Days after rapper EverybodyKnowsLo was murdered inside a South Beach nightclub, his mother and sisters are speaking out and asking “Why?”
AllHipHop.com reported that Lo was fatally shot on Sunday, May 7, at the Gala Nightclub in Miami. Two others were injured in the melee, prompted by a gunman that still authorities have no lead to.
The rapper, who recorded with artists like Tyga, Hitmaka, and Chris Brown, was deeply loved by his mother, Alexandria Derossi. She flew in from California to attend a vigil that was set up by friends and fans.
“Why he’s not here with us? Why someone would take away our joy?” She asked, continuing, “Take away someone that we love so deeply.”
The mother recalled the last words her son said to her, a gift she will never forget. Over the telephone, she said her son told her, “I love you. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
According to Derossi, her son lived his life with “fearlessness.”
“Lowell did everything his way. He lived his life to the fullest and even though he was born and raised in California, Miami was his place. This was his home.”
His sisters added that he was also a protector that looked out for them and “did an amazing job taking care” of them.
While the shooter is still on the loose, the mother said she is “ praying for their soul.”
“I’m praying for their conscious I want them to know that they took my most precious jewel from me and from all of these people,” she said.
No details on his homegoing services have been shared at the time of publishing.
Quality Control CEO Pierre “P” Thomas responded to snitching accusations after his alleged paperwork surfaced online.
YouTuber 1090 Jake detailed how Thomas allegedly snitched on a man named Anterioes Keon McClinton in a video published on Wednesday (May 10). Thomas downplayed the claims and referenced the $300 million sale of Quality Control in an Instagram Stories post.
“I see that [$300 million] got all them hating ass n##### mad back home,” Thomas wrote. “Anybody know me know my character. Our culture so f##### up it’s sad y’all living this imaginary street dream. I’m changing lives and changing my family curse.”
The Quality Control executive didn’t mention McClinton by name but appeared to reference the deadly attack that led to McClinton’s arrest. Thomas allegedly spoke to police and identified McClinton as the man who killed the CEO’s friend Q.
“I don’t got no love for no n#### that try to kill me or mine,” Thomas wrote. “I ain’t in the streets. [Never] wanted to be I played the hand I was dealt and made something out of it, y’all bum ass n##### should do the same. Stop glorifying dumb s###.”
The Quality Control boss continued, “RIP to my dawg Q a innocent man with 5 kids who lost his life to a bum ass n#### who didn’t value his own. I’m a [GOAT] don’t ever confuse me with a [rat]. Now take that fraudulent incident report and stick it up y’all ass. I love my freedom so stop playing with it.”
McClinton reportedly pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He died several months after his release from prison.
Hip-Hop photographer Jamel Shabazz, known for documenting the start of the culture in the early 80s and 90s, is collaborating with renowned textile artist Anders Jones. The two have combined their talents to create toile-style wallpaper for people’s homes or workspaces with images of old school Hip-Hop scattered throughout.
The project is called “Back In The Days.”
According to Ivy Nicole Jones, the wallpaper tells a story “that celebrates Black and Brown inner city youth culture.”
In some of the scenes, folk in B-boy stands basically ooze the energy of New York City, and seems to be a perfect move to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop.
The Welancora Art Gallery announced that the two artists a part of an exhibition at a museum that is celebrating the culture.
On Instagram, the gallery said, “An exhibition series titled ‘About New York Now: A Photography Triennial’ is currently on view at the Museum of the City of New York. The Museum plans to put out a newly themed photographic exhibition every three years; this year, the theme is ‘home’, posing the questions such as ‘what does home in New York City look like today?’ and ‘who fits in that family photo?’”
“Works on view include an installation featuring ‘Back in the Days,’ which is a collaborative wallpaper project between artist and textile designer Anders Jones and iconic photographer Jamel Shabazz. Jones’ renderings of a curated selection of Shabazz images, paired with a classic design and textured layers of subtle color, come together to create a warm and elegant tribute to the thriving of inner-city youth culture,” it continued.
Jones is currently selling the wallpaper so anyone can have the wallpaper in their spots. It sold on Jones’ Ether and Earth Design’s website.
Bankrol Hayden has released his long-awaited, critically-acclaimed project 29, and fans couldn’t be happier. After three long years of patience, the 19-track project serves as a reminder of Bankrol’s place in the rap game: someone who overcame the odds and never lost sight of the hard work it takes to achieve one’s wildest dreams.
Bankrol Hayden states, “29 is my divine number. It’s a number that brings the worst and best memories. And a number that follows me, guides me. I had the opportunity to work with some of my close friends on my second mixtape and I’m proud of the different layers fans will get to experience of me. It represents the peaks and pits of my life the last three years and I was fortunate to work with producers, writers who helped me display my duality on this project.”
Boasting an incredibly loyal and dedicated fanbase, Bankrol Hayden is a Modesto, California native who has one hell of a story to tell. Having survived a near fatal car accident at age 16, one that left him on life support for six days, Bankrol truly sees music as an outlet to express himself. His unique vocals stand out no matter the production, and his vulnerability allows fans to listen and relate.
Plus, having accumulated a billion streams to your name is no easy feat — but Bankrol is here for a billion more. He’s currently on the road for his first ever headlining tour, and he can hardly contain his excitement to meet his fans in every city he touches.
AllHipHop spoke with Bankrol Hayden in downtown Los Angeles to discuss his 29 tour (he’s currently on now), the new project, getting Blueface, Ohgeesy, and Maxo Kream on “Bop Slide” himself, linking with Lil Skies, throwing the first pitch at the SF Giants game, goals, and more!
AllHipHop: How are you feeling? It’s been a minute.
Bankrol Hayden: I’m feeling good. I’m a little nervous right now, ready for tour.
AllHipHop: You’re nervous?!
Bankrol Hayden: A little bit. Just packing enough clothes, suitcases, all this stuff I need. I feel like once I’m on the road. I’m gonna be like man! I forgot this back home, I need this. They ain’t gon’ have that at Target. That’s been what I’ve been worried about, but just been doing rehearsal every day getting ready.
AllHipHop: First headlining tour ,I’m sure you dreamed of this growing up.
