It appears Danielle “Bhad Bhabie” Bregoli will take part in a discussion at a private student society associated with University of Oxford in England.
TMZ reports The Oxford Union wants Bhad Bhabie as a speaker. Traditionally, the nearly 200-year-old debating society allows students and audience members to engage in conversation with the featured guest.
“It would be an honor to welcome you to continue this fine tradition,” stated Oxford Union President Ahmad Nawaz in an invite to Bregoli.
Past Oxford Union speakers include politicians such as Winston Churchill and Richard Nixon, entrepreneurs such as Jack Dorsey and Peter Thiel, and musicians such as Elton John and A$AP Rocky.
In 2016, 13-year-old Danielle Bregoli became an internet sensation following her appearance on Dr. Phil. That episode of the daytime talk show went viral thanks to her now-infamous catchphrase, “Cash me ousside, how bout dat?”
Bhad Bhabie then turned her online fame into a professional music career. After signing a deal with Atlantic Records, she released the Platinum-certified singles “Hi Bich” and “Gucci Flip Flops” featuring Lil Yachty.
Both “Hi Bich” and “Gucci Flip Flops” made it onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “Gucci Flip Flops” peaked at #79. “Hi Bich” became Bhabie’s highest-peaking track when it hit #68. 2017’s Gold-certified “These Heaux” also charted at #77.
Hip Hop legend Eminem has never been shy about firing back at his naysayers. His entire music career featured the Detroit-bred recording artist taking lyrical aim at rappers, public figures, and music journalists.
For example, 2018’s Kamikaze album essentially served as Eminem’s pulpit to lash out at many of his detractors and adversaries. Em further addressed his specific issues with music critics during an episode of SiriusXM’s Paul Pod: Curtain Call 2 podcast with his longtime manager, Paul Rosenberg.
“It’s frustrating when you’re doing some s### technically, and people who think they know what the f### rap is about start giving opinions on it, but they don’t hear what the f### you’re doing,” stated Eminem.
The 15-time Grammy winner continued, “Like if I rhyme an entire f###### sentence, and every syllable hit, they would literally think that at the end of it I was rhyming ‘bat’ and ‘cat’… There’s an art to that.”
Eminem shouted out Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, and LL Cool J as other masters of multisyllabic rhyming. The Paul Pod: Curtain Call 2 segment featured the man born Marshall Mathers also telling his doubters, “We ain’t listening with the same ears.”
Since his arrival on the rap scene in the late 1990s, Eminem has released eleven studio LPs. The Shady Records co-founder became one of the best-selling music acts in history. Em has amassed more than 61 million RIAA units. That total places him in the top 20 of the organization’s all-time list.
Eminem has three Diamond-certified albums. The Recording Industry Association of America certified the 8 Mile star’s 2002 album, The Eminem Show, as 12x-Platinum. In addition, 2000’s The Marshall Mathers LP went 11x-Platinum.
Curtain Call: The Hits received a 10x-Platinum Award as well. Eminem’s 2005 greatest hits compilation has charted on the Billboard 200 rankings for 596 weeks, a record for Hip Hop acts. Only two rap albums have crossed the 500-week mark, the other being Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.
Numerous celebrities, such as A Boogie wit da Hoodie, posted personal statements about the recent death of Rakim “PnB Rock” Allen. Now a family member of the late rapper has shared his thoughts about losing some close to him.
PnB Rock’s brother, PnB Meen, wrote a message on his Instagram page on Wednesday. Meen filled his mournful social media post with several crying face emojis, frustration face emojis, and broken heart emojis.
“I don’t [know] how to begin. Ima let it go… you was the only one who believed I can do what you do.😢 I can’t stop crying bro why u ain’t have me with you.😢 I always have ya back [and] front [and] sides… please give me the strength to do this,” wrote PnB Meen. “With all my soul ima carry, stand on business, [and] get you right [while you’re] resting my brother. This [is] my first message to you of many.”
The “You Heard Me” performer added, “I can’t believe this s###. 😣😣 I looked up to you. Everything you did Rock I was in [awe]💯. Rock, I’m sorry bro. Whyyyyy?🥺💔💔💔💔 Like why u leave me [too] bro. They took you out of all people. Why not me man??? My life [has] always been s### until you made it.”
Police Believe A Gunman Robbed PnB Rock Before Taking His Life
PnB Rock tragically lost his life on September 12, 2022. An armed robber reportedly shot and killed the “Selfish” hitmaker while he and his girlfriend ate at Roscoe’s House of Chicken ‘N Waffles in Los Angeles, California.
“I never thought you would leave broooo why wtff man. I can’t even write, I’m shaking, my stomach tight, I can’t see, I can’t eat, I’m [dying] slow bro,” shared. “Noooooooo man no no no. Rock, I can’t believe I’m posting this bro. Please Rockkkk come back. Rock, I’m lost, but I’m active [in] my word. Rock, I love you big brother with my whole entire heart [and] soul.”
Meen closed out his social media statement by writing. “I’m sorry it wasn’t me. Why [do] they take the one that provides for the whole family? 😣😢😢😢😢 Your daughters.🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️Damn, Rock nooo😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢 I GOT YOU. I For An I. I’m my brother’s keeper.”
The ongoing legal battle involving Tory Lanez continues to play out in court and in the public. Megan Thee Stallion accused Lanez of shooting her in the feet back in 2020. Authorities eventually arrested Lanez, and another hearing for that assault/firearm case took place this week.
According to Rolling Stone Senior Reporter Nancy Dillon, the latest hearing included some interesting news. Apparently, Megan’s former friend Kelsey Harris (aka Kelsey Nicole) attended the court session. Prosecutors could force Kelsey to testify in the future.
