Meek apparently took issue with how the press is reporting on the Titan and its missing passengers. The 36-year-old Expensive Pain rapper tweeted his response to some of the latest information about the incident.
I can’t see a wealthy man doing this with no extreme back up plans….with your son, not saying it’s fake but the way y’all run the same clips in media not even working on the average minds anymore…all types of stuff going on in the world y’all headlining with no real info lol https://t.co/ekr2NbY3ej
Cardi B also commented, criticizing the stepson of one of the billionaires on the submarine for going to a blink-182 concert.
More recently, Rick Ross has also added his thoughts on the matter, saying, “It’s so unfortunate … about the news submarine being lost at sea. [I’m] sending prayers to the families,” he said on his TikTok about the headline-grabbing story.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/NFLTm9DHHJY
Ross continued, “Only question I had (and no I’m not a sealogist) … only question I have was why wasn’t submarine tethered? Meaning having a cable attached to the rear of it, all the way to the top … above water … So, once you lose communication, you could hit a button and it pull it all the way back to the top.”
He also asked why the submarine was not being tracked: “If you lose your phone. you could find your phone. It’s tracking devices everywhere. How you weren’t able to track this?”
Tione “Lil Tjay” Merritt was hospitalized in 2022 after getting shot seven times during a robbery attempt in New Jersey. The 22-year-old rapper reflects on that violent incident in his latest song.
Lil Tjay dropped the Dell Nie-directed “June 22nd” music video on Thursday, June 22, 2023. The track will live on the forthcoming Columbia Records-backed 222 studio album which arrives on July 14.
“It’s been a long road. A year ago being in New York City for the first time without security didn’t think it’d change my life, but it did and I’m blessed to have a second chance,” says Lil Tjay.
Previously, Tjay released “Beat the Odds” in August 2022. That song also addressed the Edgewater, New Jersey shooting. The official music video for “Beat the Odds” has collected more than 30 million views on YouTube.
Prosecutors charged 27-year-old Mohamed Konate with attempted murder, armed robbery, and weapons offenses in the case which also saw Lil Tjay’s friend, Antoine Boyd, get injured. Apparently, Konate also suffered gunshot wounds during the botched robbery.
Lil Tjay’s forthcoming 222 album follows 2019’s True 2 Myself and 2021’s Destined 2 Win. Both of those projects peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart. His State of Emergency EP made it to No. 31 in 2020.
“Beat the Odds” spent four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 36. Lil Tjay scored his highest-charting single with “Calling My Phone” featuring 6LACK. That 4x-Platinum collaboration leveled off at No. 3.
It appears friction over Latto namedropping Coi Leray on “Put It On Da Floor” has not gone away. Leray has addressed the situation again.
“Smoking on that gas, blunt big as Coi Leray,” rapped Latto on the original version of her “Put It On Da Floor” track. Latto premiered the record at the 2023 Coachella Festival. Initially, those lyrics did not sit well with Coi Leray. In response, she called out Latto on Twitter.
Leray tweeted, “Here you go [talking] about my body. Please do not come on here and talk about nobody’s BODY. Lol like seriously. Out of all things. Lmaooo ya blunt my size? Lmaooo this s### is never-ending.”
Coi Leray Expressed She May Have Overreacted
That same week in April saw Coi Leray slightly walk back her first reaction to Latto’s “Put It On Da Floor” bar. After many social media users expressed the namedrop was not meant to be a diss, Leray returned to Twitter to share more thoughts on the matter.
“Maybe I overreacted [I don’t know]. End of the day. Don’t say my name for clicks and likes. [Especially,] if we don’t speak or communicate. I’m not a big blunt small blunt. Don’t compare me to nada. Mention b###### you actually beef with. Put it on the floor but leave me out of the bs,” posted Leray.
Then Latto used time during her Coachella Festival Weekend 2 set to address the controversy by saying she loved Coi Leray’s body. Leray responded with a “💯” emoji which seemed to signify the two women settled the growing tension.
“Don’t Compare Me To Nothing”
Hip Hop media personality Ebro Darden recently spoke to Coi Leray for Apple Music 1’s Rap Life Radio to promote the New Jersey native’s new self-titled album. The interview included Leray addressing Latto’s “Put It On Da Floor” line.
“It’s not a sensitive conversation. I feel like it wasn’t more about the body, it was more of mentioning my name,” Coi Leray told Darden. She also said, “I’m about positivity. For real. And I wasn’t sure where it was coming from. And not only that, I feel like the problem with our community today is we be so quick to try to change things but we don’t do nothing to actually change anything.”
Coi Leray added, “So if we’re going to say we’re going to stop talking about bodies, then don’t mention anything about my body. Just period. Don’t compare me to nothing, don’t think about nothing. We’re not smoking on anything, it’s disrespect. And where I come from I just don’t like that.”
“The Rap Beefs Are For The Guys”
Additionally, Coi Leray went on to say she has learned that not every action needs a reaction. The 26-year-old “Players” hitmaker also offered advice for her fellow female rap stars. According to Leray, women in Hip Hop should not feud with each other.