Bankrol Hayden: Definitely, s### is surreal. F###, we get our own bus. My old friends coming with me. Everyone coming together, it’s gonna be crazy. I never thought I’d have a headlining tour this soon, it’s wild.
AllHipHop: You recently dropped 29, how you feeling?
Bankrol Hayden: I’m feeling good. 29 out now, all platforms! It’s about all the highs and lows of my career. The number 29 is the day of my accident, it’s the day my grandma passed away. It’s an angel number for me.
AllHipHop: Why’d it take three years?
Bankrol Hayden: Man, it was really so much stuff changing from team to A&R to management. So many pieces moving that the music got delayed. So many people left my side and came back, that it took that long to really make the album. I had the music in a year or two, but it was so much other details that were slowing it down.
AllHipHop: How hyped were your fans when you dropped it? Because they’ve been waiting.
Bankrol Hayden: They were hyped! They like it forreal. The most fan favorite is “2001,” the first song on the album.
AllHipHop: You got a favorite?
Bankrol Hayden: Honestly probably that one. I like “2001,” it’s more of a real side of me. You get to know me on a deeper level, rather than songs like “Cabo” or “Costa Rica.” The songs people mostly know me for. “2001” gave you a deeper, more personal meaning of me.
AllHipHop: I’ve been bumping “Bop Slide.” You making club bangers now?!
Bankrol Hayden: Yeah, that’s what we was trying to go for on that. We were trying to make a West Coast club record. At first, it was literally just me, then I got Blueface on it. I literally got everyone on it by myself. For Blueface, we’ve always been cool. I tapped in with him. I tapped in with his homie to get it to the finish line. Wack 100 also helped out a lot. Shout out Wack.
For Maxo, we met at Complexcon in Long Beach. Just buying clothes. We chopped it up, I sent him a record. He liked that one. How OHGEESY got on, was due to a producer friend of mine named Diego. He said “pull up, OHGEESY’s cutting it right now. Come through.” I watched it in person.
AllHipHop: Bring us back to when you came up with that hook, that’s a bop in itself.
Bankrol Hayden: Shoot, I was in the producer’s house, we’re sitting on this couch. We were trying to go for something catchy. We literally recorded it in his living room, never re-recorded it. That was the same vocals of mine, s### was crazy.
Producer credits: Alex Goldblatt (Roddy Ricch), Tom Levesque (Roddy Ricch, YG, Ty Dolla $ign), Callan Wong (Lil Mosey, Lil Tecca) and Diego Ave (Megan Thee Stallion, Wiz Khalifa, Kali, Doechii).
AllHipHop: That’s gonna be a fun one to tour too.
Bankrol Hayden: Hell yeah. For LA, I’m thinking about doing something real special. I don’t wanna spoil it too much. I’m thinking Arden Jones to do “Can’t Change For You” live, bring out charlieonaafriday. I’m bringing my brother Zzz. out to do “Penthouse.” Maybe OHGEESY, Blueface, if that works on their schedule. I haven’t asked them yet, but shouldn’t be a problem forreal.
AllHipHop: I was just at Babyface Ray’s show at The Novo, he brought out OHGEESY.
Bankrol Hayden: That’s hard. He’s lit! They sleeping on OHGEESY. He got a core, cult fanbase.
AllHipHop: Best memory from that video shoot?
Bankrol Hayden: It was so long. I was so hungry, I was so out of it. It was just snacks, I was eating Doritos all day. I’m like bro, I need some real food. Best memory, they had me on this ladder, 10 feet in the air. Not even strapped on to anything, doing my own stunts for the video. [laughs] That was cool. Other than that, Chrisean being there was funny. It was cool seeing them interact in person, after seeing all the videos on the internet.
AllHipHop: How’d you feel about Chrisean making the song s###?
Bankrol Hayden: S###, that was hard. When I first got it, wait what? No he didn’t! This is gonna go crazy. I liked it.
AllHipHop: Blueface did the verse on his own and sent it to you?
Bankrol Hayden: At first, it’s crazy. We were in the studio a year ago. That’s how long I’ve had this song, a year ago. I’m like “Bro, you gotta hop on this song.” “Yeah this is a banger Bro,” he was gonna hop on it. We’re literally in the studio, engineer’s playing the beat. He’s writing the verse. He’s like “Bro, you wanna go to the club right now? I’m not even trying to record tonight.” [laughs] I swear, we just go out to the club. I’m like alright yeah, let’s go out.
We went to somewhere on La Brea, this small spot up top. It was lit. Literally a year later, we finally get him on the song.
AllHipHop: You didn’t even get him on the song that night?
Bankrol Hayden: Not that night. We went to the club. Time went by, we didn’t really push the issue on it. But I always knew it was gonna be somebody from the West Coast, someone on them club type of records.
AllHipHop: Those features I feel like were perfect for that record.
Bankrol Hayden: Forreal man. A&Red by me man! We in here, put it in motion.
AllHipHop: I know you got Lil Skies on the project too.
Bankrol Hayden: Lil Skies goes hard on “Deep End,” that was a special one. That one really connected with the fans, everyone related to it. That s### was dope. Skies is the first big artist that ever reached out to me. When I dropped “Costa Rica,” he hit me up. “Keep going bro, keep doing ya thing.” It was cool when we did “Deep End,” it was genuine. It wasn’t just “let’s pay this guy for a feature,” it was some real genuine friendship s###.
AllHipHop: What would 15-year-old Bankrol Hayden say to you now?
Bankrol Hayden: I be thinking about that, it’s so crazy. I’ll probably be like nah, you’re lying. That’s not true.
Man, I always knew I was gon’ be something. I didn’t know what, or how I was gon’ do it. I always was a dream type of kid. Growing up, it was skateboarding. Thinking I’ma go pro skateboarding. Then playing basketball, I’ma go pro playing basketball. I’m hella short, it’s not even realistic.
I always had the mindset of chasing a dream over a job, a 9 to 5. I’m not knocking the 9 to 5, everybody’s gotta get it the way they get it. I’d probably tell myself, man look how far we came. S###’s crazy, it’s really happening. Not everything’s happening yet, but we’re on our way.
AllHipHop: Anything else you’re excited about?
