Month: September 2021

It has been 25 years since Hip Hop was rocked with the news that Tupac Shakur had been shot. The beloved emcee was in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996, to watch a Mike Tyson fight with Suge Knight and their entourage, and as they were stopped at a red light after the bout, suspects in a white vehicle opened fire. Shakur was hit four times, including one bullet that struck him in his lung. Six days later, it was announced that Tupac had passed away.

While there is speculation regarding who is responsible for the murder of Tupac Shakur and names have been shared of those believed to have pulled the trigger, the case has technically gone unsolved for decades.

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With each new year, it seems that there is a new Tupac-centered item that has gone up for auction, and TMZ reports that this latest will cost collectors a pretty penny. We’ve seen the rapper’s poetry, jailhouse letters, and unseen photos purchased for tens of thousands, each. This time around, the 1996 BMW 750IL that Shakur was shot in is up for grabs, but it will cost you.

The vehicle has been restored to its original condition so there aren’t any bullet holes and the like, and the asking price is $1.7 million. Potential buyers can view the car for themselves at Celebrity Cars Las Vegas showroom and, coincidentally, TMZ reported that it isn’t far from where the 1996 shooting took place.

Back in 2017, this vehicle was up for auction with an asking price of $1.5 million. In early 2020, the asking price went up to $1.7 mil. It is unclear if the vehicle has had multiple owners since that time or no buyers.

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Another debate has been launched in Hip Hop following Memphis Bleek’s recent remarks about Nas and Jay-Z. The latter rappers are arguably two of the GOAT emcees to come out of New York, and in those hopeful conversations about Verzuz, fans have pleaded with Hip Hop gods to have Nasir Jones and Shawn Carter make an appearance.

Sure, we recognize that the very thought of Nas and Hov sharing a Verzuz stage is a long shot in the dark, but according to Bleek, it would never go down anyhow because Nas, he said, doesn’t have enough hits. As expected, the comments set off a firestorm of discussions.

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During a chat with Bally Sports‘s Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, Bleek was asked if he would like to see a Verzuz go down between the two Rap icons. “It’s no comparison ’cause Nas don’t have enough songs to compete,” said Bleek. 

“And it’s no disrespect to him, he just don’t. He just don’t. Jay can battle somebody with just his B-Sides catalog and it still be better than people’s A-Side.” Bleek was asked who, then, would be an equal match-up for Jay. “Like I said, it would have to be somebody like [Biggie]. That was his only competition that I ever seen, that he ever felt was competition.”

Bleek went on to discuss Reasonable Doubt‘s “Brooklyn’s Finest” where Big and Jay landed on the same track. Of course, Hip Hop fans had quite a bit to say about this one, so check out Memphis Bleek’s clip, along with a few reactions, below.

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Fans were surprised to learn that Rihanna had set off a lawsuit against her father, Ronald Fenty, but it seems that the singer has decided to pull back. In January 2019, Rihanna reportedly sued her father over allegations that he was using the Fenty brand in business dealings. Court documents reportedly read that after Rihanna trademarked her last name, however, her father launched Fenty Entertainment and had been securing deals since 2017.

She accused him and his business partner of flaunting their relationship with the singer to book gigs for her, even though they did not have the authority to do so.

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Rihanna asked for a judge to force her father and his associate to cease immediately and she wanted to be awarded damages, but a new report suggests that the Popstar has had a change of heart. According to Radar Online, Rihanna and her father were set to appear in court in just a few weeks, but ahead of the date, the singer dropped the suit altogether. Rihanna reportedly alerted the court earlier today (September 7) that she no longer intended on moving forward with the suit.

This is not as surprising as some may seem, because there were expectations that Rihanna would toss the suit, especially after her father tested positive for COVID-19 last year. The singer reportedly sent a ventilator to his home in Barbados. Check out a few images of the father-daughter pair below.

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The “Free Britney” movement seems to have received good news today. Back in 2008, Britney Spears’s father Jamie Spears was named as a conservator over the Pop icon’s estate following a series of publicized events. Britney was famously chided for her umbrella-waving antics, but in later years, people have been advocating on behalf of the singer and mental health.

Throughout the year, the world has borne witness to the ongoing battle between the father-daughter duo all these years later. Britney gave an impassioned speech during her conservatorship hearing earlier this year, and while she has been petitioning the court, asking for her father to be removed, she has been thwarted at every turn. That is until today (September 7).

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According to Reuters, Jamie Spears surprised the public by filing court documents asking to end his daughter’s 13-year conservatorship. The paperwork stated that he believes the “judge should ‘now seriously consider whether this conservatorship is no longer required.'”

“If Ms. Spears wants to terminate the conservatorship and believes that she can handle her own life, Mr. Spears believes she should get that chance,” the documents stated. “Ms. Spears has recently demonstrated a level of independence that calls into question whether a conservator of the person is required.”

Jamie is not the only conservator named, and rather than watch his daughter fight against each person, he is calling for the conservatorship to be axed altogether. Britney has recently called the conservatorship abusive and embarrassing, citing that she is being stopped from having children or making everyday decisions for herself and her body.

The singer’s supporters have caused her legal dealings to go viral, repeatedly, and Britney’s family members have found themselves on the receiving end of threats. A hearing is reportedly scheduled for September 29. 

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He is an urban planning artist known for his work across the country, but someone wasn’t a fan of Chris Devins’s work in Detroit. If you are unfamiliar with his name, there is a good chance you may have seen Devins’s work in Chicago; he is the muralist who was petitioned to create the artwork of the late King Von. Celebrities and fans have shared images of themselves posing in front of the Von mural, but there have been rumors that authorities are trying to have it taken down.

As if Devins didn’t have enough problems with his King Von portrait, he recently told reporters that the six-foot-tall mural of Eminem was defaced just days after it was erected.

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“I felt terrible,” said Devins. “I was devastated. Who would do that? That’s against the rules of street art.” He added that it was “disrespectful” to violate the mural, but Devins said he plans on returning to Detroit to fix the painting. “I want to restore it to its original value. I would like to re-present it to the community in its unblemished form.”

“I didn’t put up anything ugly. There was time and effort spent to make sure it was something people would want, and to make it relatable to the community,” he said. “It’s not just usual tagging.” Check out a few posts from Chris Devins below.

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Have you ever wanted to watch a boxing match with the Trumps commentating? Now you can, according to ESPN. In just a few days, boxing icon Evander Holyfield and UFC champion Vitor Belfort will face off in an eight-round match that is sure to bring in millions. Tito Ortiz and Anderson Silva share the title for the co-main event, and while there will be professional commentators keeping the fans updated and entertained during the match, “gamecast” viewers will be enjoying the father-son Trump duo.

ESPN reported that former President Donald Trump and his son, Dondald Trump Jr., will come together to share their thoughts during the anticipated match.

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The Trumps will be at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, California, and will commentate the entire four-fight telecast. In a statement, the sports-loving former Commander-in-Chief shared his excitement.

“I love great fighters and great fights,” said Trump. “I look forward to seeing both this Saturday night and sharing my thoughts ringside. You won’t want to miss this special event.”

As many know, this fight was scheduled to be Oscar De La Hoya’s comeback bout—his first fight since retiring over a decade ago. Recently, De La Hoya revealed he had been hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19, but the fight must go on and Holyfield stepped in. As far as the commentators go, Jim Lampley and Shawn Porter are all set for the main telecast, while the Trumps will be featured on the “gamecast” option for viewers.

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