Kanye West has apologized to Kim Kardashian for causing her “any stress.”
During an appearance on “Good Morning America,” Ye issued a statement directed at his ex-wife, expressing remorse for how he has treated her amidst their divorce.
“This is the mother of my children. I apologize for any stress that I have caused,” he stated.
Kanye and Kim, who wed in 2014, were declared legally single in March and are co-parenting their four children – North, nine, Saint, six, Chicago, four, and three-year-old Psalm.
Following the breakup, the hip-hop star repeated rants on Instagram about the reality TV personality and her brief relationship with comedian Pete Davidson.
Kanye was also asked by journalist Linsey Davis for his views on social media.
“That’s one of my favorite questions of this interview,” the 45-year-old insisted. “We can use a car to rush somebody to the hospital. We can use a car and accidentally hit somebody while we’re rushing somebody to the hospital, so it’s all in how we use it.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, Kanye discussed fatherhood, his plans to expand the Donda Academy, and his fashion empire.
Producer DannyBoyStyles is offering shares of his portion of the streaming royalties from The Weeknd’s classic track “Acquainted,” the biggest song ever to be featured in royalty NFT drop.
Anotherblock is continuing to push for greater democratization of music rights by offering access to one of the biggest tracks ever made available via an NFT platform.
Producer DannyBoyStyles is offering the Anotherblock community a share of his streaming royalties from “Acquainted,” performed by The Weeknd. The drop will be an edition of 400 NFTs. Each NFT will cost approximately $108 each for a 0.0025% share in DannyBoyStyles’ streaming royalties. Pre-sale starts September 22, 2022 at 6 PM CET/ noon ET/ 9 AM PT.
“This is another way to give power back to the creators,” explains DannyBoyStyles. “For me, sharing ownership of this track on Anotherblock represents freedom and connection. Together, we’re creating all these possibilities for music makers and lovers.”
DannyBoyStyles won a GRAMMY for his production and writing work on “Acquainted.” Regularly hitting the top of lists of The Weeknd’s best songs, “Acquainted” is a moody, bittersweet classic that Billboard dubbed a “generational love song” for millennials. This song is one of the biggest ever offered as part of a royalty NFT drop. “I love the feel of this record, the energy of it,” DannyBoyStyles notes. “Something about it just draws you to it.”
This drop is the second from Anotherblock, following its genesis drop in August, which featured shares of royalties for the first collaboration by dance music legends R3HAB and Laidback Luke. The drop, released on the same day it was launched on DSPs, sold out in 40 minutes, despite a challenging climate for music NFTs in general. The value of Anotherblock NFTs has continued to grow thanks to a vibrant secondary market on the platform, demonstrating the power of this new tech to give fans more access to music rights and to expand recordings’ revenue potential for creators.
“This is the biggest royalty NFT drop in history,” explains Anotherblock CEO and co-founder Michel D. Traore. “We wanted to work with Danny to share royalties for this track because it’s a great track that fans value. We see fans holding Anotherblock NFTs as an extension of their connection to a specific song, an added layer of intimacy with their favorite artists. NFTs truly expand what music rights can do.”
Love him or hate him, DJ Akademiks is one of the most prominent figures in modern-day Hip-Hop media. His controversial takes sometimes rile up fans and rappers. It appears LL Cool J had an issue with something Ak said about Hip Hop’s forefathers and foremothers.
“Have you seen any of these old rappers who be like they’re the foundation of Hip Hop really living good?” asked Akademiks in an audio clip circulating on social media. “Them n##### be looking really dusty. I kid you not. Don’t none of y’all try and come for me ’cause I don’t f### with y’all n#####.”
LL Cool J went on Instagram to share his thoughts about the comments made by DJ Akademiks. The legendary New York City-bred emcee addressed Ak’s remarks without mentioning him by name.
“It came to my attention that a deejay – and I’m not gonna say any names ’cause I don’t think it’s necessary – a deejay basically said that a lot of the pioneers in Hip Hop, they’re dusty or how can they be the person that invented Hip Hop if they don’t have a lot of money, or if they don’t represent like they have a lot of dough,” said LL.
The 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee added, “Don’t think just because somebody knows how to get money, or fails to get money, that they didn’t make a contribution to the culture. No one discusses Miles Davis’s bank account. We don’t talk about John Coltrane’s bank account. We don’t talk about a lot of Rock musicians’ bank accounts. A lot of great Country artists, we don’t talk about their bank accounts.”
LL Cool J Explains The Barriers Hip Hop Pioneers Had To Face
In his video message, LL Cool J went on to say the belief that someone not having money means they don’t have any value is “a bad idea” and “misinformed.” He also pointed out that the state of the Hip Hop business in the 1970s and 1980s was very different from what it is today.
“When Hip Hop first started, there were no managers, there were no accountants that believed in it. Record companies didn’t even believe in it. Nobody believed in it. How can you make a 5-year plan or a 10-year plan on something that doesn’t even exist yet?” LL Cool J asked his Instagram followers.
The Kennedy Center Honors recipient explained, “So just because [Hip Hop pioneers] didn’t get rich, just because they weren’t able to pile up millions or billions of dollars, does not mean that they didn’t make a contribution to this culture. They created an industry that we all ate off of. They created an industry that you eat off of.”
LL Cool J then warned, “I’m all about getting paper. I’ve been talking about it my whole career. But don’t ever, ever, ever confuse being rich with making a contribution to our culture. Don’t ever play yourself like that again!”
Lil Baby found himself on the wrong side of public backlash. The Quality Control Music rapper canceled his headlining set for the 2022 Breakout Festival on September 18.
“I would like to start off by saying I truly apologize [to] Vancouver, Canada, The Breakout Festival, and to everyone who was in attendance!” stated Lil Baby on an Instagram Story post.
He added, “I have been going so hard these past few months without any breaks that it finally caught up with me. And my body completely shut down. I owe you guys big time and will for sure make up for it soon.”
However, footage of Lil Baby partying at Zouk Nightclub in Las Vegas the same day of the festival made its way to the internet. Speculation about Baby’s actual reason for missing the Breakout Festival began to surface.