“Outside Tory Lanez hearing now. Waiting to see what will happen with [the] trial date. It could start today, but [the] judge [is] involved in a different trial, so it would have to be sent to a different courtroom. Another continuance possible,” tweeted Nancy Dillon on Wednesday morning.
Nancy Dillon returned to the social media platform later that day to add, “Kelsey Harris is here. She is being ordered back as a witness being called by prosecutors. Ordered back Dec. 9.”
Outside Tory Lanez hearing now. Waiting to see what will happen with trial date. It could start today, but judge involved in a different trial, so it would have to be sent to a different courtroom. Another continuance possible.
Megan The Stallion, Tory Lanez & Kelsey Harris Partied Together Before The Shooting
Kelsey Harris was reportedly at the scene of the shooting in California two years ago. Prior to someone firing a weapon, Tory, Megan, and Kelsey attended a party together hosted by reality show star Kylie Jenner.
Nancy Dillon also reported Tory Lanez’s trial start date will likely begin during the time period of November 28 through December 8. The Canadian rapper/singer pled not guilty to charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, personal use of a firearm, and carrying a loaded/unregistered firearm in a vehicle.
The #FortunateChallenge is the latest trend to take over social media. Maxwell’s classic song “Fortunate” inspired the meme, but Tyrese Gibson wants the world to know federal convict R. Kelly played a role in the creation of the song.
Overnight, Tyrese took to his Instagram Story to post about the viral #FortunateChallenge. The 43-year-old singer/actor felt the need to point out that incarcerated R&B performer R. Kelly wrote Maxwell’s award-winning single.
“Dear participants of the #MaxwellChallenge that very classic, legendary hit was fully written and produced by R. KELLY… It’s actually Kellz talking at the end of the song as it’s fading out…,” wrote Tyrese. The message, dated September 14, was written in the iPhone Notes app.
Previously, a federal jury in Brooklyn found Kelly guilty of racketeering, bribery, sexual exploitation of children, and other charges. The self-described “Pied Piper of R&B” is currently serving 30 years in prison for that 2021 conviction in New York.
Following the premiere of Lifetime’s 2019 docuseries Surviving R. Kelly, which detailed multiple sexual abuse allegations against the musician, the #MuteRKelly movement gained more support. It is not clear if Tyrese is advocating for the public to stop promoting Maxwell’s “Fortunate” because of Kelly’s involvement.
Skepta has sold his first ever painting at high-end auction house Sotheby’s for £81,900 (approximately $94,656), more than $20,000 above the original estimate.
Titled “Mama Goes to Market,” the piece was included in the “Contemporary Curated” series, co-curated by the rapper himself. He handpicked nine of the works sold in the collection, choosing each piece because “they all had an African feeling about them.”
“Whether they were created by African artists or not, they all share in this essence,” Skepta explained in a statement. “In one way or another, they triggered powerful dialogues with my painting too.”
Skepta Created The Artwork in A Week
Skepta created his debut painting in seven days during the pandemic. “I did it because I was just super-frustrated in my house,” he told the Financial Times. Back in spring 2020, his performances were all canceled due to lockdowns. “I guess I was just so used to expressing myself all the time, every two days, out doing a show somewhere new.” He wasn’t “gonna write a song about lockdown and staying in. So I just ordered the oil paints and the canvas.”
The result is “Mama Goes to Market,” inspired by childhood memories of Nigeria. The “Praise the Lord” hitmaker held on to the picture for a year before taking it to a Givenchy pop-up, where it was tagged by Chito, Slawn, and Goldie. The reaction to the painting was so good that someone suggested he should contact Sotheby’s and put it on the market.
While the buyer remains unknown, before the sale, Skepta had his hopes on who would purchase it. “Honestly? Jay-Z,” he revealed when asked who he wanted to buy the painting. “Because he’s very into his African art. Him, or Dave Chappelle.”
In addition, Skepta linked with Denim Tears to produce a range of merch inspired by his painting. The collection includes hand painted tees, a tote bag, a hoodie, a scarf, and jeans.
Nick Cannon announced the birth of his ninth child late on Wednesday night (Sept. 14), with his tenth and 11th children still on the way.
The Wild ‘N Out host confirmed he has welcomed a daughter with model LaNisha Cole. Nick Cannon shared a series of images of the proud parents and their newborn alongside a lengthy caption. The heartfelt post revealed his baby girl’s name is Onyx Ice Cole Cannon.
” Introducing ONYX ICE COLE CANNON, Nick began. “Once again Today I am in Awe of the Devine Feminine! God has given me and @MissLanishaCole the privilege of hosting an Angel here on earth. I vow to protect, provide, guide, and love this child to the best of my abilities.”
Nick Cannon Asks People Not To Criticise The Mothers Of His Kids
He went on to explain that he can handle any criticism that comes his way but asked people to criticize LaNisha or the other mothers of his children.
“As we all know I am not easily triggered and have quite tough skin and have always been an open book,” Nick Cannon added. “But not everyone in my family has that same level of strength. So I pray and ask others to please project all criticism and cynicism towards ME and not the loving and precious Mothers of my children.”
Nick Cannon also praised the mother of his new baby and asked for prayers for his entire family.
“@MissLanishaCole is one of the most guileless, peaceful and nonconfrontational kind souls I’ve ever witnessed, and only deserves to revel in this moment of blissful joy of motherhood. Please give her that. She is so loving and pure hearted.” Check out his touching post in full below.
Last month Nick Cannon announced that he is expecting his 11th child with model Brittany Bell. The pair also have two other children together, son Golden, five, and daughter, Powerful Queen, 19 months.
Nick Cannon also has twins Moroccan and Monroe, 11, with his ex-wife Mariah Carey. Nick’s son with Alyssa Scott, Zen, tragically died at five months old in December 2021 after being diagnosed with brain cancer.
As the Hip-Hop community continues to mourn the loss of PnB Rock, who was shot and killed on Monday (Sept. 12), authorities have revealed more information surrounding the investigation.
