Month: June 2021

As one of the biggest musical acts in the last decade, it’s no surprise Drake has been making moves to expand his empire. The OVO head honcho has teamed up with Nike to release his new NOCTA sub-label, founded his own record label, and become a global ambassador for the Toronto Raptors, just to name a few. 

Already estimated to be single-handedly responsible for 5% of Toronto’s annual total tourism income, his latest venture might boost that number even higher. Drake and Live Nation Canada announced Tuesday (June 8) that they will be opening a new live entertainment venue in the global sensation’s hometown named History later this year. 

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“Some of my most memorable shows were playing smaller rooms like History,” Drake said in a statement.  “I wanted to take those memories and what I learned to create an incredible experience for both the artists and the fans.”

The 2,500-capacity venue will “offer artists a versatile and intimate destination to perform and connect with fans in Toronto,” according to the announcement. They plan to host 200 concerts and events annually. 

“We saw an opportunity to bring Toronto a great new venue, and we have so much gratitude and respect for Drake teaming up with us to bring it to life in the best way possible,” said Michael Rapino, the President and CEO of Live Nation Entertainment. 

History has been in development for more than three years now, with construction slated to conclude later this summer. The venue is located in the east end of the city, right in the heart of the Beaches neighborhood. Inside, it includes a convertible GA area and reserved seating set-up for all types of events, from concerts, live entertainment, galas, community programs, and more. Concerts and event information, as well as career opportunities, will begin to be announced in the coming weeks and months here on the website.

“History will offer guests up-close experiences with their favorite artists that are unrivaled in Toronto.  We take pride in and expect History to become an important part of the community,” said Riley O’Connor the Chairman of Live Nation Canada.

Drake showing out for his city once again. 

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You’ve likely read a whole lot about the Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul fight this weekend, including the conspiracy theories that Mayweather actually did knock out Paul, but we have yet to dive into one of the most outrageous hip-hop adjacent stories from the event: Fat Joe’s beard.

Fat Joe has been making a move in the podcasting game, knocking out some impressive interviews with some of the industry’s finest in recent months. As he focuses on his latest hustle, the rap icon took a night off and enjoyed some live entertainment, catching the Logan Paul vs. Floyd Mayweather exhibition, which ended in a non-decision after lasting all eight rounds. As he enjoyed fight night from his seat, Joe was being roasted online by fans who have grown tired of his beard, which they claim he draws or paints on.

Johnny Nunez/Getty Images

This weekend, Fat Joe was called out on a major scale when people started to take notice that his facial hair looked unnatural. The alleged “spray paint” job was so poorly done that some people compared Joe’s look to NBA star Carlos Boozer’s infamous waxy hair. At the end of the night, Joe’s name was trending because of it.

“You cannot convince me fat joe’s beard isn’t drawn on,” wrote one commenter on Twitter. The feeling was mutual with dozens of people taking to the platform to share their opinions on the rapper’s facial hair.

Check out some of the comments below. Do you think Fat Joe looked silly with his beard?

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Polo G’s rise in the rap game has been quite extraordinary to watch. Beginning his commercial career in 2018, the rapper has since gone on to release two Billboard 200 Top 10 albums. His 2020 sophomore effort The Goat solidified his star-power even more, earning his first solo No.1 single with “Rapstar” after it debuted at the Billboard chart’s summit. 

As he readies the release of his third studio album Hall of Fame due this Friday that includes his highly-anticipated Nicki Minaj collab “For the Love of New York,” the hitmaker already preparing for his career to propel to even greater heights. He’s recently become the new owner of a beautiful (and massive) $5 million mansion right outside of Los Angeles boasting amenities like a 14-car garage, a tennis court, and more.

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The home, which is truly a car collector’s dream estate, is located in the San Fernando Valley. In addition to the garage, it’s equipped with a nearly 1-acre lot with 36 parking spaces. Inside the almost 11,000 sq. ft. Mediterranean-style house, there’s a rotunda entry leading to a vintage-looking set of stairs. Elsewhere there’s a custom wine closet and bar, a formal dining room, and a billiard room on the first floor.

The kitchen and bedrooms all live up to their expected luxuriousness, while the outside of the mansion boasts a pool, spa, BBQ area, and a lighted tennis court all traced by stone terraces. 

TMZ reports that the Chicago rapper purchased the home for $4.885 million. With his third studio album arriving later this week, it’s obviously a big month for Polo. 

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Following his reconciliation with Westside Gunn, Mach Hommy delivered his new solo album Pray For Haiti, a project that not only earned critical acclaim for its brilliant lyricism, but for its charitable cause. Evidently, JAY-Z has been keeping a close eye on the Griselda movement, having connected on an individual level with Westside, Conway The Machine, and Benny The Butcher. Clearly, he values what they’ve been bringing to the table, and he recently sat down with Gunn and Mach Hommy for a bit of dinner discourse.