A TMZ cameraperson caught up with Lil Baby on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills on Tuesday. The paparazzi member asked Baby about fans supposedly being upset that he missed his show in Vancouver but partied in Vegas the same weekend.
The Harder Than Ever album creator refused to answer any questions about the Breakout Festival or his appearance at Zouk. Lil Baby can only be heard responding, “Get her, get her. That’s what you gotta do. Record her.”
Iggy Azalea had a rough go as a rising rapper. While Azalea scored a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2014 with “Fancy” featuring Charli XCX, the Australian never climbed back to the top of the mountain.
Even before “Fancy” took off, some Hip Hop heads shook their heads after watching an Iggy Azalea freestyle on Sway In The Morning. That cringe-worthy 2013 performance became infamous on the internet.
One social media user decided to resurrect that moment by sharing an altered clip of Azalea’s rap on Twitter. The @HipHopMoments_ account posted, “Never forget when John from Tennessee violated Iggy Azalea’s freestyle 🤣😭.”
Iggy Azalea quote-tweeted @HipHopMoments_ and added, “Never forget that this is a literal EDIT & whilst this verse is indeed trash, John from Tennessee has never called me 😹🤷♀️.”
The 32-year-old former protégé of Tip “T.I.” Harris clarified, “The call was to [The White Girl Mob member] Lil Debbie if anyone’s curious about who John called or where this originated. 🤷♀️”
Apparently, using the Sway video to troll Iggy Azalea does not work. She also tweeted, “It’s always to s### on me but it doesn’t upset me because it never actually happened so why would I care? Lmaoooooo 😹🤷♀️🥴.”
The 2012 XXL Freshman later tweeted, “I’m so glad I can laugh at myself cause it’s never that deep or serious to walk through life angry at everything and everyone.” Many of Azalea’s online fans showed their support.
In addition to “Fancy” going No. 1, Iggy Azalea achieved two other Top 5 entries on the Hot 100. “Black Widow” featuring Rita Ora peaked at #3. Azalea’s contribution to Ariana Grande’s “Problem” earned her a #2 single as well. All three songs dropped in 2014.
Maryland-raised emcee Cordae and producer/rapper Hit-Boy teamed up for the new “Checkmate” collaboration. The song appears on the EA Sports Madden NFL 23 Soundtrack.
An official music video for Cordae and Hit-Boy’s “Checkmate” arrived on YouTube yesterday (September 21). The nearly 3-minute visual was shot in both color and black-and-white.
Hit-Boy also created over thirty exclusive beats for the Madden NFL 23. The 3-time Grammy winner stated, “Never would’ve thought as a kid I’d be able to score my favorite game.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4RSiGhuNQE
EA Sports Madden NFL 23 Soundtrack contains numerous Hip Hop tracks. The music project features songs by Pusha T, Lil Uzi Vert, Snoop Dogg, Nas, Ty Dolla $ign, Wiz Khalifa, Joey Bada$$, Kendrick Lamar, and more.
In addition to his work for Madden NFL 23, Cordae released an EP called Unacceptable in August. That two-pack came after the 25-year-old Atlantic recording artist presented theFrom a Birds Eye View studio LP at the top of the year.
Many listeners best know Hit-Boy for crafting the production for hits such as “N##### in Paris” by Jay-Z and Kanye West as well as “Sicko Mode” by Travis Scott. His well-received HITstory mixtape landed in 2021. Hit-Boy also partnered with Dom Kennedy for Courtesy of Half-A-Mil, Big Sean for What You Expect, and Nas for the King’s Disease series.
The rap/wrestling crossover jumped to another level last night at All Elite Wrestling’s Grand Slam in Queens, New York. It appears Cardi B watched the show and decided to post a clip of fellow rapper Trina making a special appearance in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Trina showed up at Wednesday’s edition of AEW: Dynamite as an associate of Miami-bred grappler Diamanté. Friday’s AEW: Rampage show will feature Diamanté challenging Jade Cargill for the TBS Championship.
“I’ll see you Friday on Rampage,” Jade Cargill told Trina during a backstage interview segment. The self-described “Baddest B####” responded, “You see me now.”
Bronx native Cardi B tweeted that moment between Trina and Jade Cargill out to her nearly 24 million Twitter followers. The “WAP” hitmaker captioned the video, “MY MOOD ALWAYS!”
Cardi B’s tweet about All Elite Wrestling collected over 3,500 retweets and 20,000 likes on the platform. Jade Cargill even reacted to the Grammy winner with her own tweet. The TBS champ wrote, “Run it up! Let me know when you want to come through 💅🏾@iamcardib.”
Cardi B Is Not The Only Rapper To Show Love To AEW
This is not the first time Cardi B displayed her fandom for professional wrestling. In January 2021, Cardi jokingly called out then-WWE Chairman Vince McMahon after WWE superstar Angel Garza mentioned her name on Monday Night Raw.
If Cardi does make her way to AEW programming, she will join a growing list of rap stars to appear for the promotion. Last night’s Grand Slam also included World Tag Team Champions Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee, aka Swerve In Our Glory, walking to the ring with DJ Whoo Kid.
Swerve In Our Glory defended the championship against fan favorites Max Caster and Anthony Bowens of The Acclaimed. In addition, Brooklyn emcee Fabolous accompanied The Acclaimed for their title rematch.
Queens-bred rapper Action Bronson will make his in-ring debut on Rampage this week. “The Chairman’s Intent” rhymer will partner with FTW Champion HOOK to face The Jericho Appreciation Society’s Matt Menard and Angelo Parker.
Ultimate Rap League is back with Summer Madness 12, bringing the marquee event to Charlotte, NC, on Saturday (Sept. 24).
Summer Madness 12 Coming!
The event sold out after the first two battles were announced, with a pair of big stage clashes sure to shake the culture. Fans dubbed the card “Gunner Madness” and the “Gun Show,” once the whole card was revealed. Four of the battles feature rappers from one of battle rap’s most electrifying groups, Gun Titles.