Bankrol Hayden: Tour, meeting fans face to face. VIP, and traveling around these cities. Drop more music, and get to the next chapter of this s### forreal. Start dropping new music.
AllHipHop: How was it throwing the first pitch at the Giants game?
Bankrol Hayden: Nah that’s hard. That s### was crazy. I literally f##### up, I threw the pitch and the ball hits the dirt. This was so bad, it bounces off the dirt and hits the camera lady in the head. Hella hard bro. It was on the news in San Francisco: “rapper Bankrol Hayden throws the first pitch and hits her head.” [laughs] She was mad too. It’d be like if you were at home plate filming me throwing it, and it hits you in the head. She was for sure embarrassed, I felt terrible.
AllHipHop: Did you laugh?
Bankrol Hayden: I don’t even remember what happened, what I did. I’m like, oh I’m sorry.
AllHipHop: That’s a lot of eyes on you.
Bankrol Hayden: For sure, I’m always more nervous for s### like that. Even in Atlanta, we recently did courtside at the Hawks game. They put the camera on me, I don’t know why I’d be more nervous in a sports environment. I’ll walk out at Juice WRLD’s show, 20K people I’m not that nervous. But then
sitting at the Hawks game, them putting the spotlight on me, I’m like ugh. Sports be different, it’s a different crowd. That’s probably what it is too, it’s not my typical supporters. They’re on rap music and stuff.
AllHipHop: Giants is dope because that’s the Bay!
Bankrol Hayden: Nah forreal, I’m from Modesto. Man, I played on the Junior Giants baseball team when I was a little kid. Used to go to Giants games, me and my family. 49ers games. It’s complicated because people think Modesto — out here, I have to say the Bay Area. If I say Modesto, people aren’t gonna know where it is. But in the Bay Area, if you were to say “this is The Bay,” never gang. This is not The Bay, you are the Central Valley. [laughs] But out here, you have to describe it as The Bay almost. But technically it’s not.
AllHipHop: Any goals for yourself at this point?
Bankrol Hayden: Own properties. Take care of my family and my kids, generational wealth. I don’t have kids, but my unborn kids.
AllHipHop: How many kids you want?
Bankrol Hayden: 3 or 4. But I don’t want no kids right now. I got a dog, that’s enough. I got a little puppy, he’s coming on tour with me. A little fluffyFrenchie, Deebo.
AllHipHop: You named him Deebo from Friday?
Bankrol Hayden: That, and the 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel. It was both. Ain’t gon’ lie, it was probably Deebo Samuel just because in the moment we were watching football. Also bro, this is Friday too. This is a go. It’s my first dog on my own, so this s### a lot.
AllHipHop: Man, my dog changed my life.
Bankrol Hayden: I love my dog. You love your dog? It’s crazy how attached you get to it.
AllHipHop: Mine just needs a little bit of training…
Bankrol Hayden: Mine too, it’s terrible. They said if he pees on the tour bus, it’s a $1,000 fine. He’s ruthless, he’ll chew up all the puppy pads. He’s gonna be in jail the whole time. He’s gon be in the cage, we probably won’t let him out. [laughs] It’s a joke.
AllHipHop: Any other goals?
Bankrol Hayden: Whenever I get to the point where money’s not an issue at all, it don’t matter what I do, I want to start foundations and give back to people in need. My characteristic is giving, it’s my personality. Something within that, giving back to people in need or homeless shelters. Creative stuff for kids, stuff to do for people in cities that don’t have stuff to do. Stuff like that is what I want to get into it, and it makes sense.
AllHipHop: Anything else you wanna let us know?
Bankrol Hayden: Man, get your tour tickets. 29 Tour, come through. We gon’ see ya’ll there.
For more information on Bankrol Hayden, 29 tour tickets, and more visit https://www.bankrol.co/.
Well, now we have the video and it is interesting. The most interesting thing is that the actor calls himself a minor in the arrest video. He’s young, but definitely a grown man. At the time of the arrest, he was 22, according to googles. Anyway, he is really not feeling getting arrest and messing up his life. He vehemently states that his security guards are to blame and that he’s down with 50 Cent.
He was busted at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport December 13th with a Glock 19 9mm inside his carry-on luggage. YIKES! The gun was not loaded but it did have a 15-round magazine. I do not mean GQ or VIBE either. Even worse, the BMF star did not have a permit to carry the gun
Bruh footage of lil meech getting arrested for having a gun in his bag at the airport has been released
“I’m a minor sir I have security guards and they left that in there….can I call my mom or somebody” pic.twitter.com/T15cTyjB85
— Shannonnn sharpes Burner (PARODY Account) (@shannonsharpeee) May 10, 2023
As the world is celebrating rapper and NCAA women’s championship basketball player Flau’jae Johnson success, there are those who taking a closer listen to everything the teen says. And like most teens (and rappers) that includes controversial lyrics that sound fire when said— but could have other inferences to different communities listening.
An example is her new song, where she spits on top of Latto’s “Put It On Da Floor,” according to TMZ.
The 19-year-old ROC Nation signee, whose father is deceased rapper Camoflauge, rapped, “In this 911 blowing smoke just like them towers.”
The 911 she was talking about was not the devastating terrorist attack on America on Sept. 11, 2001, but the slang for a Porsche.
Many people took to social media to blast her and LSU for the insensitive lyrics.
"In this 911 blowing smoke just like those towers." – Flau’jae Johnson.
Take a bow @LSUwbkb. A player on your team mocked those who died on 9/11 by comparing it to a Porsche.
Disgusting. I know people who still struggle to sleep at night because of what they did in war after… pic.twitter.com/AFmw2zK6mf
In response to the backlash, LSU has issued a statement apologizing for the line in the song.
“While she never intended to offend or upset anyone with her lyrics, she expressed sincere remorse for any possibility of a misunderstanding and immediately took the video down,” LSU shared with FOX News in a statement.
“We will learn and grow from this experience together.”
Logic recently sat down with MSNBC‘s Ari Melber for an episode of The Beat. They covered a myriad of topics, including his 2020 decision to retire only to return a year later with Bobby Tarantino III, thoughts on Joe Budden, one of his most outspoken critics, and protecting his mental health.