“I don’t know, it’s starting to get old. The rap beefs are for the guys. You know, I don’t even think they should do it,” offered Leray. “Us artists, we kind of control the narrative. So if we just spend more time pushing that narrative we won’t give these headlines and these blogs no reason to go ahead and push this negative narrative. That’s something we got to come together on.”
Coi Leray’s second studio album, Coi, hit DSPs on Friday, June 23. The project includes contributions by David Guetta, Saucy Santana, Giggs, Lola Brooke, and Skillibeng. Late R&B/Soul icon James Brown received a feature credit on the “Man’s World” track.
Memphis-bred rapper GloRilla teased releasing her own version of Latto’s “Put It On Da Floor” single. Her “GloMix” landed on YouTube on June 22.
“Put It On Da Floor (GloMix)” features GloRilla providing her own spin on the viral hit. The Grammy-nominated rhymer opened her verse by rapping, “Put me on a bib, I’m about to eat these b###### up.”
Latto sparked a popular online meme with her “Rip me out the plastic, I’ve been actin’ brand new” line. Then Cardi B also flipped that bar on the official “Put It On Da Floor Again” remix.
“Put a ribbon on me, I’ve been actin’ brand new,” rapped Cardi B. “Put It On Da Floor Again” became Cardi and Latto’s highest charting Billboard Hot 100 entry of 2023, peaking at No. 13 on the June 17-dated tally.
Both Latto and Cardi B showed support for GloRilla releasing her “GloMix” of the “Put It On Da Floor” track. Previously, Big Glo worked with Latto on the “F.N.F. (Remix)” and “FTCU” collaborations. GloRilla’s “Tomorrow 2” featuring Cardi B charted in the Hot 100’s Top 10 region.
GloRilla is not the only high-profile female recording artist to hint at rapping over the “Put It On Da Floor” beat. City Girls member Yung Miami and Bronx-bred emcee Remy Ma posted snippets of possible freestyles as well.
Last year, GloRilla rose to prominence with songs such as “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” and “Tomorrow 2.” The 2023 XXL Freshman scored a Best Rap Performance nomination at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.
Season six of BIG3, the 3-on-3 league co-founded by O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson Sr., begins on June 25. Chicago’s United Center will host basketball action as well as rap performances.
Chicago natives Twista, Do or Die, Crucial Conflict, and Shawnna will hit the stage in the midwestern arena. The upcoming concert experience is part of Hip Hop culture’s 50th-anniversary celebration taking place this year.
“Our fans don’t just come for games, they come for the full BIG3 experience, on and off the court. We have persevered for six seasons against all odds and expectations – even through COVID-19,” says Ice Cube.
The BIG3 CEO continues, “Because we have the most skilled players, innovative partners, the best venues, and most importantly, the best fans in sports. We will continue to break barriers and bring in viewers by providing the best sports experience of the summer all season long.”
Ice Cube and co-founder entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz announced the BIG3 in 2017. The inaugural Big3 Championship game took place on August 26, 2017. Trilogy defeated the 3 Headed Monsters.
Coach Stephen Jackson’s Trilogy team is the two-time defending champion. With three overall BIG3 titles in five years, Trilogy looks to add another trophy to its dynasty. The Gilbert Arenas-coached Enemies face the champs in the season opener.
Ice Cube’s Cube Vision production company reportedly teamed with Jesse Collins Entertainment to film a sports docuseries about the BIG3 league. The program will follow Cube as the emcee/actor faces the challenges of building a new basketball league.
Thirteen years after unleashing their iconic collab, Snoop Dogg and Katy Perry have reason to celebrate> This week, their 2010 hit single “California Gurls” was certified diamond (10 million units) by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
The accolade marks the Death Row Records head honcho’s first-ever diamond single. Katy Perry racked up her fourth, making history in the process. She surpassed Lady Gaga on the leaderboard for most Diamond hits amongst women artists.
“California Gurls” served as the lead single on Perry’s third album, Teenage Dream. The song was a critcal success and topped charts cross the globe. Production credits came from Dr. Luke and Max Martin and an additional assist from Benny Blanco. It peaked at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 before holding the spot for six consecutive weeks.
Katy Perry & Snoop Doog: “California Gurls”
However, the song would never have seen the light of day if it wasn’t for another ode-to-my-city single. Katy Perry revealed she tapped Snoop Dogg for “California Gurls” after feeling a touch of envy following JAY-Z and Alicia Keys’ love letter to New York City, “Empire State of Mind.”
“When I came up with the idea of ‘California Gurls,’ it was because I was a little bit jealous of all the love that was given to the East Coast,” she told MTV in 2010. “I thought for sure Tupac was rolling in his grave, and the Beach Boys, Brian Wilson was totally upset.”
According to Katy Perry, it was “perfect timing for a California anthem,” so she hit up Snoop Dogg, and the rest was literally history.
After an extended rollout, Coi Leray has finally delivered her self-titled sophomore album.
The 15-track COI arrived Friday (Jun. 23) with a diverse guest list of features, including appearances from David Guetta, Giggs, James Brown, Lola Brooke, Saucy Santana, and Skillibeng. Stream it at the end of the page.