“This year, Summer Madness 12 sold out before we announced the third battle. This affirms one thing, the URL has a level of favor with our fans, where they can trust we will deliver a fire card,” owner and founder, Troy “Smack White” Mitchell stated.
Adding, “And from the feedback we have been getting from our valued supporters, we not only completed the objective, bringing to the culture an amazing event, but we saluted some of the culture’s hardest working emcees like Calicoe (who arguably had the greatest battle in history and also a war waged a Summer Madness stage), Shotgun Suge (who is a contender for battler of the year with a flawless 2022 record), JC (our Ultimate Madness 5 winner), Swamp and Fonz (two of the most formidable emcees on our roster).”
Smack concluded, “The Gun Titles are electrifying, but if they are to dominate these top-notch competitors and fan favorites, they got to come correct. It is going to be a blood bath up there!”
Tsu Surf vs. JC
Headlining the event is a match-up years in the making, New Jersey’s Tsu Surf vs. Pontiac’s JC. The two veterans have called each other out at different times over the years and now meet at a critical point in their careers. Both are on a winning streak, and either one could take the W on the night.
While some fans see this as purely the stage power of Surf vs. the pen of JC, that’s an oversimplification. Surf is a talented writer, JC has a powerful command of the stage, and both have unique attributes that make this one so hard to predict. The New Jersey rapper will have to remain focused regardless of the result. He’s due to jump on a plane immediately afterwards to appear at Rolling Loud New York.
Tay Roc vs. Swamp
Baltimore’s Tay Roc takes on South Carolina’s Swamp in a clash of the eras. Roc is one of the most consistent battlers to ever touch the URL stage. Dubbed URL’s “Top Gunner,” he’s delivered classics and electrifying performances throughout the years. His recent showings have been some of his best over the last few years and expectations are high for the Gun Bar King.
Swamp is maintaining an amazing run after seemingly falling behind some of his peers in the URL’s New Era crop. He’s reminded fans why his name should be up there among the top of his class, scoring some major wins. His run in the Ultimate Madness 5 tournament saw him take several upsets before losing in a very close final to JC for $120,000.
Eazy Da Block Captain vs. Calicoe
This is one the battle rap streets have been waiting on since Philadelphia’s Eazy The Block Captain proved himself to be one of the most exciting of his class. While the new star promises “The Talk Different,” he’s facing one of the pioneers of the street talk style of battle rap in Detroit legend Calicoe.
Eazy is on a great run against the vets while Cal is doing the same, putting the best of the new era through their paces. Though both are expected to bring that real talk, they couldn’t be more different in performance and delivery. This style clash has Battle of the Night potential, with fans anticipating an epic back and forth.
Chess vs. Shotgun Suge
The Bronx’s Chess and New Jersey’s Shotgun Suge meet for the second time in a rematch, but this time it’s on the biggest of stages on one of the culture’s most impactful events. Suge currently has the support of the culture behind him, with fans highly impressed with his last few performances.
The Young Gawd Chess, the final Gun Titles member on the card, will want to secure a clear win after arguably losing the first time round. With both promising to be on top form, this could be close.
Danny Myers vs. Fonz
Making his first ever Summer Madness appearance, Log Angeles veteran rapper Danny Myers is coming to put on a show against Fonz, the New Era star from Cleavland. The clash promises to be an intense one, with the punching power of Fonz against the electrifying performance of Danny.
The L.A. rapper wants to prove himself the more well-rounded of the two, with heavier punching power to boot. Fonz has shown he can hang with the best of them and will not be a pushover. If they kick off the event, the night will begin with a highly skilled, energetic back and forth.
Tune in to Summer Madness 12 on Saturday (Sept.24), at 3 PM EST / 12 PM PST live and for free on Caffeine.tv via the Ultimate Rap League channel. URL will then share the battles on the URL.tv app at a later date. Watch the main event trailer below.
According to a recent report, Kanye West and his team have been secretly meeting with prospective buyers for almost a year to discuss potentially selling his publishing catalog.
The report from Billboard quoted sources who said, “Over the past 10 months, representatives for West have met selectively with prospective buyers to explore what kind of valuation his song catalog could fetch.”
While Ye’s share is estimated to be around $5 million annually, Billboard claims he could be seeking as much as 35 times gross profit. If reports are accurate, a 35 times multiple suggests a $175 million valuation. Even the highest-profile deals rarely reach such high multiples.
There may also be other barriers to any prospective deal for several reasons. Billboard notes many of Ye’s songs are still hits that are likely to “decay” over time. This means it’s unclear how well these hits will do in the future.
Additionally, some of Kanye’s splits are in dispute, and it’s unclear what his share will be once resolved. Furthermore, some potential buyers may be put off by the rapper’s unpredictable nature.
Kanye West Addresses The Rumors
However, Kanye West took to his Instagram stories on Tuesday (Sept. 20) to address the claims. First, he accused his team of shopping his publishing behind his back before returning to clarify the situation.
“Just like Taylor Swift. My publishing is being put up for sale without my knowledge. Not for sale,” Kanye penned on top of a black background.
The “Eazy” hitmaker then returned with a screenshot of a text conversation between him and an unknown recipient. This exchange appears to suggest the rumors are untrue.
“Can you ask Gee who is selling my publishing?” Kanye West asked. The recipient replied, “From Gee. Fake News. Of course, every publisher wants to pitch their hardest to buy. Smh.” Check out Ye’s posts below.
Kanye West makes it clear he's not behind the sale of his music catalog:
“JUST LIKE TAYLOR SWIFT, MY PUBLISHING IS BEING PUT UP FOR SALE WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE”
Jadakiss is dishing on his time as a ghostwriter for Diddy during his spell at Bad Boy Records in the nineties.
In the early days, while making a name for himself, Jada would write for Bad Boy boss and other artists. While he’s made millions throughout his career, and solidified his status as an emcee, there was a time the Yonkers native found it difficult to write for Puff because he couldn’t relate to his lavish lifestyle.
During an episode of Smoke DZA’s The Personal Party Podcast, the Lox member recalled how much he disliked penning tracks for Diddy’s 1997 album No Way Out.