The 30-year-old rapper was having lunch with his girlfriend at a Roscoe’s House of Chicken ‘N Waffles in South Los Angeles when he was fatally shot during a robbery. After news of his death broke, some fans criticized PnB Rock’s girlfriend for sharing her location on her Instagram Story, believing it led to his murder.
Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore confirmed PnB Rock was targeted because of an Instagram post, according to Fox News 11. However, it is reported the rapper also shared a post from the parking lot of the L.A. restaurant when they arrived. “Giving somebody enough time to get here and kill him,” the outlet reported on Thursday. Check out the bulletin below.
Meanwhile, Moore gave further details about the attack. Cops believe PnB Rock was a target because of “expensive jewelry and property that he had on his person.”
Moore also revealed there were at least two suspects. “We do believe that there are a minimum of two of them. One was driving the vehicle, letting off his passenger, and that passenger went into the store, into the restaurant,” said Moore. The suspects then got into the getaway car and fled the scene. Investigators are examining video evidence and speaking with witnesses, including PnB Rock’s girlfriend. “It’s my understanding that the girlfriend is cooperating fully with us,” Moore added.
Eminem may be pushing 50 years old, but he still aspires to be “the best rapper” making music today and looks to his peers to inspire him to continue to be great.
While the Detroit native already has a legendary career after more than 25 years in the rap game, he admitted he looks to the newer generations of rappers for motivation.
“My role in today’s hip-hop is to always try to be the best rapper,” Eminem explained during an interview with XXL. According to Em, “that’s it. That’s how I want to feel inside. That’s what I want to feel. And I can’t do that until I listen to what the f### J. Cole just put out. What the f### did Kendrick just put out?”
Em revealed that hearing music from the likes of Kendrick and Cole makes him “get back on my s###,” and step his game up. But it’s not about numbers, or career highlights, but rather the drive to be the best.
“At this point, a lot of the big achievements that could come in your career have happened for me already,” Eminem stated. “So I don’t hyper-focus on numbers and being on charts. What I hyper-focus on is people like Kendrick Lamar, Joyner Lucas, J. Cole and Big Sean, and watching them and how the f### they’re doing their s###. Because they’re also focused on being the best rappers.”
Eminem Craves The Freedom Of His Early Career
Eminem also explained his writing process has changed since the beginning of his career and he now craves the “freedom” he once had.
“All of a sudden, you’ve made a song about every single thing you can f###### possibly think of. So I start getting in my head. If I had a choice between being the best rapper or making the best albums, I’d rather be the best rapper.”
Meanwhile, Snoop Dogg revealed he had to “make sure I was gonna represent” when he linked with Eminem on “From the D 2 the LBC,” in June. “You challenged me, Marshall,” Snoop Dogg admitted. “You put me back in my karate school days where I used to be a young emcee and loved the challenge of having to try a new style, a new cadence.”
Tasha K was ordered to pay Cardi B $4 million in damages after the jury found her liable for defamation, false light invasion of privacy, and intention of emotional distress.
While the pair is still embroiled in litigation, they went back and forth online on Wednesday (Sept. 14) with Cardi B demanding her check. She hopped in the comments section of a post on the Neighbourhood Talk of a screenshot of the NYC rapper liking a tweet about lawsuits. The tweet said suing people was only a problem with Cardi doing it.
“I don’t care what y’all say,” Cardi wrote in response. “Cause I bet the same people commenting were the same ones calling me weak, sensitive, and saying I needed tougher skin when a woman lied on my health, father, my mother, and harassed all my friends and family …THIS is what I was fighting for while others laughed.”
“Someone say my name??” Tasha K replied. ” Nobody said your name,” Cardi fired back before adding, “SEND MY CHECK.”
Tasha K Responds To Cardi B
However, the blogger responded on her YouTube account during a live session with her followers. “I will not send a check until the appellate court has stated what I’m sending a check for,” she said in response to Cardi’s demand. “It’s called having the bread to fight.”
She added that she will be sending her check to her legal team to pursue the appeal and refused to pay Cardi unless she loses all her appeals. Tasha K also denied saying anything about her parents and “beautiful children” and accused Cardi B of “playing the victim.”
Tasha K is asking the court for a new trial. She claims Cardi B failed to disprove allegations regarding prostitution and HPV in their legal battle.
Meanwhile, Cardi B shared a cryptic message on Twitter, instructing fans to keep their eyes peeled. “Don’t pay attention…FRIDAY going to be real bad for her …toodles”
Earl Stevens Selections has a diverse portfolio of drinks including tequila, cognac, bourbon, wine and beer!
As Summer officially comes to a close next week on September 22, 2022, we are summarily announcing that E-40’s Earl Stevens Selections wine brands – specifically the Blueberry and Orangesicle flavored sparkling wines – were the drinks of the Summer.
Blueberry has the perfect flavor that is refreshing, t### and sweet. The Orangesicle tastes exactly like it sounds and packs a slight kick, although it’s nothing major so it creeps up on you – before you know it you’re lit!
E-40 sprinkled the market with his bubbly new flavors in the Spring and boy did they hit all Summer long! One thing that we can say about these sparkling wines is that they are smooth and they catch up to you quickly, so it only takes a few sips before you are feeling the effects of the Earl Stevens Selections.
It’s no surprise to us over here at AllHipHop that over the past year, E-40 has established himself as one of the pre-eminent celebrity wine enthusiasts and entrepreneurs, having released several new flavors including Cotton Candy, Cali-Mocho Red Wine and Cola, Watermelon, Mango Peach as well as Prosecco DOC and Prosecco Rose DOC.
E-40 pivoted to the wine and spirits industry in 2013, leading him to launch “Earl Stevens Selections,” which included a variety of still and sparkling wine offerings that were produced in Napa, California. He eventually kicked things off with the Function Red Blend 2013 which he named after his smash single “Function.”