The 33-year-old rapper often finds himself at the mercy of the internet, most recently in March when he released a lounge cover of Ice Cube’s “It Was A Good Day,” which prompted Cube’s son, O’Shea Jackson, to respond.
“I respect Logic,” he tweeted at the time. “I think he can rap. And that’s all I really need. But bruh… if [I] ever hear you sing about my mother again… it’s gone be a misunderstanding lmaoooo.”
That essentially sums up Logic’s career. There’s no doubt he has rhyming skills, but people love to make fun of him. The seemingly endless ridicule is primarily what prompted the Maryland native to retire in the first place.
“Hip-Hop is a beautiful place,” he tells Melber. “It’s a culture of people that accept all people—every color, creed, race, religion, sexual orientation—Hip-Hop is all loving, all encompassing, all knowing. It’s like the perfect mother; always there for you. Now, media and other people can kind of sway how Hip-Hop is perceived. ‘You gotta be too tough, you gotta be this, you gotta be that.’
“A lot of my career I was told I’m not good enough, not Black enough, not this enough, not that enough, not cool enough—whatever. I am enough. I learned from legends in the game who’ve told me that. People like the RZA, members of the Wu-Tang Clan, Big Daddy Kane, Nas. I could go on. My heroes. For me, I stepped away from ‘Hip-Hop’ because of the negative aspect of things.
Logic continues, “A lot people say you gotta have tough skin, but it’s hard to have tough skin when people say they hope your baby dies or call your wife ugly and you have to subject yourself to this on camera. That’s why I left for my mental health. At the height of my career, I stepped back and realized that all I wanted to focus on at that time was my wife and my baby. I ‘left it all.’ Even though I didn’t realize I was lying to myself and I would be back in a year.”
He also admits he suffered from imposter syndrome at the onset of his career but ultimately realized he was trying to please all the wrong people.
“I think in many ways, I was lying to myself,” he says. “I just wanted to find peace and I did find it. For years, I was looking for the acceptance of others because in a big way I felt like a phony, a fraud, an imposter for whatever reason—and I don’t know why. Honestly, screw those people, if I’m being blunt. It’s a real mentality like, ‘Yo. I’ve made it. I’m here and all that matters is my baby is healthy and my wife loves me and I have a great family. So, all the other outside noise just doesn’t matter.”
Logic also talks about his next album, College Park. He explains: “College Park takes place in 2011. It’s a day-in-the-life with me, Castro, my producer Six and my best friend Big Lenbo who let me sleep on his couch when I was homeless and took me in. It’s like a day-in-the-life of us on our way to an open mic show in D.C. These aren’t skits, these are like scenes. It’s an audio-cinematic experience, and it’s just a different perspective.
Toward the end of the conversation, Melber has Logic participate in a lightning round of questions and one of them involved Joe Budden. In a 2019 episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, Budden described Logic as “easily one of the worst rappers to ever grace a microphone.” He’s encouraged his retirement since day one and the Ice Cube cover only made it worse. In fact, he called Logic’s music “really, really bad!!!”
But, with a smile on his face, Logic continues to transcend Budden’s criticism and instead, describes him as “a hurt man, a very smart man and a f###### hater.”
The Beat‘s interview with Logic airs on Thursday (May 11).
Now, Snoop Dogg has weighed in on the technology. During The Milken Institute’s 2023 Global Conference in Beverly Hills, the West Coast rap icon sat on a panel and spoke about generative AI systems such as ChatGPT or Bing Chat.
“Well, I got a motherf##king AI right now that they did made for me,” Snoop marveled, according to Business Today. “This could talk to me. I’m like, man this thing can hold a real conversation? Like real for real? Like it’s blowing my mind because I watched movies on this as a kid years ago. When I see this sh*t I’m like what is going on?”
The Death Row owner, speaking as an artist and executive, added, “And I heard the dude, the old dude that created AI saying, ‘This is not safe, ’cause the AIs got their own minds, and these mother##kers gonna start doing their own s**t. I’m like, ‘Are we in a f##king movie right now, or what?’ The f**k man? So do I need to invest in AI so I can have one with me? Or like, do y’all know? Sh*t, what the f**k? I’m lost, I don’t know,.”
Multiple artists have spoken out. AllHipHoppreviously reported Pete Rock saying to use it is “mad disrespectful.” He tweeted, “AI is mad disrespectful and if y’all don’t see that but think this AI stuff is dope then you are a part of the problem. They can’t beat Black culture, so what do they do when they can’t measure natural talent? Silly s### like AI! AI is such a cowardly act that bears no real soul or feeling.”
AI is mad disrespectful and if yall dont see that but think thisAI stuff is dope thenyou are a part of the problem.They cant beat black culture so what do they do when they cant measure natural talent?Silly s### like AI!AI is such a cowardly act that bears no real soul or feeling
Hip Hop legend Ice-T married Nicole “Coco” Austin in 2002. The couple has one daughter together, 7-year-old Chanel. But why did the rapper/actor decide Coco was the woman to be his wife?
Ice-T appeared on a recent episode of the That Moment with Daymond John podcast. The iHeartMedia-backed show included a conversation about the 65-year-old entertainer’s love life.
“When I was going after Coco, I was watching a lot of The Osbournes,” said Ice-T, referring to MTV’s 2000s-era reality show starring Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. “And I was looking like, would Ozzie have a mansion if it wasn’t for Sharon Osbourne?”
The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit cast member continued, “This woman is running all the tours, running all his businesses. It doesn’t even seem like Ozzie would know how to pay a phone bill. Ozzy is something different. But he’s wealthy because he got a woman to hold it together.”
Ice-T then went on to recall his early encounters with his now-spouse. Apparently, Coco Austin, a former swimsuit and lingerie model, was enamored with the Rhyme Pays album creator’s fashion sense and overall swagger.
“When I met Coco, she was fine, I told her, I said, ‘Yo, I mean I’m not really trying to get just another number in my phone. I’m really trying to find someone that wants to ride.’ She dug the flyness of me. When I met her I had on a red snakeskin suit, so she was like, ‘Ooh, that’s fly,’” recalled Ice-T.