Jadakiss Explains His Struggles Writing For Diddy
“I really hated it,” Jadakiss shared. “After giving [Diddy] ‘Benjamins,’ ‘Victory,’ ‘Senorita’ and a couple remixes I used to feel like it was taking away too much of me. I didn’t know how to morph. It ain’t like he was a n#### that I knew my whole life and I could describe him how I think he should be.“
Jadakiss explained that he struggled to relate to Diddy’s wealth which caused him difficulty writing raps for him.
“I ain’t feel like I could write the bars for myself and give it to him because I didn’t feel like it fit it. He had too much money. I was still extra grungy and my mind couldn’t think about that much Versace or being on that type of financial level so it used to conflict with me writing for him.”
He continued: “But [Diddy] used to tell me, ‘Give me the s### that you would say for you.’ But I’m like, ‘It ain’t gonna fit for you.’ He used to know how to make it work. Until I got older and realized how easy it was.” Check out the clip below.
Elsewhere in the conversation, Jadakiss talked about being in the studio with The Notorious B.I.G. He revealed the late NYC legend put him on to “the upper echelon of the bud game” during their sessions. Watch the full interview at the end of the page.
Despite being able to put the recent lawsuit behind her, Tiffany Haddish has not been able to escape the fallout of the allegations.
The comedian was sued, alongside fellow comic Aries Spears, by two siblings who accused them of molesting and grooming them. The brother and sister took part in comedy skits with Haddish and Spears, the focus of the allegations, which both comedians denied.
Earlier this week, as reported by AllHipHop.com, the Jane Doe accuser asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit.
However, according to Tiffany Haddish, the damage from the scandal has already been done. When asked by TMZ if her career could be affected Tiffany Haddish replied, “I lost everything. All my gigs, gone. Everything. Gone.”
The paparazzo continued to question Haddish, asking her if the dismissal of the lawsuit would change anything. “I don’t know, bro. I don’t have no job,” she replied.
When asked if the dismissal of the lawsuit would change things, she replied, “I don’t know, bro. I don’t have no job.”
In another conversation with TMZ Tiffany Haddish said she was “relieved” now that Jane Doe has withdrawn the lawsuit. When asked about Aries Spears, she said, “I don’t talk to him.”
The Jane Doe filed a notice of dismissal with prejudice – meaning the suit cannot be refiled – and issued a statement about dismissing the lawsuit.
“My family and I have known Tiffany Haddish for many years – and we now know that she would never harm me or my brother or help anyone else do anything that could harm us,” Jane Doe said. “We wish Tiffany the best and are glad that we can all put this behind us.”
Spice Ice is the hottest new thing? Is she another Industry Plant or just a hot babe from The Bronx. Does it even matter anymore? I think not. Anyway, she went on something with Drake and then he unfollowed her. Then she seemingly raised her prices and didn’t show up for a show booked before the price hike.
ANYWAY, is she dating the the Stranger Things kid, according to the rumor mill. Caleb McLaughlin is his name and he’s got a major following in the tens of millions. So, is this true? “Ice Spice and Caleb are dating and are really into each other,” a source said. They are an item, eh? She is 22 and he’s 20. I still do not know if I believe this one. She looks like she would eat that boy alive. They were seen together at a party by Cardi B, FYI, but they didn’t look all that comfortable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yvf94hLT5lM
What do you think? I am not sure I believe this rumor. They say it has been an “intense” two weeks.
This AI did a report on it, and it also addressed the Industry Plant rumors.
And are Yo Gotti and Angela Simmons a thing? You may remember Gotti name checking Run’s daughter years ago. He’s been in love with her for a long ass time. And now, they finally got the chance to kick it.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Civp2OIhQJ7/
The duo were out and about, apparently celebrating her or something. What was less than ironic was that she was turning up to Gotti’s#### record “Down in the DM.” Remember he said, And I just followed Angela / Boy, I got a crush on Angela Simmons.”
Offset wants a judge to throw out an insurance company’s lawsuit against him.
According to court documents obtained by Radar Online, Offset asked a Los Angeles Superior Court judge to dismiss Mercury Insurance’s negligence claims over a 2020 car crash. He also countersued the other driver for $150,000 in damages.
Mercury accused Offset of causing a crash involving Silvestre Cruz Gutierrez, who was driving a 2019 Honda Civic with Maria Salina Lopez as a passenger. Lopez allegedly suffered severe injuries, prompting the insurance company to pay her $15,000.
The insurance company paid another $10,000 to Gutierrez. The damage to his car required towing and repairs, costing a total of $10,605.73.
Mercury sought more than $26,000 from Offset. The Migos member said he did nothing wrong and blamed Gutierrez for the crash.
Offset said he drove below the speed limit and stayed in his lane on a freeway. He claimed Gutierrez didn’t use a blinker while changing lanes. Gutierrez allegedly collided with the right side of the rapper’s 2018 Dodge Charger, causing Offset to swerve and crash into a concrete wall.
“Gutierrez’s unsafe lane change was the sole cause of the collision with the Dodge,” he contended.
Offset’s Dodge Charger was totaled. The vehicle’s estimated value was over $150,000.
Vancouver police are seeking photos and videos of the 2022 Breakout Festival riot, which broke out after Lil Baby canceled his performance.
Chaos erupted when festival organizers announced headliner Lil Baby wouldn’t perform at the PNE Amphitheatre on Sunday (September 18). Officials said roughly 1,000 people stuck around the venue and rioted.
Festivalgoers caused thousands of dollars in damage. Authorities set up an online portal for the public to submit evidence of the riot.
“The Vancouver Police Department is investigating the actions of people who destroyed property and committed other criminal acts following the cancellation of a concert at the Breakout Festival on September 18 at the PNE Amphitheatre,” police wrote on the submission portal page. “We ask anyone with video or photos depicting violence, destruction or other criminal acts to submit the video or photos here.”
Lil Baby apologized for canceling his Breakout Festival gig in wake of the riot. He claimed his body shut down on him, but he was seen partying in Las Vegas the night before the event.