Beyond wine, E-40 has curated a versatile portfolio that includes other types of spirits, including E. Cuarenta Tequila, Tycoon Cognac, Kuiper Belt Bourbon, Sluricane, E. Cuarenta Cerveza, so he’s got all the bases covered for whatever you like.
Make sure to check those Earl Stevens Selections and tune in for more updates! Drink responsibly and cheers!!!
R. Kelly seeks to avoid a trip to New York after suffering an injury behind bars.
According to documents obtained by AllHipHop, R. Kelly’s legal team asked a judge if he can appear virtually at an upcoming restitution hearing. The disgraced singer injured his leg, making it difficult for him to travel from Chicago to New York.
“Undersigned counsel writes to respectfully request that Defendant Kelly be permitted to appear via zoom for the September 28th, 2022, restitution hearing,” attorney Ashley Cohen wrote. “Mr. Kelly is currently housed at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Kelly has sustained an injury to his leg that makes traveling challenging and uncomfortable.”
Cohen added, “Furthermore, a significant amount of resources would have to be utilized to have Mr. Kelly flown in from Chicago to the Eastern District of New York for this hearing. For the foregoing reasons, Defendant respectfully requests that he be permitted to appear via zoom for the hearing. The government has no objection to this request.”
R. Kelly’s New York court date comes after a judge ordered nearly $28,000 be seized from his inmate commissary account. The money will be used to cover a $900 court fine and restitution for the victims involved in his sex trafficking case.
Earlier this year, R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison for sex trafficking and racketeering in New York. He will receive more prison time after a Chicago jury found him guilty of producing child pornography and coercing minors into criminal sexual activity on Wednesday (September 14).
The 55-year-old artist was convicted on three counts of child pornography. Each count comes with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years.
R. Kelly was acquitted of conspiracy to obstruct justice. He also avoided convictions on a fourth count of child pornography, three counts of conspiring to receive child pornography and two counts of child enticement.
Wendy Williams’ publicist announced the talk show host went to rehab on Wednesday (September 14).
A Page Six report claimed Wendy Williams entered rehab for substance abuse issues. Her publicist didn’t disclose why she was receiving treatment.
“She is taking some time to focus on her health and wellness as she prepares for a major comeback for the next level in her career with The Wendy Experience Podcast,” the publicist said in a press release. “Ms. Williams is being treated by a team of some of the best doctors in the world. We ask for your prayers and well wishes during this time.”
Wendy Williams publicly discussed her battles with substance abuse in the past. She was living in a sober house in 2019.
Earlier this year, production company Debmar-Mercury decided to end The Wendy Williams Show. Producers relied on fill-in hosts after the show’s eponymous star stepped away due to health issues in 2021.
Debmar-Mercury replaced her with Sherri Shepherd, who was one of the fill-in hosts. The final episode of The Wendy Williams Show aired in June. Sherri Shepherd’s new show Sherri debuted on Monday (September 12).
Wendy Willaims plans to return to the spotlight with her Wendy Experience Podcast. A release date for the podcast hasn’t been revealed.
A Chicago jury found R. Kelly guilty in a child pornography case on Wednesday (September 14).
According to multiplereports, R. Kelly was convicted on three counts of producing child pornography and three counts of coercing minors into criminal sexual activity. The jury acquitted him of obstruction of justice after prosecutors accused him of rigging his sex crimes trial in 2008.
R. Kelly was found guilty of six of the 13 counts in his indictment. Jurors deliberated for over two days before reaching their verdict.
Prosecutors showed the jury three clips of R. Kelly abusing a girl identified as “Jane.” One of the videos came from the infamous sex tape involved in his 2008 trial.
“Jane” didn’t testify against R. Kelly in 2008, but she took the stand in 2022. She confirmed it was her in the videotapes and detailed countless times when R. Kelly sexually abused her as a minor.
Three other women testified against R. Kelly, recalling their own experiences of sexual abuse. The disgraced singer didn’t testify.
R. Kelly, whose real name is Robert Kelly, faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison for each count of child pornography. He’s already serving 30 years in prison following his 2021 conviction for sex trafficking and racketeering.
Nicki Minaj has filed a defamation lawsuit against a blogger over a drug allegation.
Judd Burstein, an attorney for the “Super Bass” rapper, submitted documents to a New York court on Wednesday in which he claimed that the woman allegedly behind the @noseyheauxlive social media account, Marley Green, “outrageously” stated in a video posted on Monday that Minaj was a “coke head” and had been “shoving in all this cocaine up her nose.”
“In a different age, Green’s lie would have been meaningless,” he stated in the lawsuit. “While social media is an extraordinarily effective vehicle for spreading lies… it does not confer a license to do so.”
#DropATear 💧 Hmmm 💭thinking if I should dish them out daily, weekly, orrrrr maybe even monthly… this Judd-Li folder is huge. 📂😝 LETS GO!!!!! 🫵🏽 r next 😘🍦 pic.twitter.com/d3Ox7sB30H
In addition, Burstein alleged Green was “acting as a proxy” for one of Minaj’s rivals, presumably, Cardi B.
“Green has been acting as a proxy for another performer who, mistakenly believing that she and Plaintiff are stars of equal stature, has repeatedly used other social media intermediaries in a hopeless effort to advance her career at Plaintiff’s expense,” the lawyer continued.
“Now let’s hope the ppl you guys r doing all this dirty work for love you enough to hire top notch lawyers for you & to pay your bills once I own your blogs, your shows, those IG pages y’all tried to protect so bad. Couple artists in the folder too. I’ll own your publishing. Duds,” Nick Minaj said.
Nicki Minaj, 38, has denied ever using cocaine. She is seeking $75,000 in damages. Green has not yet officially responded to the lawsuit but she took to social media to claim Nicki was harassing her.