A string of singles preceded the follow-up Coi Leray’s 2022 debut LP Trendsetters, including “Players,” “Bops,” “My Body,” and “Run It Up.”
The Republic recording artist revealed she’s planning to make her mark with COI, to which she dedicated more than half a year. She explained how Coi differs from her debut offering, stating, “This one you will see growth.”
She told a fan on Twitter, “I sat down and worked on this project for 6.7 months straight. My last project was all my music I made in those couple years. It was lot of pain music. This time, it’s giving B#### IM HERE TO STAY 🤸♀️💘”
This one you will see growth . I sat down and worked on this project for 6.7 months straight. My last project was all my music I made in those couple years. It was lot of pain music. This time, it’s giving B#### IM HERE TO STAY 🤸♀️💘 https://t.co/LGRxcYYsAW
Hours before releasing the album, Coi Leray took to social media to clap back at criticism of her 2021 XXL Freshman Cypher after the outlet announced the 2023 Freshman Class on Wednesday (Jun. 22).
“Can we discuss why Coi Leray has the worst XXL Freshman Cypher ever?” one Twitter user asked while sharing a clip of her verse.
“And the only one who [is] top 10 global in the world right now with 3 songs on the Hot 100,” she replied. “This didn’t determine my journey, I always knew I was destined for greatness. Now look at me. Swimming in hits baby. Y’all [too] busy worried about what someone has to say. Clearly IDGAF.”
Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s highly anticipated new single for the upcoming Barbie movie is here.
“Barbie World” arrived Friday (June 23) and samples Aqua’s iconic 1997 pop hit “Barbie Girl.” The song is featured on the Barbie soundtrack and movie set to hit theaters on July 21.
In the visual, the duo trade bars amid the sugary pink Barbie world and life-sized dollhouse. They later cruise through cotton candy-colored clouds on monogrammed Barbie jet skis. Both rappers even get their own Barbie dolls, which are featured in the intro.
“And I’m bad like the Barbie (Barbie),” the duo raps. “I’m a doll but I still wanna party (Party)/Pink ‘Vette like I’m ready to bend (Bend)/I’m a 10, so I pull in a Ken (Like).”
The collab is the fourth single from Barbie the Album. “Barbie World” follows Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night,” Karol G’s “Watati” and PinkPantheress’ “Angel.”
Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice previously teamed up on the remix to “Princess Diana.” They made history, debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart, the first chart-topper by two co-billed women in the list’s 34-year history.
In January, Ice Spice named Nicki Minaj as a major influence on her artistry.
“When I saw Nicki, I was so mesmerized,” the Bronx native told XXL. “She’s the first female rapper that I [saw]. And ever since then, I was kinda set on what I wanted to be.”
Young Thug invited Lil Durk and Lil Baby to respond to Gunna on his newly released Business Is Business album, according to a couple of leaked audio snippets. The clips, which appear to be jail calls between Thugger and the two rappers, hit the net Thursday night (June 22).
In one clip, a voice that sounds remarkably like Young Thug advises “Durk” to save any response to “f### n###a” Gunna for Business Is Business and reveals the project was due to be released on the same day as Gunna’s A Gift & a Curse album.
“Hey Durk, I’m dropping this surprise album on the same day buddy drop his album,” Young Thug purportedly said. “That s### coming up soon. I need a verse from you If you feel like you want to reply to what that n###a saying, don’t do it. Drop it on my album. I’m dropping a surprise album on the same day f### n###a dropping. Send your verse in bro. I want you and [Lil Baby] on the same song.”
The second audio is seemingly Young Thug making a similar request of “Wham” AKA Lil Baby.
“If you thinking about responding to the lil s### buddy that put out… I want you to respond on my album,” he said. “I’m a drop this spontaneous album on the same day he drop his album, I’m a name that s### ‘Business Is Business.”
Some people online were skeptical of the recordings, writing them off as deep fakes. Others claimed Young Thug’s own sister branded the recordings as AI fakes.
The recording states Young Thug planned to drop his new album at the same time as Gunna (June 16) , but Thugger actually dropped a week later. He also allegedly asked Lil Durk and Lil Baby to hop on a track together, although neither of them appears on Business Is Business.
Earlier this year, Lil Durk accused Gunna of snitching on Young Thug in the YSL Rico Case.
“That man told,” ” he said on DJ Akademiks’ Off The Record podcast. “You shoulda went in there and kept your mouth closed. If you’re a rat, you’re a rat, I f###### hate you. Cause I love Thug.”
Both Durk and Lil Baby reportedly unfollowed Gunna on Instagram shortly after he took an Alford Plea.
Dominating the industry on behalf of Duval County, Lil Westside remains on a rapid rise with back-to-back bangers under Burke’s new label 50/40 Records. Having kept the new signee in heavy rotation, Lil Westside premieres the new raved release “Up All Night” following her hot hit, “I Am Not Them”. In fact, the previously praised single racked up more than 70K views in less than 24 hours following its unveiling.