“I would like to start off by saying I truly apologize Vancouver, Canada, The Breakout Festival And To Everyone Who was in attendance!” Lil Baby wrote on Instagram Stories. “I have been going so hard these past few months without any breaks that it finally caught up with me. And My Body Completely Shut Down. I owe you guys big time and will for sure make up for it soon.”
50 Cent’s ex-girlfriend Vivica A. Fox made it clear he never needed penile enhancement surgery.
Fox discussed her intimate knowledge of 50 Cent’s anatomy on Fox Soul’sCocktail with Queens. The actress defended her ex-boyfriend after he sued a MedSpa owner named Angela Kogan for allegedly implying he had penile enhancement surgery.
“Angela, you lying,” Fox said. “That’s all I’m gon’ say. Angela, that’s the one thing I know that’s true. He didn’t have to get no enhancement. He’s good. Listen, the one time I’m with him on that one. I’m with him when he’s right on that one. No! It’s all good.”
50 Cent filed a lawsuit against Kogan, accusing her of misrepresenting a photo the two took together. The G-Unit rapper pursued legal action after The Shade Room used the image in a story about Kogan and penile enhancement surgery.
Kogan denied any wrongdoing in a statement issued by her attorney Darren Heitner. Kogan said she never mentioned anything about 50 Cent getting penile enhancement, but he did receive undisclosed services from her Perfection Plastic Surgery & MedSpa.
“Ms. Kogan’s policy is to not disclose the services that her clients receive, but she affirms that Perfection Plastic Surgery & MedSpa never provided penile enhancement treatment to Mr. Jackson,” Heitner wrote. “She has never stated otherwise, either publicly or privately. Instead, Ms. Kogan merely thanked Mr. Jackson for stopping by Perfection Plastic Surgery & MedSpa with social media posts published in February 2020.”
NLE Choppa defended his spirituality on Wednesday (September 21).
After making headlines for a breakup, NLE Choppa addressed critics who claim he’s “fake spiritual.” The 19-year-old rapper explained what spirituality meant to him in a Twitter post.
“People say I’m fake spiritual, let me tell y’all something,” he wrote. “Spirituality is not about crystals, Being super nice all the time, and disconnecting from reality completely. It’s actually about AWAKENING to find your PURPOSE. Then you take that spiritual JOURNEY to ACHIEVE IT!”
NLE Choppa made the comment a few days after his ex-girlfriend Marissa Da’Nae cried over their breakup on social media. He previously vented about the coverage of their split and tried to clarify why the relationship ended.
“I broke up with my last partner not because I couldn’t ‘Cheat In Peace,’” he wrote on Twitter. “Also not because ‘My polygamous views’ but if that’s what y’all took out of a 30 min explanation video then I’ll let y’all run with that but if y’all want the real reason I’ll drop the link again. Thank you.”
NLE Choppa added, “Had to leave that there now I’m done sorry for dragging this for so long I’m done fr this time. But stop paying blogs to promote something that’s not true. Promote the real reason why I left. Imma keep dropping the link. I refuse to have false narratives on my name!”
Rapper-turned-television big shot 50 Cent has announced his partnership with STARZ has ended. Under the agreement with the network, he produced shows like “Power,” “PowerBook II: Ghost,” “PowerBook III: Raising Kanan,” and “Powerbook IV: Force and BMF.”
The chart-topping rapper posted on Instagram a gif of him counting money with the caption, “Shout out to BET, I won Hustler of the year. No one from music culture has had success in Television production. I have 25 shows now and I’ve made some big deals away from TV. I’m out of my deal at STARZ tomorrow.
After that, he followed up that post with another announcement.
He later announced that his company, G-Unit Film, and Television is currently slated to produce and distribute 25 television shows that have been sold to ten different networks.
According to Variety, 50 Cent and STARZ entered into his deal with Lionsgate, the company that owns the cable network, originally for only four years.
The first project, released in 2014, was “Power,” and that hit series stayed on for six seasons before ending in 2020. After that, he pushed out through the partnership, several spin-offs based on “Power.”
Three aforementioned spin-offs were developed from the proper title. Afterward, the collaboration yielded another series, based on the Black Mafia Family out of Detroit (also called BMF).
Last year, the “Power” creator Courtney Kemp, opted not to renew her deal with Lionsgate, according to Deadline.
Even though the deal STARZ deal has ended, the “In the Club” rapper has a few things up his sleeve, according to trademark attorney Josh Gerben.
Gerben tweeted that 50 has applied for a new trademark for a company called NYC Vibe, LLC with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, just days before his deal ended.
NYC Vibe, as a company will do a few things, like allow the artist to produce and distribute televisions shows, documentaries, and movies; organize competitive sports and athletic events; offer online gaming services in the nature of casino gambling, card games, computer game tournaments and augmented reality games, and open some of bars and restaurants.
Are you ready to sip Bacardi like it's your birthday?@50cent has filed a new trademark application which claims he intends to:
1. Open a bar/restaurant. 2. Start an online casino. 3. Produce tv shows, documentaries and movies.#50centpic.twitter.com/GiNRNIlvp0
Don’t think G-Unit Film & Television is a wrap. His reps believe he will be entertaining multiple offers from streamers and studios as he looks for a new home for that company.
Soulja Boy is the leader of a school of Hip-Hop that continues to this day. Now that he’s over 30, he’s able to enjoy seeing his chil’ren running around and also still be relevant as an artist. The competition is thick, but King Soulja has returned to the front of the line with “Bust It Down.” The visuals are exciting, as it is full of lovely ladies of a myriad of hues and flavors. Fun and colorful, “Bust It Down” might just be the silver bullet for the young OG to usher in a different tone in today’s doom and gloom climate.
Michael Star is here to become one of the greatest artists to ever do it, creating nothing short of good vibrations for his growing fanbase. And with Michael serving as son to legendary reggae artist Mikey Space, it’s very clear talent runs in the family.
With an unwavering love and passion for music ingrained in him since he can remember, Michael carves his own lane with his unique, undeniable vocals and dance moves. In fact, Star describes himself as “an entertainer, someone who loves performing.” He states, “I’ve been doing it since a young age, so I’d love for people to know me as that guy that kills the stage.”