“Nicki Minaj is unhinged and harassing me on Instagram. She doxxed me and sent her barbz to threaten to kill me. She’s been commenting under my IG posts since like 24 hours ago. No one around her is smart enough to just take her phone,” Marley Green wrote.
Eminem and his longtime manager Paul Rosenberg discussed Em’s past feud with Snoop Dogg on an episode of the Paul Pod: Curtain Call 2 podcast.
Slim Shady revealed the Snoop Dogg dispute stemmed from miscommunication. He also recalled how Dr. Dre’s brain aneurysm played a role in ending the beef.
“Me and Snoop had our little issue,” Eminem said. “And then when Dre—when that thing happened with Dre, the brain aneurysm thing … and we were like, ‘Bro, this is stupid. This is stupid as hell to be feuding right now.’ So, I don’t remember if I called him or he called me. I can’t remember. But we talked it out.”
He continued, “I think that there was a miscommunication at the time in regards to him being on my album, [The Marshall] Mathers LP, ‘B#### Please II.’ And I think he had wanted to do something with me and maybe gave [Rosenberg] the idea or something. And [Rosenberg] said something to the effect of ‘Well, let’s hear what the song is first. Let’s see what the type of song is.’ He said the way that he took it was kinda like that I don’t f### with him. That I didn’t f### with him.”
Eminem noted Snoop Dogg was looking to make another collaboration happen “for a long time.” But their relationship soured after the perceived diss.
“I don’t even think I said it to him ‘cause I don’t remember talking to him, but I may have talked to somebody on his team,” Rosenberg explained. “Whatever I said was relayed back to him in a way that he didn’t like. And he thought you didn’t f### with him, which obviously wasn’t the case.”
Eminem emphasized, “I explained to him, like, bro, Doggystyle changed my life.”
Listen to more episodes of Paul Pod: Curtain Call 2here.
Fourtee is a man of many talents, and his newest release “Hustle” is an example of exactly that. Serving as his newest single and visual, the record sees Fourtee reminiscing on his come up, thankfully being able to turn a negative into a positive and make something of himself. The cheat code? Work hard, hustle, and never take no for an answer.
Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, Fourtee is a rapper, entrepreneur, visionary, and clothing designer all in one. Originally getting his foot in the music industry from an opportunity presented to him from legendary video producer Kareem Johnson, Fourtee went from assisting a Wiz Khalifa video shoot to driving for Lil Uzi Vert to now stepping into the limelight as his own recording artist.
In describing himself, Fourtee states he’s “an executive artist that sees much further than the jewelry store, the car dealership. From Newark, New Jersey, they call it the city of Whitney Houston. Fourtee’s a serial entrepreneur that’s a very strong-minded business activist, creative sneaker designer, and future billionaire.”
His biggest song to date, “Freeze” was handpicked by Kevin Durant and Steve Stoute featured on NBA2K. He even celebrates his first plaque and ASCAP award for his contributions on Cardi B’s double-Platinum smash, “Up.”
Plus, for those wondering who the fake Kanye was running the streets… look no further than Fourtee. Ye is also the inspiration behind Fourtee’s own clothing line titled WxrldLeaders, launched in 2021.
AllHipHop spoke with Fourtee in Los Angeles to discuss how he got into the industry, his sound, new release “Hustle,” working with Cardi B, being Kanye for a day, and more!
AllHipHop: What was it like growing up in Newark, New Jersey?
Fourtee: Umm, nothing. It really was nothing. [laughs] I played New York a lot. I love New Jersey, but I had to grow more so I was in New York City working for people like Kareem Johnson at Atlantic Records, assisting him on film sets. Because I started on film sets, my whole life is really big in film.
AllHipHop: I saw your director catalog. Did you want to do a film first?
Fourtee: I wanted to understand the business behind the scenes, because I was always surrounded by artists. I knew what things were as far as being an artist, going to the studio and performing. As far as the business, the people that sign them, I didn’t really have the knowledge and I needed that. I was more hungry for the business, than just the music.
AllHipHop: When did you fall in love with music?
Fourtee: Music fell in love with me! [laughs]
AllHipHop: Do you have any favorite artists?
Fourtee: My favorite artists are of course the Biggie’s, very different. It’s a lot right now. Drake is so cliche. I like Tems. I’m really big on female artists. I love producers like WondaGurl too.
AllHipHop: I just saw you with her!
Fourtee: Yes, we just left Toronto. We went to London and Toronto. Working, I got two big producers I signed. So they’re doing some big things as well.
AllHipHop: How would you describe your sound?
Fourtee: Universal, motivational. Make you want to get up and go get some money. Depending on what frequency you’re in, make you want to stand up for yourself and go get to it. A lot of times, we beat around the bush on what’s really important and what’s not.
AllHipHop: What were you going through recording “Hustle”?
Fourtee: Recording that, it was a moment in the studio where I thought yeah, this is what I know how to do more than anything. When I first started interning, I used to live in Hawaii for two years. I was working for Norwegian Cruise Line, was in Guam and the Philippines. I was a chef. I didn’t go to college right after high school, so I decided to go to Hawaii to pursue that. I never went anywhere far like that. I’m a get up and go type of person, I don’t care what country it is. I just go.
AllHipHop: You were a driver too?
Fourtee: Yeah, I drove Lil Uzi on tour. I’m not trying to sound cocky or arrogant, but there’s not a lot of artists that have my story. That’s the reason why a lot of people are tapping in now. They’re like “wait hold on, I remember you eight years ago when you were working on a film set with A Boogie.” Or “you were assisting on a Louis Vuitton fashion show.”
