Spears to appear in a music video, according to a Page Six report. However, the video never materialized.
Meanwhile, Plies continues to lose his mind over Spears, posting another one of her dancing videos on Instagram on Monday (October 9).
“Don’t Nobody Bother Me Today Ok!!!” he penned in the caption. “I Been Watching This Since Last Night!! My Lil ‘Purple Rain.’ Look How She Looking At Me!!!!”
Azealia Banks responded to Drake and Birdman’s comments about Joe Budden, even though she was not actually involved.
The new Drake album, For All The Dogs, was released to the world. The album features 23 songs and boasts collaborations with artists such as Lil Yachty, J. Cole, Bad Bunny, SZA, and more. It seems like there are mostly positive reviews, but Joe Budden – rapper-turned-podcaster – offered his opinion. He openly offered his two cents, suggesting that his Canadian arch-enemy’s style was more suited for a younger audience.
In response, Drake posted a lengthy comment and it was full of either. On top of that, Birdman shared his thoughts on the situation with a threat! This ain’t beef! This is veganism at its finest!
She took issue with both Drake and Birdman’s responses and let them have it. She stated that Drake had cosmetic procedures like nose jobs and liposuction were NOT aligned with the Hip-Hop culture. “Does Drake know his nose job and liposuction is not hip hop? Does Drake know that no one who actually understands hip hop — a culture born from [the] oppressed, really [cares] about his soft-toothed, colonized, confused, mixed-race facsimile attempts to exhibit the true authenticity of an actual MC?” she asked. “Does Drake know his desperate attempts to gangsterize Canadian ‘street life’ is an all-encompassing failure in and of itself?” She also called out Birdman for making threats online, which she deemed lowbrow and detrimental to the genre’s image.
She did not hold back!
Can u just make some more lug and quit threatening people online before you get arrested?
S### like that really makes the genre look trashy and low budget as hell… and sorry… you’ve kinda just made it so hot that if anything happens to joe Budden it’s certainly getting traced back to you and drake. LOL.
Loved ur verse on “constantly hating” but it has been a minute since anyone cared for your music, and drake is redundant as hell.
Only weird nepo babies and Eastern European immigrants who wear USS polo association, cool water and media f### boys actually care for him.
Work some magic and bring back young thug please.., that man is very very special.
Honestly, if drakes mother was black he’d probably not be so corny.
White mom syndrome is very real
– Ether Banks
This this out:
Earlier in the day, fans speculated that Drake took another swipe at Joe Budden in one of his captions, where he expressed gratitude for his life.
Joe’s manager rode for him and got a lot of attention too. I don’t think he remembers when Joe Budden was on AHH every day.
Joe budden is the most important figure in media. Unconventional in approach, untethered to any agenda driven entity, no relationships interfere with his true opinions. No stage name, no act, a former emcee turned media mogul with the world constantly listening and watching.
Something crazy happened at the BET Hip-Hop Awards. As you already know, last Tuesday the BET Hip-Hop Awards were taped in Atlanta, Georgia. They air TODAY on BET so please check that out. Everybody was having a lot of fun. It was definitely a Hip-Hop affair with a wide range of celebrities that such an award could afford.
This version of the show was mostly performance-based, but there were some awards announced. It was an all-out celebration of 50 years of Hip-Hop. Now I’m not going to get into the details of this particular award because it would result in spoilers for the show. So I hope you all follow me here. Nevertheless, There was a category in which Ice Spice and another rapper were being nominated.
I won’t say the other individual’s name, but I will say that this person is very popular. And the people love the individual in question. When this rapper was seen or walked through, the people cheered. Ice Spice was at the BET AWARDS, but was not here for the BET Hip-Hop awards. So that might play a factor in what happened next.
All I will say is that Ice Spice went to head with this other artist and WON. She was the winner, but the crowd started to boo, according to sources. I’m trying to figure out if they were doing the heckling because the rapper question was present and accounted for. OR, if they hate Ice Spice. I don’t really think that’s the case, because who doesn’t like Ice Spice? She’s harmless! But I think that They simply wanted to see a hometown favorite win.
Nevertheless, the show went on and everybody had a good time.