Born in New York but moving to Atlanta at age 6, Star makes it known the impact Atlanta had in raising him. Going back and forth between Kingston, Jamaica and ATL meant being exposed to different things and culture, which is exactly why Michael finds his footing amidst the reggae/dancehall scene.
Fast forward to 2022, Michael Star taps the one and only Bounty Killer for his newest release titled “7 o’clock.” The single was directly inspired by emotional heartbreak, and the importance of love and forgiveness in relationships.
AllHipHop spoke with Michael Star virtually to discuss his sound, his background in music, what it meant to collab with Bounty Killer, live performances, and more!
AllHipHop: How would you describe your sound?
Michael Star: My sound depends on the specific song but I’ll say energetic. I have a lot of energetic sounds, party songs, feel-good music. So a lot of feel-good music, party music.
AllHipHop: Are you heavily influenced by the Atlanta rap scene?
Michael Star: Yeah, since a long long time ago. We used to do dance moves and just freestyle. At the underground, when it was popular back in those days. Big influence from the rap scene, the dance scene, the fashion. Atlanta had it all.
AllHipHop: What was the turning point, when you realized you could do music for a living?
Michael Star: Around 12 years old, I took it serious. Prior to that, around 8 years old, I’ve done musicals and plays for a company called Superstar Kids. we’ve done plays and musicals so around 12, I took it upon myself to take it serious. Not too long ago, maybe 2 or 3 years ago, I wanted to just do my ethnicity music. Just the culture of dancehall and reggae, I just took that full storm.
AllHipHop: Was it in your blood to be this reggae star?
Michael Star: It’s in my blood, yeah. I have 2 sisters that do art stuff as well. One that dances and one that does art, the older one dances kind of…. She’s shy. I’d say it’s in our blood.
AllHipHop: Is Michael Star your real name?
Michael Star: No, my real name is Michael Johnson. I just let people call me Mikey in school since it was easier to pronounce. Tamiko Star is her name, she’s the one who started the company for us to do the musical and plays. Her artist name is Tamiko Star, she influenced me so much and taught me stage presence. I asked her when I was smaller: “am I able to use the Star last name?” She said yeah.
AllHipHop: 7 o’clock out now with Bounty Killer, how are you feeling?
Michael Star: I’m feeling real good, I’m very grateful. He’s a huge influence of mine. I study his stage performance, I listen to almost all his music. I’m very thankful to have him featured on my song, and be able to listen to me sing. Even if he wasn’t able to do the feature, as long as he’s able to hear the thought process of the song I wanted him in, that was a big accomplishment. I’m very grateful he got on it.
AllHipHop: How did it happen?
Michael Star: The owner of the label, King Recordings Entertainment, he goes by King. I call him Uncle George. Basically, Bounty Killer’s manager and George are great friends. So is Bounty Killer and George, so it was more a family thing. George managed it for me. Let them hear the song, it took some months. Probably within 2 to 3 months, we got it back. It didn’t take long. You know, music time, so it was pretty good.
AllHipHop: What was your reaction when you heard it back?
Michael Star: Honestly, I was in tears. The first time I heard it, I was on the airplane so I couldn’t really fully hear it properly. Once I got back home, I heard it and started to cry. Just nice tears, from doing this so long. Wow I got a feature? It was cool.
AllHipHop: You guys haven’t shot the music video yet, have you?
Michael Star: No, not yet. We’re waiting on his open schedule, but we’re planning on going down to Jamaica around October or anytime in this 4th quarter. We’re really hoping for that.
AllHipHop: What is it that you want fans to get from your story?
Michael Star: To know that I’m someone who loves his craft. Know that I’m a consistent artist, I’m very patient. I’ve been doing it for so long, so I want people to know that Michael Star is here to stay. For people to listen to my music, if you can. If you’re not able to, see if you can go on my Instagram and watch a 30 second performance.
You know how people are all over the place? One minute they’re watching a video, one minute they’re… If they’re able to see me perform or hear some of the music, that’s an accomplishment.
AllHipHop: What goes into your live performances?
Michael Star: An out of body experience. I study the greats when it comes to stage performance like Michael Jackson, James Brown, The Temptations, etc. I want people to see okay, this artist has been doing his homework. He’s very respectful, and he’s letting it fly on stage. [laughs]
AllHipHop: 3 things that you need in the studio at all times?
Michael Star: I need water. I need time to reflect on the song, some quiet time before the beat comes. Okay, we’re about to record. What am I trying to deliver? The third thing, maybe some vibes. Any type of vibes would be cool. Me and the producer just chillin’, laughing. Anything to give me a story, maybe talk to my friends before and see what they got going on. Just vibes.
AllHipHop: What can we expect next?
Michael Star: We’re working on a full body project right now, but I can’t give a specific date. Now it’s “7 o’clock” and my recent single “Tun Up,” which was released in the beginning of this year. It’s those 2 we’re promoting right now, then the big project.
AllHipHop: What inspired “Tun Up”?
Michael Star: Just the party scene. Sometimes I’ll go to the Caribbean party scenes in Atlanta and I’ll just watch everybody, what they’re receiving with the music. How they’re vibing to it or dancing, or even when the DJs play. I’ll watch them, sometimes I don’t just dance. I’m sitting in the corner vibing my head, seeing what he’ll play on repeat. Sometimes they’ll play 5 songs back to back. In the beginning, the middle, maybe at the end if it’s a fire song. I just study that.
AllHipHop: Any goals for yourself?
Michael Star: A big goal is to open up for an artist. A big artist, that’d be cool. Just more supporters, more fans.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want them to know?
Michael Star: They can follow me on Instagram @MichealStar. They can Google Micheal Star featuring Bounty Killer “7 O’Clock,” it’s on all platforms!. Thank you so much for having me.
Wolftyla might be one of the funniest people to follow online, but that doesn’t take away from her undeniable talents as a musician. The Queens, New York native first rose to prominence on the social media app Vine, building a devout following organically — which today stands as her own fanbase called Wolf Members Only.