Previously, Shark Tank star Daymond John spoke with Ethiopian-born celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson for the May 2 episode of his podcast. That Moment with Daymond John is part of iHeartMedia and Charlamagne Tha God’s The Black Effect Podcast Network.
The state of Minnesota memorialized one of its native sons this week. Minnesota Governor Tim Walzsigned bill HF 717 which officially proclaims Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway.
A 7-mile stretch of Highway 5 in Chanhassen and Eden Prairie will commemorate the late musician known mononymously as Prince. The bill specified that signs installed in the summer of 2023 on Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway will be purple.
The Minnesota House of Representatives unanimously passed HF 717 on April 21, the seventh anniversary of Prince’s death. Earlier this month, the Senate voted (55-5) to rename the highway after the iconic vocalist/instrumentalist. Governor Tim Walz visited Prince’s private estate/museum Paisley Park on May 9 to sign the bill into law.
“Thank you to all those who made the Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway a reality. It’s a brilliant combination of public policy mixed with Prince’s purple magic,” says L. Londell McMillan, manager of Prince Legacy, LLC.
McMillan adds, “Prince was loyal to Minnesota and he brought international attention and a legendary Funk music sound to this state. Drive on out to Paisley Park, check the purple signs, and join us for more celebration June 8th through 11th, as we celebrate Prince.”
Attorney L. Londell McMillan attended Governor Walz’s bill-signing ceremony alongside local/state politicians such as Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, State Senator Julia E. Colema, and Chanhassen Mayor Elise Ryan as well as Prince’s sister Sharon Nelson.
Award-winning recording artist Doja Cat is known to troll her fans on social media. Are the Los Angeles native’s latest tweets another example of her offbeat humor? Or did she really downplay her previous music projects?
Doja Cat released her sophomore studio LP, Hot Pink, in November 2019. The 12-track album hosts the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “Say So” as well as hits like “Rules,” “Streets,” and “Juicy” with fellow California native Tyga.
Two years later, Doja returned with Planet Her. That project won Top R&B Album at the Billboard Music Awards and Favorite R&B Album at the American Music Awards. Planet Her also earned an Album Of The Year nomination at the Grammy Awards.
However, Doja Cat now suggests she just made Hot Pink and Planet Her as a way to generate money. The 27-year-old RCA signee hopped on Twitter to essentially ridicule her supporters for taking those two bodies of work seriously.
“Planet Her and Hot Pink were cash-grabs and yall fell for it. Now I can go disappear somewhere and touch grass with my loved ones on an island while y’all weep for mediocre Pop,” tweeted Doja Cat on Tuesday.
Moments later, Doja went back on Twitter to offer more thoughts about her upcoming project. The Grammy Award winner wrote, “It’s not called hEllMoUth either, it’s called First of All and yes I’m announcing the album title right now.”
“The music industry is over-saturated. Every song is a hit. Everybody is a star,” tweeted Coi Leray on May 8. That statement ignited a lot of discourse on social media over the last several days.
In particular, one Twitter user accused Coi Leray of benefiting from that over-saturation in the music industry. The 25-year-old “No More Parties” rapper fired back at her critics in a series of tweets on Monday.
“Y’all buggen. My versatility, my stage presence. My stats. My collabs. My Brand Deals. Fashion Girl. I can dance. Sing. Rap. It’s fine if you don’t see it now. I’m in no rush for you to notice,” wrote Leray.
She also added, “Lol, I’m that girl. Real life. Offline. In the booth. On the stage. On the red carpet. On the radio. Overseas. And that’s just what it is. Shout out to my b###### who stay true to themselves and [don’t give a f###] what nobody has to say!”
One Fan Advises Coi Leray To Check Her Ego
In response to that Twitter post, one of Coi Leray’s fans warned the Trendsetter album creator not to get too cocky. According to the Republic recording artist, arrogance is not the issue.
“I’m not cocky at all. I’m human. I should be able to speak how I feel. Look at me like ya sistaaa when you need a have a drink and call ☎️. Don’t worry bootsyyy. It’s all love end of the day,” Leray responded.
Y’all buggen. My versatility , my stage presence . My stats. My collabs. My Brand Deals . Fashion Girl. I can dance. Sing . Rap. It’s fine if you don’t see it now. I’m in no rush for you to notice https://t.co/yRwRcGt2VY
lol I’m that girl. Real life. Offline. In the booth. On the stage. On the red carpet. On the radio. Overseas. And that’s just what it is. Shout out to my b###### who stay true to them selves and dgaf what nobody has to say!
How many people on TikTok went top 10 gobal? How many on TikTok had the amount of success I had with NMP , TWINNEM, BIG PURR, DDG IMPATIENT , plus soooo many more https://t.co/0UfhLtyV1M
I’m not cocky at all. I’m human . I should be able to speak how I feel. Look at me like ya sistaaa when you need a have a drink and call ☎️ . Don’t worry bootsyyy. It’s all love end of the day https://t.co/xLP3klnQZG
DMV-bred emcee IDK dropped his fourth studio LP, F65, on May 5. The project’s tracklist includes a guest feature by makeup artist-turned-recording artist Saucy Santana.
IDK and Saucy Santana teamed up for “Pinot Noir” which also features Jucee Froot. Apparently, some listeners questioned why the man born Jason Mills decided to work with an openly gay rapper.
“I don’t have to be a gay rapper to put an openly gay rapper on my song,” tweeted IDK. He added, “I heard the beat, and I heard a very talented artist by the name of Saucy Santana on that beat. I love him forever for taking that risk with me. Now we have a banger for the summer ☀️.”
After a Twitter user argued that IDK did not need to drop a disclaimer for the song, the Maryland native responded, “When you come from what I come from, a simple disclaimer can literally change how you look at something. I’m a teacher first so it’s worth it.”
Another person complained about Saucy Santana’s sexual lyrics in the “Pinot Noir” song. IDK returned with, “Keep listening, you’ll get [used] to it and it won’t bother you anymore. Might even start singing along. Trust me.”
Saucy Santana also reacted to IDK’s Twitter message. The 2022 XXL Freshman Class member tweeted, “Let’s go!!!! Appreciate you! Real n##### do real things!” Santana also posted a video to shout out his collaborator.