The similarities where I heard a lot is Sean Combs, because of how he entered with Andre Harrell and learned so much business. I was driving Uzi on tour, Gunna, and Nipsey before he passed. Quite a few artists. I was driving Gunna, I didn’t know who he was. He was fairly new. In Jersey/New York, we didn’t know the difference at the time between Lil Baby and Gunna.
AllHipHop: Back then, did you always want to do music?
Fourtee: Yeah absolutely. It was a part of life.
AllHipHop: Was the video inspired by a real life experience?
Fourtee: Mmhmm. The video goes to me getting blessed out of real life situations, because I have no criminal record. If I was to leave a real actual trap house like these new rappers… come on. There was a situation where I was supposed to be somewhere and that place got raided, all those guys are still in jail till this day. I always look at things like if I escape these situations, I gotta go make something of it. These guys who are in jail can live through me and say “yo he did something with that. At least that s### ain’t going through vain.” That’s how I shot the video. Hustle: getting away from things, being blessed, and really escaping.
AllHipHop: You have a line that says “trapping since 10.” When did you first start hustling?
Fourtee: My trappin’ was really just finessing, understanding how to finesse things. “Yo this person paying for this, I could…” Whether it’s a Sega Genesis card, “they got this. I could sell it for this.” My trappin’ truthfully started at 15. It was just survival. You know how they say “trappin'” because it’s rap music? You can’t get a job, so it’s the only thing to do. It’s the only sense of employment. That’s what it really was.
AllHipHop: What’d it mean to work on Cardi B’s album?
Fourtee: It was all a blessing. I reached out to a few people, it was all a blessing for us getting that placement. Just knowing who you are and knowing your worth, things go through. You gotta be crazy like Kanye to see past the car dealership and the jewelry store. You gotta see way further than the palm trees in LA and the buildings in New York City to see I’m a do this for a long time, I’m going to be a high paid employee. You gotta choose. A high paid employee means hit song, reality show, then you die out. That’s the truth about this.
AllHipHop: How did you end up connecting with Cardi?
Fourtee: Hollered at my lawyer, we had the song. I wrote the song when I was in the Hilton hotel.
AllHipHop: You wrote Cardi B’s “Up” right?
Fourtee: Yeah, I helped with production as well. That came along, one of our brokers with the label helped us break that situation. We had the record for a minute. We were trying to make a decision, the label held onto the song for about a year. We found out, and it has been crazy ever since.
AllHipHop: How’d it feel to get an ASCAP award?
Fourtee: It felt great. It felt awesome. It felt powerful. Because people were putting things together, realizing that damn, this guy does a lot. Not just saying it, but actual people seeing “oh yeah, this is dope.” It was an out of body experience because I had an ASCAP meeting before I moved to Los Angeles. I didn’t get what I needed, so then they had to get me an award. People play me, they gotta be dealt with. In a good way. Yo, I gotta get what I came for.
AllHipHop: Definitely want to talk about your song “Freeze.”
Fourtee: Absolutely, yeah that record blew up. I don’t want to say it was by mistake, but it blew up. I was on my way to Miami and we put the song out, the next thing we knew it was mayhem. It was not an industry plant. It was a situation where we had a meme video that helped push it. “Lil Uzi’s driver has bars,” so we pushed it like that.
Everyone rushed to see that. They see “oh this kid dropped a song, let’s go for it.” Next thing you know, I was on NBA2K. Steve Stoute flew me out to do NBA2K commercials. For 3 years now, I’ve been doing NBA2K commercials. Independently, I’m not signed to anybody.
AllHipHop: How did they find you?
Fourtee: I was going viral, friends with good lawyers and just making them plays. I tell people: them A&Rs you trying to be signed to, they’re younger than you and a lot of them don’t know sh*t. So you can actually get things done, it just went from there. It went crazy.
AllHipHop: How did you get your name?
Fourtee: That’s my real name, Fourtee Crawford. It means strong and loud. I’m the firstborn, my mother’s from Liberia and West Africa. I didn’t like it growing up because it was forty and school and class, but it’s me.
AllHipHop: How do they react to all your music endeavors? Do they realize the superstars you work with?
Fourtee: Yeah, because I was supposed to be the first one to go to jail. Out of all my brothers and sisters, they went to college and did their thing. I didn’t want any of that. I don’t like rules. If I want to make money, I’m a go make it. That’s how I came up.
AllHipHop: So you also directed videos for artists?
Fourtee: Yeah, I directed my own video “Talk To Me Nice.” I helped a few artists. I put so much into other artists that I was coming up with and realized that they fell for the industry trick. When you get into the game: they throw you a lightskin girl, give you a little bag and that’s it. I said hold the f### on, I see way further than this s###.
Your A&R’s younger than you, you’re like wait. Not to say they can’t do anything, they bleed like you. You should be able to put the work in, do what you gotta do. I was helping directing, I was assistant directing. I started off as a PA, I’m in so much credit. I’m also featured in a few of Wiz Khalifa’s videos, from about 10 years ago playing basketball.
AllHipHop: What other videos did you work on?
Fourtee: I was featured in a Trey Songz video years ago. I’m in a whole bunch of Styles P, Jadakiss videos, because I drove Jada through the Carolinas. Before Casanova got locked up. I was his driver as well.
AllHipHop: How was that?
Fourtee: It was crazy, because it was the 6ix9ine time. I was the driver and I saw how much the people harassed him, as far as the police. Real stories in the middle of Brownsville. We’re chillin’, about to go on tour. We didn’t get pulled over, they pulled up. “Yo, hands on the steering wheel.” They harassed him.
Seeing what he’s going through, I hope he gets out. Because in our environment, people are getting locked up for sh*t that they did not do. And you also live by a code that’s a little different right now. If someone says don’t snitch on me, at least have something for me like the Italians do. Us blacks, we take a lot from the Italians. If you gon’ talk mafia: when someone comes home, give them something. Don’t just say “don’t snitch,” then they come home, and you done had a baby with their baby mother.