And for the perfect summertime vibes, look no further than Wolftyla’s “All Tinted,” who’s music video boasts over 9.8 million views and counting. The song was also spun on Los Angeles’ #1 radio station, Power 106, and eventually recorded in Korean as Wolftyla pays homage to her roots.
The New York native is also currently in school getting her Bachelor’s in Music Business from New York University, hoping to apply what she learns in school to her own music career. Regardless, her personality continues to shine as she creates heartfelt anthems for audiences all around the world.
Wolftyla stopped by Shirley’s Temple to discuss “All Tinted” playing on the radio, recording the song in Korean, getting the cosign from BTS and Blackpink, mental health, collaborating with Jay Park, making her best music off heartbreak, and more!
AllHipHop: What was the young Wolftyla like hooping?
Wolftyla: Playing basketball definitely jumpstarted my competitive nature. When the lights go on, you gotta show up and there’s no time for emotions, nothing. Just get on the court, do your best, get off, then worry about everything else. That was my first love.
AllHipHop: What position did you play?
Wolftyla: She played pointguard. She was a leader. She was giving assists, she was stealing. It’s funny because my dad had coached me all throughout high school.
AllHipHop: You were a little Vine star!
Wolftyla: You know what’s so crazy? Every single time someone says that, I don’t think I realized how much I was on Vine because I was doing it so omg, video here, video there. No, people will come up to me: “You were on there for 4 years!” Damn, time really flies.
AllHipHop: Because I feel like you’re super creative.
Wolftyla: Thank you. It makes it hard to function sometimes, for sure. [laughs] It’s cool now because even after Vine, I’m now trying to take all those funny moments. Now when I start doing music videos, I’m so excited to tap into acting before the music videos. Those little scenes.
AllHipHop: Do you want to act?
Wolftyla: Ehh, I don’t think so. Well yes, but nah. I would kill it. I think it depends on the character, but I could do it. I think once you start playing basketball, you feel like you could do anything.
AllHipHop: What was Wolf’s life like during the pandemic?
Wolftyla: Oh man. Wow, what a time. Part of me was like wow, this is great. Because we’re all inside, yay. I always had this feeling of when I’m inside, I’d make myself feel a little guilty. Damn I’m not working, I’m not in the studio. I’m being still. Or I’m doing things I did when I was growing up, like watching movies or just chillin’.
For the first time during the pandemic, I didn’t feel guilty about doing that, because I was moving all the time. Now wait, I’m seeing other people being still and obviously dealing with what they’re going through. Wow, it gave me a little bit more confidence as an artist. I really tapped in and peeled back a lot of layers and was trying to figure myself out. Playing around with different sounds like okay, I can do this.
AllHipHop: You know me, I’m a fan of your music.
Wolftyla: Shirley was the one to literally bring “All Tinted” to Power 106 and tell all those DJs there to play “All Tinted.”
AllHipHop: That’s such a timeless record!
Wolftyla: Thank you, I really appreciate that. That was the record for me where I said “mmm. After this one, I’m done with music.” I recorded that in LA. I don’t know what I was experiencing at that very moment. I try not to get too invested in upsetting past moments, but in that moment I was questioning everything that I was doing. Sometimes, everybody has that point in their life where it’s like, what am I doing with my life?
I’m hilarious. I’m vibing. That was the moment for me where I said this is going to be my last piece of work, I’m good. Maybe let me explore something else. But the feedback and someone like DJ Felli Fel listening to it and saying “I’m playing it!” — doing things that they never have to, but willingly they did: it almost made me fall back in love with the music again.
“All Tinted” is definitely a record that’s almost this very light and airy version of myself. Even though right now when I’m creating that song, I don’t feel like that. For me, how it resonated was I want to sound like that. I want to get to that point. So making that record and explaining what my first summer was like in LA, that was my first summer. Everything that you see in that video was literally what we were doing in the summer. Vibing, late night. Riding on bikes, it was so euphoric.
AllHipHop: Every time summertime rolls around, is “All Tinted” the anthem?
Wolftyla: Yes. You know what’s so crazy? A lot of people don’t know that day when we were shooting the “All Tinted” music video, we were supposed to have a coupe, but it crashed on the way to set. I was on set vibing, but it turned out that we didn’t really need one. It was so much better that way.
AllHipHop: You were skateboarding, right?
Wolftyla: Skateboarding. Penny boarding I guess. Specifics. I might say skateboarding, they’re like no! That’s a Penny board. But people were riding bikes, pushing people in the pool. I highly suggest if you haven’t watched it, go watch it.
AllHipHop: It’s at almost 10 million views?
Wolftyla: Oh wow, that’s a lot. But I have to thank Wolf Members Only, because if it’s not Wolf Members Only, I don’t know what it is. Being an independent artist, I literally only count on the people who really genuinely love me. It really meant so much when people tuned in or gave a watch. A lot of the Korean BBQ spots out in LA were having it on screens.
AllHipHop: Do you be cooking?
Wolftyla: I do, a little bit. I like to cook pasta. I know people are going to make fun of me about pasta, but pasta’s so good. If you’re really a pasta head, then you know that there’s so many different ways to make it. I like making salmon, chicken. I like sauteed spinach and broccolini.
AllHipHop: Did you learn from your mom?
Wolftyla: No, I don’t think so. She put me out of my favorite dishes like pasta. She goes crazy in the Korean world.
AllHipHop: Did you grow up eating Korean food?
Wolftyla: Yes, I enjoy Korean food more than American food. I’m still getting introduced to American food. The other day, I had my first milkshake. I’ve never had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich before. Just never thought about it. But I do know if I was to try a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, it’d be no crust. I don’t know about the crust, I don’t think I could trust that.
AllHipHop: “All Tinted” is such an original sound, but what’s more meaningful is you recording it in Korean.
Wolftyla: Oh wow, that was an experience. I did that just because I come from an immigrant background. In any way that I’m able to represent my grandparents, that’s what I love to do. They were born and raised in Seoul until they came over here. As soon as I finished recording it, the first person I went to was my grandma and grandpa.
AllHipHop: What did they say?