In addition to Saucy Santana, the F65 album contains appearances by NLE Choppa, Musiq Soulchild, Rich The Kid, Snoop Dogg, Benny the Butcher, and more. IDK debuted the “Mr. Police” music video on MSNBC’s The Beat with Ari Melber.
And also, I don’t have to be a gay rapper to put an openly gay rapper on my song… I heard the beat, and I heard a very talented artist by the name of Saucy Santana on that beat. I love him forever for taking that risk with me. Now we have a banger for the summer ☀️ pic.twitter.com/vwpt55QJIJ
When you come from what I come from, a simple disclaimer can literally change how you look at something. I’m a teacher first so it’s worth it… https://t.co/6jfLxvsBZX
Scar Lip is one of the hottest artist out right now, especially in New York City. She’s from the Bronx and also from Brooklyn and she has been able to captivate audiences all over the tri-state area. Her fresh, aggressive lyrical and energetics style has critics and cultural talking heads comparing her to DMX. Part of that is also her ability to leverage her pain and struggle into her lyrics. Right now, she’s one of the hardest things coming out of New York, primarily because of the energy she is generating.
And I suppose that is why Swizz Beatz is interested in her as an artist. The ability to captivate audiences and garner a following in this attention-based economy is important. And Scar Lip has been able to do that, unlike so many others. So has Swizz signed her? I am not sure if he has or he hasn’t, but I am hearing that he has facilitated a major legal situation for her. And he is going to be the “executor” of that situation. Basically, this means Swizz Beatz will be the rumored running point guard in her effort to be the grimy Queen of New York.
If that is the case, she will definitely be running the streets. I know it may sound weird, because we are so in love with DMX as an artist, but I think she can be that shift that the city has been dying for. As much as we love some of the drill rappers, those folks bring a different type of energy. Now, she does bring that energy, but she also has the songs about depression, suicide, abuse, and also therapy to go with it. So I guess we’ll see! But, what do you think about this? Do you think Swizz Beatz can take her to the next level?
Bonus rumor…
I also heard another well-known rapper from New York City, offered her a deal and it flopped! I cannot say the name because he is a lyricist of much respect. But I heard his deal was not enough! Scar and her team are looking for major coins for this deal. In fact, Swizz Beatz reportedly to said, you better not sign that deal!
Jay-Z and Jack Dorsey might have been an unlikely duo, but a Delaware judge didn’t find their collaboration too absurd to dismiss a class-action lawsuit led by the City of Coral Springs Police Officers’ Pension Plan and other shareholders according to Reuters.
The group aimed to hold Dorsey and the board members of Block Inc accountable for their “terrible” decision to acquire Jay-Z’s Tidal streaming service.
The lawsuit argued that Block’s directors, formerly Square, demonstrated bad faith in approving the acquisition, which many considered a poor business venture.
Once known as Square, Block agreed to pay $237 million for an 86.2% stake in the struggling streaming service.
Tidal had only 2.1 million paying subscribers and faced numerous challenges, including losing major contracts, dealing with an ongoing criminal investigation in Norway, and losing its exclusive streaming arrangement with Kanye West in a public fallout.
Tidal had also incurred substantial unpaid liabilities to music labels for streaming fees.
The pension fund alleged that Dorsey, co-founder of Block and Twitter, was the only top executive who supported the purchase, buying Tidal primarily because he wanted to be friends with Jay-Z.
During the proceedings, the court learned that Tidal had been losing money, faced ongoing legal problems, and was propped up by a $50 million loan from Jay-Z himself.
It was also revealed that Dorsey and Jay-Z were vacationing together in Hawaii shortly after Block entered a term sheet to purchase a majority interest in Tidal.
The purchase of Tidal was a contentious issue, with some board members arguing that Block was overpaying for a struggling streaming service that would generate negative earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation (EBITDA), and amortization for Block.
The projected negative EBITDA for Block was $35.6 million in 2021, $55 million in 2022, and $68.3 million in 2023, according to Block’s management.
The purchase infuriated the managers of the City of Coral Springs Police Officers’ Pension Plan and triggered the lawsuit.
However, Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick in Delaware Chancery Court found that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to show that Block’s directors acted in bad faith.
The judge stated that she could not “presume bad faith based on the merits of the deal alone” and dismissed the case.
While the outcome may not have been what the City of Coral Springs Police Officers’ Pension Plan and other shareholders hoped for, dismissing the class-action lawsuit is a reminder that the court will not second-guess business decisions made by independent directors of a company.
Young Thug’s co-defendant Jayden Myrick will be tried separately in the YSL RICO case.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Judge Ural Glanville severed Myrick’s case on Monday (May 8). Glanville made the ruling after learning Myrick hasn’t taken psychiatric medication since December 2022.
Earlier this year, Glanville ordered Young Thug’s co-defendant to undergo a mental health evaluation. Myrick raised concerns when he claimed to be receiving legal advice from Joe Biden and Donald Trump at a hearing.
“I’m not the regular inmate, I be with Joe Biden and Donald Trump and they be talking to me,” he said. “Donald Trump is going to get me out.”
Myrick is already serving life in prison without the possibility of parole. He was convicted of murder, robbery and other charges in a 2018 shooting.
Young Thug is one of 10 defendants left in the YSL RICO trial. Last week, two of Young Thug’s co-defendants had their cases severed due to their attorneys’ maternity leave.
Jury selection for the YSL RICO trial began in January. Young Thug and his co-defendants are still waiting for a jury to be seated.
Young Thug has remained in jail since his May 2022 arrest. He sought bond for the fourth time in April. A judge denied his previous three requests.
Soulja Boy entered the beef between Lil Durk and NBA YoungBoy.
The “Crank That” creator blasted Lil Durk and NBA YoungBoy in an Instagram Live video. Soulja Boy was upset because the feuding rappers plan to release new projects on Friday (May 12), which is the same day Draco’s album drops.
“Y’all n##### cap as f###,” Soulja Boy said. “Get the f### on, man. N##### ain’t trying to hear that s###. Y’all n##### crying and s### on the track. Talking all this weird s###. Stop playing. Nobody trying to hear that s###. Drop that s### next month. Matter of fact, don’t even drop that s###. Unrelease that s###. Take that s### off iTunes. Y’all n##### in the way.”
