Month: September 2021

2 Chainz and Lil Wayne have been friends for years now, having worked on songs together since the former was going by Tity Boi. In 2016, they came together for the album ColleGrove; while the project was technically 2 Chainz’s third studio album due to record label issues, the album is — for all intents and purposes — a collaborative effort from the two lyricists. 

And that’s not all — ColleGrove 2 is on the horizon, though a release date has not been unveiled as of yet. While fans wait for an update on that front, 2 Chainz took a moment to celebrate Lil Wayne’s 39th birthday, sharing a nostalgic throwback video clip from 2008. 

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“BUGATTI TALK circa 2008,” captions 2 Chainz. “@liltunechi Happy Birthday family Love ya bru !!!” In the clip itself, which presumably landed around the time Lil Weezy dropped off his arguable opus Tha Carter III, 2 Chainz asks Wayne about his Bugatti. Evidently, it’s a topic that Wayne holds close to heart, as he proceeds to wax poetic about some of the vehicle’s key attributes. 

“It’s two V8s,” says Wayne, speaking on the car like a proud parent. “So instead of calling it a V16, they call it a W16 because two Vs make a W. What a co-inky.” To that, all 2 Chainz can utter is an impressed “damn.”

Check out the amusing and endearing display of hip-hop camaraderie between two trusted collaborators below, and be sure to keep a watchful eye out for the pair to reunite on ColleGrove 2, which was recently confirmed as one of Wayne’s next releases by Mack Maine. Once again, happy birthday Weezy!

“I didn’t get sick at all. I lost my smell. That’s it.”

That is what Bradley Beal had to say about his bout with COVID-19 that cost him the chance to play for Team USA in the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo.

Despite losing one of his five major senses, the Washington Wizards star had a lot to say about COVID-19 and the vaccine designed to combat it during the team’s media day.

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Beal bounced from downplaying losing his sense of smell to explaining why he doesn’t feel pressure to get vaccinated to questioning if the vaccine was beneficial at all. Requesting that somebody in the pool of sports reporters explain technical medical information, Beal let it be known that he does not see the COVID vaccine as beneficial.

“I would like an explanation to people with vaccines, why are they still getting COVID?,” the three-time NBA all-star asked. “If that’s something we’re supposed to highly be protected from, that’s funny that it only reduces your chances of going to the hospital. It doesn’t eliminate anyone from getting COVID.” 

Coming off the heels of a weekend revelation that Beal denied Russell Westbrook’s advice to request a trade from Washington, the star shooting guard did not mince any words when it came to his thoughts about the vaccine. In spite of science, he, like others including Kyrie Irving and Andrew Wiggins, made it clear he had not and seemingly would not be getting the vaccine. 

“I don’t think you can pressure anybody to making a decision about their body or what they put into their body. We can have this conversation about a lot of different topics besides vaccines, too. You can’t necessarily force anybody, I think you kind of let people come into their own about it,” Beal said. 

Other stars across the league including Ja Morant and Jayson Tatum acknowledged they had been vaccinated in order to protect those around them and not miss games (certain cities across the league have vaccine mandates in place which would prevent unvaccinated players from playing in those cities) but Beal (and others) have clearly taken a different route. 

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out, especially considering certain players would have to miss games in certain cities and, in turn, miss out on money, but what do you think of Beal’s remarks on the COVID vaccine? Let us know in the comments. 

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Kyrie Irving, once again, skirted questions regarding his vaccination status during the Brooklyn Nets’ Media Day on Monday. This comes just days after a bombshell report from Rolling Stone about unvaccinated NBA players, including Irving, who have been putting pressure on the league for the last few weeks.

The point guard appeared at Nets’ Media Day via Zoom. He was reportedly not there in person because of his vaccination status, which he did not confirm. He also swerved all questions about being unvaccinated, citing his privacy, and respectfully explaining that all details will be revealed at a later date.