Nothing against Casanova, but being the fact he’s from that environment, we should want to do more for our people who hold us down. Not just say “don’t stitch.” It’s not in my DNA either to do such, but everything’s a deal. Give them something. “Yo man, I’m a hold ya peoples down.” That’s where I’m at with it.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio at all times?
Fourtee: Good vibes, because I hate that fake ass energy. I’m an East Coast dude, I don’t have time. Food, good food. Like wings, something light. And a producer/engineer who’s fast. [snaps] That’s my 3 things I need. Letting God in and make those hits.
AllHipHop: What inspired you to launch your own clothing line called WxrldLeaders?
Fourtee: World Leaders started by me driving Lil Uzi and getting random clothings from these random places, and I got tired of it. The clothing lines didn’t make any sense. It had coffins and snakes all over just to look dope, but I’m a person of meaning. I already had the idea, I just didn’t make it official yet.
Kanye West said in one of his docs, the Watch The Throne doc, “I want world leaders at my funeral.” The next day, I LLC’ed and trademarked it. I spelled it with an x, I couldn’t believe it was available. Ever since then, it’s been up!
AllHipHop: You were Kanye West for a day?
Fourtee: Yeah, I was Ye for a day. I’m the type of person that gets up and goes. Jumps, and gets s### done. I was watching a documentary thinking I need more leverage, I need to do some dope sh*t. I bought an entire Kanye outfit, everything. Yeezy Gap, even had the mask.
I had the WxrldLeaders shopping bag. That night, my s### was sold out because that whole stadium thought Kanye’s doing something with Wxrld Leaders. I’m fairly new, that clothing line is new. Went to the stadium, went crazy. So many kids chased me to the security truck we had. They weren’t trippin’ off Swae Lee, all they knew was me. They thought I was Kanye.
AllHipHop: Where?
Fourtee: It was at Donda Academy. They did not move.
AllHipHop: Did you really move and act like Kanye?
Fourtee: Yeah, I got the video and everything. They did not know. The only person that knew were a few staff members and the athlete director at Donda now. It was the day he got divorced so he couldn’t come. F### it, I had floor side seats. My cousin works with Donda too, I said sit me right here. The kids went crazy. It went crazy.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca0G5kPPmtL/
AllHipHop: How does Kanye feel about this?
Fourtee: I hope he feels good about it. I don’t give a damn. I know he likes artists that are daredevils and don’t ask for sh*t.
AllHipHop: Upcoming projects? What can we expect?
Fourtee: I got something called “Glory In The Jungle,” vlogs and a mixtape coming out. Basically talks about vengeance and escaping. Not just poverty, but achieving and having vengeance in a positive way. Yo, we got out that s###. Really selling a high self-esteem and confidence on this project.
I have two producers I signed: one called Yaboyhec and a kid called Rob2B. He produced all the s### for Rob49, the new artist. I signed his producer.
Months after losing a foundational member of their group, the borough of Staten Island finally honors the legendary group, The Force MD’s by naming a street after them.
On Saturday, Aug. 27, the street formerly known as Grandview and Brabant Street at Mariners Harbor in the fifth borough will now be called “The Force MD’s Way.”
Over 1000 community members and influencers attended the celebration of Hip-Hop’s first real Rap/ R&B group, including Ralph McDaniels, Nice & Smooth, Milk Dee from the Audio Two, Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks, Congresswoman Nicole Maliatakis, NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, State Senator Diane Savino, and State Assemblyman Charles Fall.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDsYQD87x6Q
That day the group, whose epic career dates back to the early 80s and was actually a combination of two different squads but mostly consisting of family members, was overwhelmed by the show of love, respect, and tribute.
Stevie D, the founding member of the commercial entity of the group, said, “The street naming was so overwhelming, not just to us, but to a lot of people in Staten Island.”
“It also felt way overdue,” he said in an exclusive interview with AllHipHop.com. “I’m just happy that it finally happened. It’s great for us to have a landmark in our hometown of Staten Island. I felt we did put the work in for it to happen.”
He added his own tribute, saying, “Knowing that the members that passed T.C.D, Mercury, Trisco, and Jessie, are looking down and enjoying this accomplishment.”
His brother Khalil also commented and said the street naming was a “way overdue honor,” but also sees it as a marker of the family’s legacy.
“I left the group in 1983 and rejoined in 1990, I was inspired to put this together to secure my family legacy we’ve been through so much,” he said. “I’m so happy to see my brother Stevie D smiling from cheek to cheek, and all our family, friends, and fam so hyped up it’s so surreal to me right now.”
Like Stevie D, Khalil also gave a nod to those who had passed on, offering, “The members we lost know we’re gonna make sure their contributions to the Hip-Hop/ R&B culture never go in vain.”
Because family is so important, included in this celebration was their newest member and nephew, Zieme Capers – clearly a gift from the Lundy legacy of great singers.
Capers is a millennial and punctuates the group’s ability to tap be transgenerational, touching people of all ages. A full member of the group, he also was overwhelmed, not just by the street naming but by being included in this history-making and cultural-shifting group.
“Can I say ‘Another One’ in DJ Khaled’s voice?” he joked.
“This experience is almost like having a beautiful newborn baby. My eyes were watering, tears flooded my face. As they pulled off the plastic, all I could think about was all the members we lost and most recently my uncle Jessie D,” he explained.
The Force MDs
“I wish they were physically here in the crowd embracing all of the love they always wanted. I wish I could see the smiles and joy on their faces,” Capers continued. “Right in front of the building, they all were raised in, we literally have a family avenue.”
“I am super honored to be a part of this legacy and I hope the fans and new generations to come will see this in the history books and be inspired by the beautiful, crazy, funny, and tragic stories and journey of the Legendary Force MD’s. Even though it’s three of us left, The Force lives and continues in everyone who keeps the legacy alive, the music alive as well as the moments we shared,” he said.