Trailblazing through the industry all 2023, the standout star keeps releasing raved records from her album Underdog:A Westside Story. From “Rearrangement”, “BOOLING ON THE WESTSIDE” to “I Am Not Them,” to the latest offering “Up All Night”, Lil Westside has been arriving and appearing all over on a weekly basis.
Furthermore, the rising rhymer proves that she’s on an unstoppable strive to the top of her stardom! Don’t believe me? Press play on the astounding album, Underdog:A Westside Story available on your preferred streaming platform. For now, press play on the premiere visuals for her highlighted hit “Up All Night” here at All Hip Hop. Lastly, let us know what you think!
Young Thug awaits trial in the YSL RICO case, but his legal troubles aren’t stopping him from dropping music.
The embattled rapper revealed the imminent release of a new album titled Business Is Business on Thursday (June 22). He tagged Metro Boomin in the announcement.
“BUSINESS IS BUSINESS TONIGHT,” Young Thug declared via Instagram. “@metroboomin let’s go.”
Metro Boomin confirmed the album’s release in his own Instagram post.
“BUSINESS IS BUSINESS THE ALBUM AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE TONIGHT!!” he wrote. “DROP SOME [fire emojis] IF YOU READY. #FREETWIN I LOVE YOU BRO.”
Last week, Young Thug teased the project by sharing a QR code on social media. Business Is Business will be his first album since 2021’s Punk.
Young Thug remains in jail with no start date in sight for the YSL RICO trial. Jury selection began in January, but no jurors have been seated over the past six months.
The 300 Entertainment artist was one of 28 people named in the original indictment against YSL members. Gunna, Young Thug’s brother Unfoonk and others accepted plea deals in the RICO case.
Young Thug is one of the eight defendants left in the YSL RICO trial. Several co-defendants had their cases severed during the slow-moving jury selection process.
Killer Mike is walking back claims André 3000 has a new solo album on the way. During a recent interview with Atlanta radio station V-103, the Run The Jewels juggernaut was asked about the comments he made during an interview with Sway Calloway. He quickly copped to playing with fans’ emotions.
“I was stoned out of my mind playing, teasing with y’all,” he said. “Y’all done took the joke too seriously. But you know, [Andre 3000’s] always making music. He’s never not making music. So I got a chance to hear a lot of cool stuff… If you want to hear Dre though, I know where you can. It’s this album called Michael that’s out right now. There is Dre, Future, and Killer Mike.”
Outkast fans, of course, were losing their collective minds following Killer Mike’s revelation. In a clip making the rounds on Instagram, Calloway said, “What I’m hearing is Dre got an album coming,” to which Killer Mike replied, “Yeah, I think we fly out in a couple weeks to go listen to it.”
Calloway said, “Wow, that’s amazing. André 3000 got an album coming.” When someone mentioned he thought they were joking, Calloway said, “Nah, he said he played him nine tracks of stuff he already he had. That mean Dre sitting on volumes of songs.”
Of course, Killer Mike could simply be covering his tracks and 3 Stacks could very well be on the verge of dropping new music. Outkast hasn’t released an album since 2006’s Idlewild, following a run of albums that includes multiple hip-hop classics—from Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (1994) and ATLiens (1996) to Aquemini (1998) and Stankonia (2000).
André 3000’s verse on Killer Mike’s Michael single, “Scientists & Engineers,” has stoked the flames though, and many Hip-Hop fans are clamoring for more from the elusive Atlanta-bred MC. André 3000 has been spotted out and about playing his flute in recent years, seemingly without a care in the world. Fans will have to wait and see if he’s been cooking new solo material in the studio—as difficult as that is. In the meantime, listen to “Scientists & Engineers” featuring André 3000 and Future below.
Memphis officials raised questions about a nonprofit’s use of city funds to book Saucy Santana for an HIV testing event, which the rapper no-showed over the Juneteenth weekend.
One Memphis One Vision founder Devante Hill claimed he recruited Saucy Santana to help draw a crowd for an event designed to help homeless people with HIV. Hill said he booked the rapper for $30,000, but Saucy Santana missed a flight and never appeared at the event.
“It wasn’t just, ‘Let’s have a party and celebrate Pride!’” Hill told WREG. “No, there was actually a mission and an objective behind actually booking this particular talent.”
Hill accused Saucy Santana of pocketing an advance and threatened to sue the rapper. But Hill may have bigger problems on his hands since the funds allegedly came from grant money, which wasn’t meant to be used to hire a celebrity.
“One Memphis One Vision was given a grant for their Juneteenth weekend through the Department of Housing and Community Development for HIV testing and to rehab two blighted homes to combat homelessness among youth 18-24 who test positive for HIV as part of a matching grant with Lowes,” Memphis communication officer Allison Fouche explained in a press statement. “This grant was not intended to hire entertainment for the event.”
Hill denied any wrongdoing.
“It was clear when we asked for the grant and applied for the grant that we wanted to create a very large testing event and that we needed to compel a specific demographic of people, and we had a solution as to how we were able to do that,” he told WREG.