The 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards will be aired on October 10, 2023, as the 17th installment of the beloved show. BET Hip Hop Awards are intended to recognize the best in Hip-hop music of 2023. The ceremony was taped in Atlanta, Georgia.
Gunplay reportedly lost custody of his infant daughter. According to TMZ, a court granted sole custody to his estranged wife Vonshae Taylor-Morales on Monday (October 9).
The court’s decision can only be reversed if Taylor-Morales, who has a temporary restraining order against Gunplay, wants joint custody. As of now, the rapper can only see his daughter through court-monitored virtual visits.
Gunplay, whose real name is Richard Morales, was arrested for domestic violence and child abuse in August. Taylor-Morales accused her husband of choking their daughter. She also blamed him for their child’s heart defect.
“The reason that my daughter had a heart defect is because of his drug abuse history,” Taylor-Morales said. “He was the cause of her defect. Y’all could Google this. Anybody who abuses cocaine, ketamine, which he did too. He actually OD’d on ketamine twice. Cocaine, ketamine, all those types of things, it causes cognitive disorders and dysfunctions and s### like that.”
Gunplay previously missed three hearings about his wife’s restraining order against him. If he misses the fourth hearing, her restraining order will be made permanent and prevent him from being around his daughter until her 18th birthday.
Taylor-Morales filed for divorce following Gunplay’s arrest, but she said he refused to sign the papers. She is seeking child support from the rapper.
50 Cent trolled Diddy, advising the Bad Boy Records mogul to seek legal counsel following the arrest of Keefe D. The G-Unit leader suggested Diddy was the mastermind behind the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur in an Instagram post on Monday (October 9).
“Damn so pac got lined by brother love,” 50 Cent wrote. “LOL Time to Lawyer up, s### might get sticky.”
Keefe D, whose real name is Duane Davis, was arrested for Shakur’s murder on September 29. Davis was charged with one count of murder with the use of a deadly weapon and with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang.
Prior to his arrest, Davis implicated Diddy in Shakur’s murder in an interview with the Art of Dialogue. Davis said Diddy pitted him against Suge Knight, who was in the car with Shakur when the late rapper was shot in 1996.
Shakur was infamously shot in a drive-by attack in Las Vegas. He died a few days later at a local hospital.
Prosecutors claim Davis “ordered the death” of Shakur and the attempted murder of Knight. Davis publicly admitted he was involved in the shooting in his memoir and past interviews.
“Duane Davis was the shot caller for this group of individuals that committed this crime,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Jason Johansson said. “And he orchestrated the plan that was carried out.”
Davis’ nephew Orlando Anderson was long considered the prime suspect in Shakur’s murder. Anderson died in 1998.
Authorities still believe Anderson was the shooter. Prosecutors did not need to prove Davis pulled the trigger to charge him with murder. Davis faced a murder charge for aiding and abetting in the crime.
Davis has not entered a plea in the murder case. His arraignment was originally scheduled for October 4, but a Nevada judge granted a two-week delay.
Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast co-host Wallo had a few things to get off his chest on Sunday (October 8). Taking to Instagram, the 44-year-old laid into the current state of rap, calling for the powers that be to wake up. He claims the rap industry landscape is “undergoing a remarkable transformation” and insists fans of the genre have grown tired of the monotony ruling the charts.
“It’s intriguing to observe that many artist teams have yet to catch up with this evolving dynamic,” he wrote in part. “The era of relying solely on flashy jewelry, ostentatious fashion choices, references to drugs, and flaunting firearms to capture attention is fading into obscurity. What truly resonates with audiences now is not the gimmicks but rather the power of authentic, high-quality music.
“For a significant period, it seemed like attention-grabbing antics and manufactured controversies were the driving force behind the rap game’s success. However, this era is gradually drawing to a close. The numbers, particularly those on platforms like YouTube and Spotify, Apple charts, are painting a starkly different picture. They reveal that it’s not the manufactured motion or shock value that propels artists to the forefront but the quality of their music and the genuine connection they establish with their listeners.”
For the past few years, rappers like 6ix9ine and Lil Pump were able to skate by using social media to generate controversy. 6ix9ine seemed to diss a fellow rapper every week (dead or alive), while Lil Pump criticized Eminem, one of the biggest-selling artists in music history. Wallo continued by noting how important it is to put the time in to becoming a skilled rapper—not just picking the right collaborator in hopes of blowing up.