And if fans don’t know, he said, “P.S. By the way, get on the belt parkway or the Staten Island ferry and take a ride over by Brabant St. … and The Force MD’s Way. Haha!”
The Innocence Project New Orleans has helped another Black man get out of jail for a rape he did not commit. The organization, committed to providing legal services to wrongfully convicted persons, assisted in getting a Louisiana man exonerated after he spent four decades in prison for a crime he was convicted of when he was a teen.
On Thursday, Aug. 25, Sullivan Walter, 53, was released from Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in St. Gabriel, LA. He had already served “36 years and two months … for a rape he did not commit,” according to an IPNO press release, making his case the “longest known wrongful incarceration of a juvenile in Louisiana history and the fifth longest in U.S. history.”
Walter spent more than two-thirds of his life in prison for a crime he did not commit and that the prosecution could not legally prove without withholding evidence.
Judge Darryl Derbigny vacated the case, and noted the fact that lawyers withheld some vital evidence that could have led to a not guilty verdict in Walter’s case, as “unconscionable.”
Despite being 17 years old when police arrested him for the sexual assault, he “was prosecuted as an adult.” He was sentenced to 39 years in prison.
The lawyers wrote, “Mr. Walter was inadvertently misidentified as the perpetrator of a home invasion and rape that occurred in May 1986. The rape occurred late at night in an unlit room with the perpetrator wearing a hat and a face covering.”
CNN reports the woman was only identified as “L.S.’ in court documents and was taking a shower when she saw a man wearing a backward baseball cap and covering the bottom of his face with a washcloth come into her home. Once he encountered her, she alleges the man took a shirt and put it over her face, before taking her to an “empty unlit bedroom” and raping her at knife point.
“The victim identified Mr. Walter as the rapist six weeks after the crime,” the press release revealed.
She saw him from photos given to her by police, who had recently arrested him on simple burglary. L.S. saw Walter wearing a blue baseball cap and had the same complexion as the man she remembered rapping her.
Walter maintains that he never touched the woman.
“Serological testing conducted in the 1980s on seminal fluids recovered from the victim showed that Mr. Walter was not the perpetrator, but the jury that convicted Mr. Walter did not learn of this and it has never before been fully presented to a court.”
Walter tried to appeal multiple times, but because he had no legal assistance between 1997 and October 2021, his petitions fell flat. However, after linking with IPNO, things swiftly picked up with them discovering outrageous evidence that eventually led to his freedom.
Attorneys were able to discover “the exculpatory result of the serological testing” during the case, noting a failure on Walter’s trial lawyer’s part to effectively “elicit this evidence from relevant witnesses,” or call for a new trial because any analyst hired by the police department misrepresented the results of seminal fluid regarding the rape – and involving the then-teen.
IPNO stated Walter was compromised from the start of his case, one that lasted only one day, including jury selection and deliberation that lasted 3 ½ hours because his lawyer had a “troubled history of disciplinary findings.”
The organization said it worked with an expert, regarded highly by both the defense and prosecution, to get a new analysis of the serological evidence. Like the first finding that was suppressed, the recent research also eliminated Mr. Walter as the source of the semen recovered from the victim’s body immediately following the rape.
Once the information was submitted and reviewed by the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Division (CRD), the agency moved to vacate Walter’s conviction.
When addressing L.S.’s testimony, Emily Maw, a lawyer with the D.A.’s office said, “There were some red flags that the eyewitness testimony could well have been unreliable.”
The agency said in its motion to vacate because she “was being asked to make a cross-racial identification of someone who at all the times that she could observe him was either masked, in an unlit room at night, and/or threatening her not to look at him.”
“Under no circumstances should the District Attorney’s agreement, in this case, be taken to infer that the victim was dishonest in her identification nor minimize her and her family’s very real trauma from her assault. Rather, it should be recognized that the tragedy of her assault is, in fact, magnified by the fact the true perpetrator was not apprehended and may have victimized others,” it further stated.
“What is unusual about this case is how little effort was made to hide the injustice being done to Mr. Walter,” Richard Davis, the IPNO Legal Director and Walter’s new attorney said. “The lawyers and law enforcement involved acted as if they believed that they could do what they chose to a Black teenager from a poor family and would never be scrutinized or held to account. This is not just about individuals and their choices, but the systems that let them happen.”
The victim in the case has since transitioned, however, her family was notified of what the new evidence revealed and the government’s decision to vacate Walter’s conviction.
District Attorney Jason Williams said in a statement, “The Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office is committed to confronting and addressing past harm inflicted by the criminal legal system as part of its mission to create a safer community for all of our citizens.”
Adding, “Reckoning with the sins of the past or past harm must include an unbiased and open-minded review of cases in which evidence that was not heard by the jury suggests that a person who was convicted was not the person who committed the crime.”
“Sullivan Walter was convicted by a prior administration of this office despite the fact the serology testing by state law enforcement at the time showed he could not have been the person who committed the rape he was convicted of in 1986. After Mr. Walter’s trial, a state official -in the face of a serology exclusion indicating the wrong man had been prosecuted -changed his prior sworn testimony to ensure the 17-year-old Mr. Walter remained behind bars,” Williams said.
“No such behavior would ever be tolerated in my administration, and we could not stand by or defend a conviction obtained or maintained with such methods,” the D.A. continued. “Mr. Walter suffered a terrible injustice and, though this office rectified it promptly when it was brought to our attention, it is a tragedy that it took the legal system so long to do so. We are working every day to prevent such avoidable tragedies from happening again.”
Walter, the 42nd innocent person freed by the IPNO, said after being released, “I can finally breathe. I could hardly breathe for 36 years but now that I’m free, I’m ready to live my life.”