Saucy Santana told TMZ he only received half of the deposit for the event. He alleged One Memphis One Vision was trying to paint him as a villain even though he still offered to come after missing his flight.
Memphis officials asked Hill to provide documentation on his use of the grant money.
He made the reveal via Instagram, writing, “Ya heard? Spread the word! New @deadprez x @blackthought on the way! #albummode #deadprez.” He included a photo of himself, fellow dead prez member M-1 and Black Thought who appear to be posted up at a studio.
Black Thought is decades into his career but seems more prolific than ever. In addition to his regular gig with The Roots in the house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, he’s been pumping out albums like a machine. In 2022, he released the gorgeously layered Cheat Codes album with Danger Mouse. Eight months later, he followed up with Glorious Game, his joint project with El Michaels Affair. He also managed to help produce The Roots Picnic, which took place June 2-4 in Philly.
As for dead prez, the duo spoke to Rock The Bells about their next album last October.
“The camaraderie in the group is hot,” stic said at the time. “I think the ‘hiatus’—which it isn’t really; we’ve each been doing crazy s### in between time individually—was needed. We needed to take a pause, rest, let it breathe, process, let other people speak, learn, live. When the energy feels right and the inspiration is not forced and there’s nothing compelling you to do it except the energy itself, that’s when you feel it.”
M-1 added, “I can’t give away too much, but I can say the team is back, the band is back together and the boys are back in town. We’re working with some of the people we’ve worked with over the years to cultivate the sound. We’re working with some really formidable guys. From the Loud reunion, I had the chance to speak to some of the best producers—people like Juicy J, RZA and Pete Rock, a Loud affiliate. They got really excited. Everybody wants to throw us some production.”
stic also revealed they are working with several longtime collaborators, including Sean C. He continued, “We working with mentors of ours and the homies—ain’t no ‘yes folks’ around us. There’s enough people in the room saying, ‘Make sure you got some s### like this ‘cause that’s what we want!’ Don’t worry—we got you covered.”
Dax has a lot to celebrate, but he’s nowhere near where he wants to be. Hailing from Ottawa, Canada, the singer, songwriter, and rapper prides himself in creating impactful music, even deeming it its own genre. Whether he’s rapping or singing, Dax aims to leave his mark on the earth in the most positive way possible, creating from a heartfelt and vulnerable place each and every time.
Most recently, Dax unveiled his critically-acclaimed new single and visual titled “To Be A Man,” who’s official music video clocks in over 9 million views in just two months. With an affinity for country music, Dax continues to showcase his versatility, even performing the song live on national television at the Canadian Country Music Awards. He then launched an open verse challenge on socials, recruiting his 10 favorite ones to come to Los Angeles to shoot the video for the song’s remix.
“To Be A Man” joins Dax’s catalog of hits, including “Depression,” the Gold-certified “Dear God,” and the Platinum-certified “Dear Alcohol” released last year. He also recently hit one billion views on Youtube, giving hope to all independent artists around the world that they too can follow in his footsteps.
AllHipHop spoke with Dax in downtown Los Angeles to discuss his tattoos, the new release, journey on YouTube, his top 5 artists in rotation, goals, upcoming music, and more!
AllHipHop: How you been since the last time we spoke?
Dax: It’s been years. I’ve been good man, trying to stick to myself and do my thing. Continuously I have my lane and carving out space in it, then just building a comfortable life. Now I’m trying to continuously add peace into that, family wise. Help the ones who were older than me, like my parents who are now retiring. My dad actually retires in a week, so gotta handle all that stuff. It’s cool, gaining more responsibilities while also trying to create a legacy of my own.
AllHipHop: What does your hand tattoo say?
Dax: This one says, AMEN. I’m always blessed, because I’m left-handed. So whenever the left hand makes contact [places hand on shoulder], everyone’s blessed.
AllHipHop: What’son your other hand? This one, so
Dax: This one, “YourWorthIt.org” was a song I had with Hopsin.
AllHipHop:Fast forward, “To Be A Man” out now. What inspires you to do a country record?
Dax: I’ve always said I do whatever comes naturally when the beat comes on. “Dear Alcohol” was my first singing single, but I had sung before. I’ve lived in Wyoming. I’ve lived in Montana. I’ve lived in Kansas. I’ve spent a lot of time in Mississippi because my dad worked there, so I’ve always had this influence. I was born in Newfoundland, which is very small and little, so I’m used to those small places.
It’s crazy, my first artist name was almost Cowboy. Never ended up happening. That’s just my monotone singing voice. “I got wasted…” [sings] But in terms of the song itself, s### being a man inspired it. As I get older, I have more responsibilities and more people I have to take care of. So the realization of dang, this is what I have to do. Might not be appreciated for it, but it is what it is. Also seeing my dad, how he’s aged. I know he feels oftentimes unappreciated, so growing into that. I’m about to be 30…
AllHipHop: Still super young.
Dax: Is it? I’m 29 now, but sometimes because of the things I’ve lived and been through, I feel like I’m older.
AllHipHop: Did you expect “To Be A Man” to do what it did?