Soulja Boy accused Lil Durk and NBA YoungBoy of clout chasing. The outspoken artist urged Lil Durk and NBA YoungBoy to fight instead of trading disses.
“Stop all that back-and-forth sneak dissing s###, n####,” Soulja Boy said. “Go get in a room and go scrap, n####. Y’all ain’t gon’ do that though, right? Y’all n##### could’ve been fought.”
Soulja Boy also claimed his album will sell more copies than Lil Durk and NBA YoungBoy’s projects combined.
“I’m finna outsell Lil Durk and YoungBoy at the same time,” he said. “Add Lil Durk’s album sales and add YB’s album sales, add ‘em together. I’m finna outsell both of them n##### at the same time … Y’all n##### only trying to drop ‘cause y’all seen me drop, n####.”
Tigo B’s Instagram bio reads “the most versatile artist on the planet,” and his music backs up his statement tenfold. Growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina, the rapper turned entrepreneur prides himself in his worldly sound, which really translates into a vibe. In fact, he likes to call himself “Lord of the vibes,” because he’s constantly creating music that changes the way the room feels.
In describing himself, Tigo B states, “I hail from North Carolina by way of Sierra Leone, so I’m a first generation American in that regard. I do both Hip Hop and R&B as well as Afrobeat. Really, I just consider myself an artist. A lot of times they would try to classify me as a rapper, sometimes because of my image. But then people hear my music, and they start classifying me as an R&B vocalist. But I do everything really, I just enjoy creating.”
Fast forward to today, Tigo B unveils his newest single called “Lover,” following his previous release “All The Time.” All of Tigo’s music is inspired by real life experiences, whether it’s through his own lens or the lens of another individual.
Additionally, Tigo B is the founder of his own restaurant called Romeo’s Vegan Burgers. His journey into veganism was fueled by his time visiting monks at Buddhist temples in China’s Anhui Province, obtaining a new level of spirituality through ancient meditation techniques.
AllHipHop caught up with Tigo B in downtown Los Angeles to discuss his sound, growing up in Raleigh, new singles, becoming vegan and starting his own restaurant, his own clothing brand Hyphen, goals, and more!
AllHipHop: Your Instagram bio reads “the most versatile artist in the world.” Can you expand on that?
Tigo B: My sound is worldly. It’s the fact that I do all different songs and music, but it’s not that I do it, I do it well. I really tap into it. When I create music, it’s really a spiritual thing. I don’t ever limit what I’m doing or how I’m doing it. If the beat moves me, I automatically go in on it.
AllHipHop: What was it like growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina?
Tigo B: Raleigh is a really diverse place. It’s similar to LA in that regard, where it has people from all walks of life, whether he’s Indian, Asian, Black, Middle Eastern, everything. Truly a melting pot. Growing up there, every school except for one is diverse. Grew up with everybody in Raleigh, so you really get an opportunity to experience different cultures. That really plays a role in why my music’s so diverse as well.
AllHipHop: Biggest inspirations growing up?
Tigo B: I was inspired by so many. I was inspired by Michael Jackson, I was inspired by Green Day. I’m inspired by various reggae artists. I’m inspired by calypso music. I’m inspired by Pac, Snoop, Kanye, Future, so many. I’m inspired by a lot of different things. Nobody really made me want to do music, I really stumbled upon it. My homeboy had a studio set up. At that time, I was outside in the streets. It was just playing with it. Back then, we used to get high and cipher, so I never really tried to record. But that time I actually wrote something down, everybody said it was impressive. Oh, maybe I got a future in it.
AllHipHop: When did you first catch a buzz?
Tigo B: It wasn’t too long after that, where I started being relentless with it. Putting out music, I would go out there. Right before CDs died, I was putting CDs on everybody’s cars. Tagging it, then I caught the buzz off of that. I went down to Atlanta, I started working with cats like Flocka off the strength. I was moving around with Travis Porter at the time. K Camp, all of them. I really started building my own buzz.
AllHipHop: What’s the inspiration behind your name?
Tigo B: My name is Monty. When it comes to black people, they always like to give you a nickname. So it went from Monty to Montigo, so Tigo B like Montego Bay. Ya dig?
AllHipHop: I was listening to “All The Time,” Did you have fun creating it?
Tigo B: “All The Time” has a really good vibe. It’s a record that talks about a lady or female who everybody wants her attention, but she gives me all her attention. How I try my best to manage that with my busy lifestyle.
AllHipHop: Your single “Lover” was just released. What inspired this record?
Tigo B: Fire man, my second Afrobeat release. My music changes the room, that’s what it’s about. Same way you can be in a room full of gangsters, but you put on Michael Jackson, it’s hard for them not to move. Put on Prince, it’s hard for them not to mov. There’s certain artists that when the music is played — Afrobeat is one of those spaces where as soon as that music comes on, it’s hard for you not to move. The atmosphere changes, so this is a song that changes the atmosphere. Makes you feel good.
AllHipHop: What is a day in the life?
Tigo B: I’m co-owner of one of the first vegan fast food drive thru restaurants on the East Coast, called Romeo’s Vegan Burgers. Day to day consists of making sure that the restaurant is situated, making sure that the employees are doing what they need to do. Of course, fitness daily. Of course, music as well. I’m creating music constantly. Brainstorming ideas with my business partner, with the shoe stuff. Hyphen. Just really striving to fulfill our goals.
AllHipHop: How long have you been vegan?
Tigo B: The vegan journey was off and on at some point. I first started going vegan back in 2011 and 2012. I had a spiritual awakening and went to China for some time. I practiced Asian Jing with an older master monk who had genuine supernatural ability. That’s a whole different conversation but it was legit. Being out there I realized the impact that diet has on your ability to channel energy and your overall health. I decided that becoming vegan makes the most sense. I started back doing music right after I had that experience. Being on the road was hard with the lifestyle but I transitioned back in 2018.
AllHipHop: How was it getting your restaurant off the ground?