“In this transformed landscape, the practice of paying for a feature from a more established artist no longer guarantees success,” he said. “It’s increasingly apparent that each artist has their own unique impact, and success is often built on individual merit rather than collaborations alone. This shift underscores the importance of honing one’s craft, producing compelling and resonant music, and cultivating a genuine fan base.
“In essence, the rap game is experiencing a significant metamorphosis, and artists and their teams must adapt to this new reality by prioritizing musical authenticity and the cultivation of a devoted fan following, rather than relying on outdated gimmicks and manufactured trends.”
Wallo is the latest to express his disdain for current rap. Juicy J recently shared a similar sentiment, as pointed out by TMZ. In a clip, he talked about the 40 percent decrease in rap album sales and implored rappers, producers, composers and engineers to “turn this s##t around.”
AllHipHop attended an event at the Recording Academy in Santa Monica last month, where Xzibit and Layzie Bone also lamented the state of rap. The discussion continued to wander through each participants’ respective careers but kept returning to where Hip-Hop stands as a culture. The overall consensus was painfully clear—something needs to change.
“Everything sounds the same,” Xzibit said. “Listen, there’s two factors that I believe are stifling music. Because Hip-Hop is so huge and it made so many people so much money, they think anybody can do it. For example, if you go and say, ‘I love football,’ but you won’t take your ass down there, suit up and get on the field when it’s time, you won’t do that. Everyone feels that Hip-Hop is so accessible that anybody can do it. It’s become a mockery of itself. That’s one.
“Number two, I think it’s become too accessible. Back in the day, there was a time that you had to go into somebody’s office and get an investment into your career. Now, if you have a laptop and WiFi, you can be an artist, which just crowds the whole lane. You’re doing yourself a disservice by participating in that.”
Layzie Bone chimed in with, “It just f##### the whole game up,” to which Xzibit said, “First of all, we should have unionized. We should have had some kind of union and a board and organized ourself. Right now, 50 years later, we still don’t own s###. Until we own it, until we control it, until we have a say on who gets to f###ng call themselves this and call themselves that like everybody else, it’s going to continue to spiral out of control.
“That’s why we aren’t on Billboard because nobody is in the pilot seat, guiding us where we’re supposed to go. We went to thousand to millions to billions—this is a billion-dollar industry—but until we take the focus and clean up our own backyard, then it’s not going to have the same respect that it’s garnered in the past.”
Birdman has revealed what he says was the reason he stopped working with Gillie Da Kid, saying the Million Dollaz Worth Of Game podcast host was never actually a ghostwriter for Young Money.
Apparently, it all went down back in the day, which we can assume was sometime around 2003 when Gillie allegedly parted ways with Young Money. In a recent Clubhouse session alongside Wack 100, Stunna broke everything down and also addressed the rift between Gillie and himself. Though he was adamant he wishes no harm to Gillie, he recanted any and all claims that Gillie wrote anything for any Young Money artists during his time with the label. Not only that, he also seemingly felt the need to go as far as affirming that he hadn’t ever made a dollar off Gillie’s music nor did he ever even release any of it.
As if that weren’t semi-inflammatory enough, Birdman detailed a particular outing in Philadelphia when he alleged Gillie failed to retaliate against Beanie Sigel for pressuring him in broad daylight at a shopping mall.
“My fallout with Gillie was, we was in Philly—I ain’t got no ill feelings with him,” Birdman started off before adding, “But n###s be putting this all this false, fake s### out.” He continued, “We was in Philly at a store and we was shopping. And Beanie come in the store, grab him, walk him outside and he got a blicky on him. We all got blicky’s on us, I got 100 n###s with me. So he n###a brought him out side and he ‘Woop-woop,’ and he ain’t do nothing. I lost all respect for him and then I stopped f###ing with him.”
RocStar2800 asks Birdman about why he lost respect for Gillie Da King on Clubhouse pic.twitter.com/xaAaZSviMP
It seems as though Gillie finds the entire situation comical. Not long after the clip made the rounds, he wrote a crying laughing emoji along with “25 years later.” However, something tells me we’re getting a POV video of Gillie’s eyes bloodshot and mouth spewing saliva, denying Birdman’s claims while berating him for them.