Wolftyla: They loved it. My grandma loves “All Tinted,” that’s her favorite song of all time. My grandfather likes “Candy.” I’m like, you think that “Candy” is better than “All Tinted”? He’s like, “‘Candy’ has a different sound. It’s timeless.”
AllHipHop: I pulled up to that video set.
Wolftyla: Yes you did! We merged Kpop elements with R&B, then had some Bobby Brown inspo. It was pulling from a lot of areas. That was so much fun. Even the kids that came on set, they had so much fun. They were like “Candy!!” It was great.
AllHipHop: How does it feel to have “All Tinted” cosigned by these huge K pop stars? Someone from BTS and someone from Blackpink.
Wolftyla: I was like, wait what? V from BTS showed love through doing an interview with Paper Magazine. I remember one day I was in Miami, I was eating kale. I was literally in the middle of trying kale for the first time, then my phone started going crazy. On Stories, underneath the comments, on everything.
It felt like someone was grabbing me from the shirt like “do you even understand that V from BTS is listening to your song?!” I looked it up like, wow yeah. Rose from Blackpink, she posted on her Story.
AllHipHop: Did you have relationships with them at all?
Wolftyla: No, but I did build a really good friendship with Rose from Blackpink. We still talk till this day. I was really shocked. I was really grateful for that too because I was definitely in a creative area where it wasn’t the best. I’m running low on fuel. That gave me more confidence to continue to keep on making music that resonates with me, rather than feeling like oh, let me make this music because I know what you guys would want to hear. It’s more so no, let me show you me. It was cool, cheers to great friendship.
AllHipHop: You signed super early right?
Wolftyla: Before that, I was really fresh with music. I didn’t know if I wanted to do music or not. I didn’t know that it’d bring me this far. I didn’t even think I’d really still be doing music till this day, that it puts a roof over my head and everything like that. When I had signed a while ago, I was so young. I freshly turned 18, a couple of days after my birthday.
Looking back at it now, this is also the reason why I go back to school: to learn more about the music business. It’s one of those things where damn, maybe if I had known that back then, I could have avoided certain situations. But that was me being super premature, I didn’t know. I showed up at the label and they said, “let’s make all this music.” I didn’t even know if I wanted to do music.
AllHipHop: How’d they find you?
Wolftyla: They had found me through me doing one song, which was my first song “Feels.” That was the first song I ever wrote, put together and released on the SoundCloud platform. I took the poetry that I was making off of Tumblr. I’m romantic.
AllHipHop: Wow, so you’ve been expressing yourself!
Wolftyla: Yeah, in ways that I didn’t know I was expressing myself. I didn’t realize how vulnerable I was being, very openly. That’s the reason why I have so many people that love me outside of the music. People that support the real life human things I’m doing, rather than “oh, she just makes music.” They know that there are so many layers to me, and that’s why it’s Wolf Members Only.
AllHipHop: A huge part of this show is mental health, how are you doing? How’s your mental state?
Wolftyla: I’m good. I’m finally getting to a place where I’m learning stillness, I’m learning a lot more patience. Really allowing things to happen for what they are, rather than what I want them to be. Just trusting the universe to move the pieces around, while being me. Showing up. That’s the most difficult part, is to show up. But I’ve been good, vibing.
AllHipHop: You actually started Wolf Members Only because you were going through clinical depression yourself.
Wolftyla: I was going through clinical depression, I was going through anxiety. It was really tough to navigate through that. As a student athlete during high school, then Vine hitting so fast where I’m now getting attacked at malls. It was really crazy.
AllHipHop: Is this when you were back home in New York?
Wolftyla: This is back when home in New York. Not in a bad way, just oh my God! We’re getting recognized in places that I never thought I’d ever get recognized, like movie theaters. That did a lot to my anxiety, it almost shifted and shook my world up really fast. I definitely navigated through it, but it was tough.
AllHipHop: A statistic states musicians are 3 times more likely to experience anxiety or depression than the general public.
Wolftyla: Probably. I don’t put it past. It’s also part of us being so creative too. Throughout life, if we’re able to find those things that help us to cope, navigate and express, oh my God. Even having more outlets of being able to comfortably talk about it, like this show.
AllHipHop: What do you do for self-care? To get your mind right?
Wolftyla: I meditate. That was one thing that I didn’t do last year, I didn’t do the year before. I don’t think I really have taken meditation serious. I’m like okay, I got my eyes closed. Come on, it’s time to go. A little bit towards the end of last year going into this year, I really took meditation serious and gave myself those 15 minutes. Definitely not at monk status, but 15 minutes to at least clear the mind.
Also, candles. I love me some candles. I’m definitely spending some money in a candle store for sure, without a doubt. Another thing I found was running. I have a husky, so he needs a lot of exercise. I went on Amazon, I felt like such a dog mom. I literally got one of those leashes, it’s like a bungee cord. I put it on my husky, and he’s out! Pulling me on the skateboard, all that.
AllHipHop: Talk about doing “Butterflies” with Jay Park, love him!
Wolftyla: Yes, I love Jay Park. It was so much fun! In the middle of the pandemic, which is crazy. Him and I have never met each other in person. We didn’t even meet in the video. We edited it. I shot mine in LA, in Malibu. Literally, he shot his in Seoul, Korea. I sent him the treatment. I said “the aesthetic needs to look like this, so try to find this.” We ended up finding a studio out there. This was all through email, then through DMs with Jay. We made it happen.
AllHipHop: You’re a genius for that.
Wolftyla: I worked on it with Aser Santos. Literally one of my favorite people in the world, such a great director. He did “Butterflies.” We shot something for “Play for Keeps.” This summer, we’re definitely dropping some stuff.
AllHipHop: Off the new project? You announced it already right?
AllHipHop: Do you make your best music heartbroken?
Wolftyla: I want to say I do. I feel like I really do. Everything that I was writing: “All Tinted, “”Play for Keeps,” “Keep You Close,” “Someone Like You,” all those songs were heartbroken. I definitely am excited to tap into the music that I make with my happier self too. That’s what came about during making If You’re Not Happy Then Leave. I experimented with a lot of different things.