Tigo B: An unique experience, it was interesting because we had a food truck first. We did that during the pandemic. It was unique because during the pandemic, everybody was home and our food truck really went crazy. There’s times where we have 70, 80 people lined up for the food truck. It was a national phenomenon. The story was picked up by various outlets in different states, and we got it booming. One year later, we opened up our first restaurant. We had the food truck, then we had that restaurant. Six months later, we were able to open up our second restaurant. We just expanded.
AllHipHop: What is the meaning behind your clothing brand, Hyphen?
Tigo B: It’s really just that. Hyphen means connecting the haves and the have nots. It’s a brand that if you really got money, it feels good. Even if you don’t, it still feels good. We want to make it an affordable brand that also feels like designer.
AllHipHop: Three things you need in the studio at all times?
Tigo B: At all times, I need ginger beer. I need water. I need vegan gummy bears, and I’m straight.
AllHipHop: How was it collaborating with DJ Luke Nasty?
Tigo B: Oh man, I’ve known Luke for a really long time. It feels natural, he’s a talented guy. Music comes to him really easy too, so we really kicked it. I come over to his crib, shoot the s### and make music. It’s always a vibe.
AllHipHop: How was touring with B.o.B?
Tigo B: It was dope, we were out there with Bob. He has a really dope fan base. That was my first time being in front of that style of audience, but it was dope because it made me have to learn how to win over a crowd that wasn’t familiar with me. I was able to do that for the first show, so it was cool.
AllHipHop: Talk about your relationship with Fantasia’s brother Ricco Barrino.
Tigo B: He’s cool, I’ve known him a long time. He’s a super talented guy. That whole Barrino family all can sing their a#### off, and so can he. He’s talented. He’s from North Carolina like I am. We both really teamed up, and worked on a lot of music together. We put out a project together. It was a dope experience, being able to be around somebody who had more knowledge and experience in the music industry. I learned a lot from Ricco.
AllHipHop: How were those studio sessions with Waka Flocka?
Tigo B: Oh yeah, that was cool too. Flocka embraced me, just off my music. One of my best friends is DJ E Sudd. We used to go to Atlanta a lot. This is back when I was on the road with Travis Porter and them, because Sudd wasn’t even at Street Execs yet. We were going down there to perform. He brought me to a studio session. Matter of fact, Sy Ari was there that day. He was on my first mixtape.
Flocka just so happened to be in the studio. He heard some music that I was putting out at the time. He’s like, “oh, you’re hard.” After that, I said “bro, I got a record I think you’d be perfect for.” Threw him on it, then that thang blew up. It was dope.
AllHipHop: Any goals for yourself at this point in your career?
Tigo B: My goal is really to impact the world with as much positivity as possible through music. Just make people feel good. I believe music is the soundtrack to people’s lives. I want when people go on road trips, when people want to feel better or when people want that vibe, that they want to play my music. Hopefully my music can take them, if they’re in a low vibe and raise that vibe up.
AllHipHop: Anything else you wanna let people know?
Tigo B: They can find me everywhere they are supposed to find me at, whether it’s IG, TikTok, SoundCloud. It doesn’t matter. Whatever is available, that’s where I am. @tigobmusic, keep it simple.
Blueface’s toxic relationship with Chrisean Rock continued to play out in the public eye on Tuesday (May 9).
The couple traded shots on social media, exposing more of their personal problems. Blueface accused Chrisean of trying to set his house on fire, sharing clips of mayhem she allegedly caused on Instagram Stories.
“This whatcha gon’ do with a newborn baby on the way?” he asked Chrisean in one clip. “Set the house on fire. This b#### is dumb. Look how dumb the b#### is. Must be your first time trying to set some s### on fire, huh?”
Earlier in the day, Blueface said he did not want Chrisean’s baby. She hit back hours later by exposing their past text messages. Chrisean also claimed Blueface was “financially abusing” her.
“I’ma be da best daddy for me [and] yours too baby,” he wrote to her.
Chrisean captioned the post, “Blue why you lying like this.”
Blueface responded by unveiling text messages of his own. The texts revealed he encouraged Chrisean to get an abortion.
“B#### DON’T NEVER POST THE REAL MESSAGES LOL,” he wrote on Instagram Stories. “SHE KNEW WHAT TIME IT WAS WHEN SHE CLOCKED IN.”
Blueface told Chrisean he was “going to be a cheater forever” in one text. He said a baby would make her “stuck” with him.
“You don’t want to be stuck with somebody like me considering the way I already feel about you,” he texted her. “A baby is going to slow you down you won’t be able to do nothing at all for a full year maybe even 3-4.”
Chrisean is 20 weeks pregnant. She threatened to leave Blueface if refused to stop disrespecting her on Monday (May 8).
Writer E. Jean Carroll secured a victory in her sexual abuse lawsuit against Donald Trump.
According to multiplereports, a New York jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation on Tuesday (May 9). The jury awarded $5 million to Carroll but did not find Trump liable for rape.
Carroll received $2 million in damages for injuries suffered from sexual abuse. Jurors added $20,000 in punitive damages and nearly $3 million for defamation.
Trump objected to the verdict on his Truth Social platform.
“I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHO THIS WOMAN IS,” he wrote. “THIS VERDICT IS A DISGRACE — A CONTINUATION OF THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME!”
Trump did not testify in the trial. The jury was able to view parts of his videotaped deposition.
Carroll sued the former president for battery and defamation in 2022. She said he raped her in a department store’s dressing room in the ‘90s.
“I’m here because Donald Trump raped me, and when I wrote about it, he said it didn’t happen,” she told the jury. “He lied and shattered my reputation, and I’m here to try and get my life back.”
Trump claimed he will appeal the case.
Check out some of the reactions of his diehard supporters below.
President Trump is innocent. I will be making an urgent donation to his 2024 campaign IMMEDIATELY.
The more the corrupt thuggish left attacks Trump, the harder and stronger I will stand with him!
— Nick Adams (Alpha Male) (@NickAdamsinUSA) May 9, 2023
There is no such thing as a fair trial for President Trump.
A jury just wrongfully found Trump liable for an alleged 1996 sexual assault and defamation against E. Jean Carroll. They have ordered Trump to pay her $5 million. The jury rejected Carroll’s rape claim.