Dax: When I first made “To Be A Man,” okay there’s eight billion people on earth. Well at least half of them are men, or close. So any man who hears this song is going to resonate in some type of way. And any woman who hears this song may not resonate with it in terms of her intimate relationship with the man she’s with, but she may relate in terms of her father. I think this song is going to do well because whoever hears it, they’re one person away from relation to what’s been said.
AllHipHop: What was the message you were trying to convey in the music video?
Dax: We went back to Kansas, which is where I spent 4 years of my life. I went to college, I did high school out there for a bit. I wanted to make it real. I didn’t want to have no actors, so everyone in the video is essentially people who actually do those jobs. The truck driver, the welder, the construction worker. All those different things, it was people who do those jobs. I wanted to make the video authentic and relatable.
AllHipHop:Best memory from shooting the video?
Dax: S###, it was such a hectic 3 days. We all went to dinner somewhere, I hadn’t been to dinner in a minute, I don’t go out a lot. We’re sitting at this Asian restaurant, it was dope. Everyone was talking, I was chillin’. It felt so natural. I felt like I was back in high school or college again. That was my greatest memory, dinner with everybody.
AllHipHop:Talk about the open verse challenge you’re doing.
Dax: I did the open verse challenge on socials, and I chose 10 people. My 10 favorite verses. I flew them out, got them a hotel, and we filmed the official music video for the remix that dropped right before Father’s Day.
What I think is so crazy, it’s no shade. There could be a kid in Istanbul who’s more talented than some of the best artists in the music “industry.” It’s amazing I could do an open verse challenge. Who are all these people we’ve never heard of? But they’re more talented than some of the people we hear on the radio. The songs. It’s a beautiful masterpiece. I’m doing the hook and they all do their verses. I love when people see that because wow, there’s really talent everywhere. But sometimes, people don’t get the opportunity.
AllHipHop: What can we expect from that video?
Dax: Man, the video is amazing. I’m really excited to see what people think. We had a whole studio and every single person got their own set, even the few who couldn’t make it in person are in it. The video is amazing, I think it’s going to really touch a lot of people.
AllHipHop: How’d it feel to have “Dear God” go Gold?
Dax: It felt great. I have multiple plaques: “She Cheated Again” is Gold, “JOKER RETURNS” is Gold. Because I finally did a publishing thing. Now that I’m doing a publishing thing for my songs, okay now they can get me my Gold thing. When you don’t have that it’s very hard to acquire these things. It feels good, because the way it went Gold to me is what I liked the most. Dropping it independently and all these dope things, so it feels good.
AllHipHop: I love that you say “my genre of music is called Impact.”
Dax: Yes ma’am, that’s the genre for real. I don’t know why I don’t have “impact” tatted on me somewhere.
AllHipHop:Next tat?
Dax: Yeah, it’s gotta be.
AllHipHop:You signed to Columbia, right?
Dax: I signed to RECORDS, it’s a small division of it. They’re attached to Columbia, and that’s attached to Sony. 4 months after “Dear Alcohol” dropped, I’m like man, this song needs to be on the radio. Let me figure out how I can try to make that happen. So I signed that song to RECORDS, and I’m doing an EP with them. Once I signed that, I woke up like oh s###, RECORDS is attached to Columbia. Oh s###, that’s Sony Music. Now I’m a part of Sony Music Canada. I signed with this small Records, all of a sudden it’s attached to this. Attached to that, G#####, that’s wild. You wake up, all of a sudden you’re attached to all this other s###.
AllHipHop: How‘d it feel to get one billion views on YouTube?
Dax: One bill feels good. It’s a lot of people, a lot of views. What I like most about views, every single view, it’s an individual person living their own life. That’s cool. I discovered this word called “sonder” about a year ago. It basically means everyone’s living a separate life with a separate story that you know nothing about. So the billion is wow, there’s that many people from different walks of life who have seen something I’ve made. It’s cool.
AllHipHop:What are your tips for YouTube?
Dax: Hashtagging is important. YouTube shorts are really doing well now, I’ve tried to start dabbling into that. YouTube was the last thing I did. I started on Facebook, Instagram. Essentially what I do for YouTube, I try to think okay, what’s big on YouTube is people who react to stuff. That’s big on there, music wise. Audio channels. Really the titling is important.
AllHipHop:When you post, that’s important?
Dax: Not as much with the way YouTube is now. It’s really more about the titling of it and engaging, what is the clip?
AllHipHop:Top 5 artists in rotation?
Dax: Who do I listen to a lot? Top 5 artists in rotation, besides myself, I listen to a lot of Chris Stapleton. He’s a country artist. I listen to a lot of Lily Rose, she’s a country artist too. I listen to that song, “I got a fast car…” [sings] People would probably never think this, I listen to Lil Baby a lot. “California Breeze,” I listen to that on repeat when I workout. I listen to Burna Boy. I listen to that one song, NBA Youngboy and Migos “Need It.” No one would expect that. When I’m working out, I play that one on repeat.
AllHipHop: What‘re you most excited for next?