The duo opened up about their meeting with HOV during an extensive interview on Complex. “Everything that’s been going on has been the sound that’s been building,” explains Gunn. “HOV been keeping his ear to the street. Hop is my manager, Hop is like a brother to HOV. HOV is just tapped into everything going on. He’s listening to us in the same way he’s listening to Mach. He just got a mutual relationship with both of us, he love what both of us is doing.”

“My man [HOV] communicates most heavily through subtlety,” explains Mach. “I hate to be like this, but you wasn’t there. It’s so loud, the silence be deafening. He communicates so many ways. At the end of the day, the main thing I’ve gotten from him is trust yourself. You can have more fun with your friends than with yourself, depending on what the mood is. I was having fun by myself. If you’re having a cookout and cooking food for yourself without considering the other guests, the menu’s going to be different…It’s moreso the difference between me cooking for myself and entertaining friends and family.”

In addition to discussing JAY, Mach also shows love to Drake for supporting Pray For Haiti and pushing hip-hop culture. “He’s doing what he’s supposed to,” says Hommy. “You can never get bigger than the culture.” For more from Gunn and Mach Hommy, be sure to check out the full Complex interview right here.

The first piece from Kanye West’s highly-anticipated YEEZY x GAP collaboration has officially released. After a long wait, the mysterious partnership between Kanye West and GAP, the shop where the world-renowned artist worked before becoming famous, is beginning to unravel. On Tuesday morning, Kanye’s takeover of the brand officially commenced — and no other date made more sense because today, the legend turns 44-years-old.

In recent weeks, Kanye has been spotted around Los Angeles in a big, blue puffer jacket. Fans that have been fiending over that piece were given a shock opportunity to purchase it after the GAP x YEEZY website launched at 3 AM on Tuesday morning. The unisex jacket is presently only offered as a pre-order for $200, shipping out in the fall. While some fashion lovers were able to scoop up the carefully constructed Round Jacket, many were met with a message that the product was sold out shortly after appearing for the first time on the GAP site.

This is the only item that was released as part of the brand’s initial debut. The surprise drop happened in the most Kanye fashion too. It was first noticed by fans who saw an image of the jacket being projected onto buildings in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York alongside a QR code, much like he did during the Yeezus era. GAP also archived every single post on their Instagram account, keeping only a rotating image of the jacket and updating their avatar to one of the YEEZY logo.

What do you think of the first launch from this collection? Did you manage to get your hands on the Round Jacket? Happy birthday, Kanye!

Early last week, reports indicated that DaBaby was allegedly detained at South Beach on Monday (May 31) after members of his crew were involved in a shootout that left three men injured. While the rap star was released shortly after, his artist Wisdom and a man named Christopher Urena have been charged in connection with the Miami shooting. 

Miami Beach Police previously reported that both men were hospitalized, and one of them remains in critical condition. Photos of Emerson Delgado’s gruesome injury have now surfaced after he was shot in his right leg during the alleged scat. His lawyer, Josiah Graham, also shared new details about the incident with TMZ. 

In the images, the severity of Delgado’s injury can be seen clearly. A chunk of flesh on his leg is missing, and he adds that the bullet is allegedly lodged in his leg. He’s since been treated and released from the hospital but will remain in a boot cast for a bit. Based on this injury, it’s no surprise Wisdom and Urena are facing charges like attempted murder with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault with a firearm. 

While we will not be sharing the graphic photos of the grizzly injury here, images of Delgado’s wound have surfaced on social media and other publications. Delgado’s lawyer Josiah Graham explains that a second bullet grazed his client’s hamstring in addition to the one lodged in his leg.

He also claims that the shootout began when a member of the “Rockstar” rapper’s crew punched Delgado, knocking him down to the ground. He adds that as Delgado attempted to run away, someone behind him opened fire, hitting him in the leg. 

Graham adds that doctors chose to leave the bullet lodged inside Delgado’s leg to avoid any other potential damage. Both men have been charged with attempted murder with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault, while Urena is facing additional charges of grand theft and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. 

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It wouldn’t be the summer without at least one Tyga banger in steady circulation. As the old expression goes, a tiger cannot change its stripes — such has certainly held true in the case of T-Raww. Never faltering from his game plan, which is to say — deifying the booty, sliding over minimalist bass-driven beats, and embracing the art of free-spirited love — it would appear that Tyga is certainly ready to set it off once again.

Yesterday evening, Tyga took to Instagram to announce the impending arrival of “Splash,” with cover art that all but guarantees a summer smash. Case in point, T-Raww is in his natural habitat, surrounded by scantily clad models and wisely close to a watering hole. While he may have been tempted to fly solo on this one, he instead opted for a wingman, bringing Moneybagg Yo into the fold for the occasion.

Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Having originally teased an ‘end of the week’ release date, “Splash,” it stands to reason that he’ll be dropping it off this coming Friday. And perfect timing to boot, being that the hottest months of the summer are on the way. Look for Tyga and Moneybagg Yo’s new duet “Splash,” an inevitable banger that seems comfortably within the former’s wheelhouse, and should you be intrigued by the debauchery to come, warm up with a snippet below. Will you be tuning in?