Dax: My next songs. I’m doing Blues Fest, Calgary Stampede. I got a Canadian Tour, then American tour. To continue building, doing more shows. I got crazy songs coming out. Insane, impactful songs. I got a song coming out called “God’s Eyes,” that’s gonna be crazy. Man, I got a song called “Life” coming. I got a song called “The Abyss.” I got a song called “Divorce. There’s so many dope conceptual songs I’m excited to drop.
AllHipHop:Any goals for yourself?
Dax: I’m excited to continue to fight to get my music the recognition it deserves. I’d like to do more “music industry” things people who make good music get the chance to do, so putting myself in a position to do more things. That excites me. Get respected for the work I do. I’d love to win a Grammy, a CCMA, all these different cool things.
AllHipHop: How did it feel to get all that recognition in the country genre?
Dax: It felt dope. What’s dope about it is I didn’t try to make a country song. “Dear Alcohol” was a poem I wrote when I was in college, when I was drinking. I was still drinking when I wrote the actual “Dear Alcohol” poem. I like it because it’s a real thing. It just happened that my voice sounded that way, then it was put in the country space.
Everyone’s super nice. The writing in country music is amazing. Every single song has a plot, a theme, metaphors, ways to describe it that connects cyclically. I really like what they promote: family, beer. [laughs] Nah I’m kidding.
AllHipHop:Were you nervous to do the TV performance at the Canadian Country Music Awards?
Dax: That was the most nervous I’ve ever been for sure.
AllHipHop:Anything else you want to let the people know?
Dax: Man, keep chasing your dreams. Get in the gym, workout. If you’re a man, do some push ups. Girls do push ups too. Workout, get the blood flowing. Life is better caffeinated, just control your caffeine intake. I tried both. I like life with a little bit of coffee. Pray
Prosecutors failed to convince a judge to deny bail to Boosie Badazz in a federal gun case.
According to NBC San Diego, Judge Cathy Bencivengo denied the prosecution’s request to keep Boosie in jail on Thursday (June 22). The judge agreed with a previous ruling made by Judge Allison Goddard, who granted the rapper bail on Tuesday (June 20).
Prosecutors appealed Judge Goddard’s decision, claiming Boosie was a danger to the community. Judge Bencivengo rejected the appeal but raised Boosie’s bond to $100,000.
Last month, police arrested Boosie following a traffic stop in San Diego. He was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The state gun case was dismissed on June 14.
Federal agents apprehended Boosie on the same day as the state’s dismissal. The feds also charged with him being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Earlier this week, Judge Goddard allowed Boosie to be released on a $50,000 bond in the federal gun case. But the outspoken artist remained in jail while prosecutors appealed the ruling.
“After the judge has granted me a bond, and I paid my full cash amount the prosecution refuse to respect the judges decision to let me go,” he wrote on Twitter. “They showed no evidence of me being a flight risk or a danger to the community.”
Boosie asked his Twitter followers to “protest the injustice” done to him. He shared a photo of one fan who showed up to court in San Diego on Thursday.
Jim Jones has taken a dig at Pusha T, who appeared to diss the Dipset rapper on a new Clipse song that debuted during Pharrell’s first Louis Vuitton show.
Fans assumed Pusha T subliminally dissed Jim Jones for suggesting the Clipse member wasn’t a Top 50 rapper. Jim Jones referenced his past comments in response to the diss on Thursday (June 22).
“That was not a Top 50 verse,” he said in an Instagram video. “Not at all. Still not in my Top 50.”
He added in the caption, “Lol [that] verse did not make [the] list champ it was cute.”
Earlier this year, Jim Jones scoffed at Billboard putting Pusha T on its list of the 50 greatest rappers of all time. The New York-bred artist downplayed Pusha T’s impact in a debate on Spotify’s RapCaviar podcast.
“What has [Pusha T] done that puts him in the greatest rappers of all time besides talk about coke that he probably didn’t get himself?” he said. “He’s nice! He’s nice as s###. He could rap his ass off, but what has he done?”
Pusha T warned unidentified “veterans” about mentioning his name on the new Clipse track. But Jim Jones remained unimpressed with King Push.
Listen to the Clipse song below.
new CLIPSE (Pusha T and Malice) from LV show – full song – first CLIPSE record in 13 years? pic.twitter.com/kd2M2BneUo
Kodak Black’s lawyer is speaking out, addressing the sentencing disparity between what his client got and what the President of the United States’ son got for the same crime.
Both were convicted of the same federal weapons crimes, but the Florida rapper was hit with three years in prison and Hunter Biden was given a plea deal that will require him to do no jail time. President Joe Biden’s Justice Department negotiated the first son’s generous deal. This apparently outraged the chart-topper and his legal team, led by Bradford Cohen.
“There’s no such thing as not getting jail time on a gun charge on any kind of gun charge,” Cohen said in an interview with FOX News. “The Justice Department announced Tuesday that Hunter Biden agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax. The younger Biden also agreed to enter into a pretrial diversion agreement with regard to a separate charge of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.”
People took to Twitter to discuss the Kodak Black and Hunter Biden comparisons. One person pointed out, “Kodak Black got off easy. He was a felon already.Was Hunter a felon before this? No, he wasn’t.” Another added, “So after rapper Kodak Black brings to the attention of everyone that Hunter is getting off scot free for the same charge Black committed, yet Black got a 3 yr prison sentence, now Broward Co FL submits that Black failed to provide a urine sample, VOP. Coincidences.”
So after rapper Kodak Black brings to the attention of everyone that Hunter is getting off scottfree for the same charge Black committed, yet Black got a 3yr prison sentence… now Broward Co FL submits that Black failed to provide a urine sample, VOP. Coincidences
— **I EAT NO FOR BREAKFAST** (@3nosnibor) June 22, 2023
Ask Kodak Black if lying on a gun application is not prosecuted. You are nothing more than a smug democrat shill.
As previously reported by AllHipHop, Kodak Black was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to weapons charges. These charges weren’t dumped on a clean slate— he already had prior convictions despite being 22 years old at the time. He admitted to falsifying information on federal forms so that he would be eligible to buy four firearms from a Miami-area gun shop, not once but twice.
Cohen also took to Instagram to express what he sees is a two-faced justice system.
“2 tiers of justice?” he captioned the post. “Kodak was charged for the same crime. Got over 3 years. Mr. Biden will not serve a day. Feels right? Do FBI agents and federal authorities take cases personally?”
In 2021, Kodak Black’s 46-month sentence was commuted by former POTUS Donald Trump and he has been an ally since. In other news, an arrest warrant has been issued for Kodak Black’s arrest after he allegedly broke the law again.
ARRESTED AGAIN?: Rapper Kodak Black is facing yet another criminal charge after allegedly missing another meeting with pretrial services in a felony drug case in Broward County, according to an arrest warrant obtained Thursday by Local 10 News. https://t.co/4dfmm8Naqy
Kodak Black is once again in the spotlight due to a new arrest warrant issued in Broward County. The warrant accuses Black of failing to submit to mandated drug and alcohol testing on June 9, a key condition of his pre-trial release program.
The rapper had been ordered earlier this year to spend 90 days in a treatment program for violating his supervised release terms in a federal gun case. This came after he reportedly failed a drug test, which prompted a court hearing.
The latest arrest warrant for Black comes as the rapper has been thrust into the national spotlight due to the disparity between his sentence and that of Hunter Biden’s, son of President Joe Biden, for lying on a federal form for a gun application.
Both Kodak Black and Hunter Biden had pleaded guilty to illegally owning a gun while abusing drugs after denying drug use when applying for their gun permits. However, Black was sentenced to more than three years in prison, while Biden made a plea deal to avoid jail time.
Black’s attorney, Bradford Cohen, and a number of prominent conservatives have openly criticized the discrepancy in sentencing. They argue that similar offenses have led to jail time for individuals like Black, while Biden has avoided such a fate.
“With Kodak, not only did he get the 46 months after he got the sentence commuted, the FBI agent that investigated him and arrested him for that charge continues to stop him to try to harass him,” Cohen told Sean Hannity before the most recent arrest warrant was issued.
“He reported him to Homeland Security for carrying more than $10,000 in cash,” Cohen added. “So not only a two-tiered justice system, it might even be a three-tiered system.”
The public and legal scrutiny of Black’s case comes amid a broader national debate about racial and social disparities in the U.S. criminal justice system, with many pointing to this case as an example of a perceived two-tiered justice system.
Tamla Records, a smaller label founded by music executive Berry Gordy in 1958, is set to relaunch. Instead of being associated with the historic Motown Records—the label responsible for the mega careers of Stevie Wonder, The Miracles, Eddie Holland and more—it will now be under the umbrella of Capitol Music Group (CMG) and Capitol Christian Music Group (Capitol CMG).
According to a press release, Capitol CMG’s current SVP of Marketing, EJ Gaines, will run the imprint with a focus on positive Hip-Hop and R&B music.
“We are thrilled to be re-launching the Tamla imprint,” CMG Co-Presidents Brad O’Donnell and Hudson Plachy said in a joint statement. “We want to honor the iconic history of the label founded by Mr. Gordy, and Tillie Mann and Encouragement Music are exactly the kind of partners that we want to work with.
“EJ Gaines is a seasoned executive who we know will guide Tamla along with the support of our overall Capitol CMG staff. We are grateful to Michelle Jubelirer and Capitol for their belief in this new venture.”
Jubelirer, CMG chair/CEO, added, “The relaunch of Tamla broadens our company’s commitment to Hip-Hop and R&B music, as well as to the artists, label partners, and creative executives who have joined Capitol Music Group over the past 18 months. The artists EJ and his team will bring to Tamla will complement the incredible talent across our label group and will have everyone’s support throughout the wider company.”
EJ Gaines also commented on the relaunch, saying, “Tamla has always been home to incredible music that has shifted culture. I’m excited to continue its rich legacy with groundbreaking, mainstream music that is faith-formed and culture-forward. I’m grateful to Hudson, Brad, and Michelle for trusting me with this honor.”