“I would like to keep all that private,” said Irving about his vaccination status. “Please just respect my privacy. I like to keep that stuff private. Living in the public sphere, there’s a lot of questions about what’s going on in the world of Kyrie, but I’d like to keep that stuff private. I’m a human being first…I would love to just keep that private and handle it the right way with my team and go forward together with a plan. Obviously, I’m not able to be present there today but that doesn’t mean I’m putting any limits on the future of me being able to join the team. Everything will be released at a due date once we get this cleared up. As of right now, please respect my privacy.”

Kyrie was also asked if he plans on playing any Nets’ home games this season, considering all players will need to be vaccinated to compete. He declined to answer and asked reporters to respect his privacy.

We will continue to keep you posted on Kyrie Irving’s vaccination saga as all of the details get revealed. Check out how NBA Twitter has been reacting to his comments.

Bam Margera has had a tumultuous decade since the passing of Jackass co-star Ryan Dunn in 2011 and an even more tumultuous 2021. 

After revealing his bipolar disorder and finding himself in rehab amidst some bizarre and concerning Instagram posts back in February, everything seems to have gone even further downhill.

Just after the former skateboarder sought treatment for mental illness and substance abuse (he admitted he had broken his sobriety), he was fired from Jackass and it was decided that Margera would not appear in, or be a part of, the franchise’s upcoming film, Jackass Forever. Margera was seemingly replaced by former Odd Future member, Jasper Dolphin, and it was clear Jackass and its cast was ready to move on without him.

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If only it was that easy.

Upon learning of his firing from Jackass, Margera went on a sort of virtual rampage. Starting by saying Steve-O and the rest of the Jackass crew “betrayed” him, Margera took it farther when he reportedly sent death threats to the movie franchise’s director, Jeff Tremaine, and Tremaine’s children. Tremaine filed for a restraining order against Margera in May. The order was awarded in early June and Margera was ordered to stay away from Tremaine.

Margera then sued Tremaine and the rest of the Jackass crew in early August and the fallout from his firing has continued all the way up to this past weekend, when Margera was brought back to rehab by police after “showing concerning behavior” during his stay at a St. Pete beach hotel.

Authorities have stressed that Margera was not arrested. Upon responding to a call about the Viva la Bam star’s erratic behavior, the police were alerted to a court order directing Margera back to rehab and executed that order. No arrest was made and Margera was escorted to a treatment facility in Florida. The 41-year-old faces no charges.

What do you think of this most recent chapter in Bam Margera’s dramatic downfall? Let us know in the comments. 

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It’s been years since we last heard an album from JAY-Z, who delivered 4:44 in June of 2017 to critical acclaim. Since then, Hov has been decently active on the musical front, emerging to deliver verses alongside Nipsey Hussle, Meek Mill, Nas, and more. Alas, no sign of a new album from the legend, though his loyal fans remain happy with whatever they receive.

Now, it would appear another track is being added to the list. Today, a new trailer dropped for the upcoming Netflix western The Harder They Fall, which Hov actually produced. In the trailer, a song featuring both JAY-Z and Kid Cudi can be heard in the second half. “My guns go bang,” sings Cudi, over an anthemic instrumental. “I can make the guns go bang.”

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“Crosses on the head of an angel,” raps JAY-Z, as his following lyrics are muffled by sounds of the trailer. “Faithful till the end, bullets with your name drew, cock back aim shoot.” It will be interesting to see if this marks the lone soundtrack contribution by JAY, as it would be interesting to see him taking a larger role in the musical curation.

Check out the new trailer of The Harder They Fall below, featuring new music from JAY-Z and Kid Cudi. Look for the film — which stars the stacked cast of Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, LaKieth Stanfield, Delroy Lindo, and Regina King– to hit Netflix on November 3rd. 

WATCH: The Harder They Fall Trailer

R. Kelly’s ex-wife, Drea Kelly, has spoken out following the disgraced singer’s guilty conviction during his sex trafficking and racketeering trial, explaining how heartbroken she is for her children.

The singer was found guilty of all nine counts on Monday, facing up to 100 years in prison. His ex-wife spoke out following his conviction, talking to Good Morning Britain on Tuesday morning.

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“I feel that my heart is in two places,” she said after yesterday’s verdict. “My heart definitely goes out to the survivors and the courage that it takes to come forward and tell the story, but my heart breaks as a mother because this is now the legacy that my children will have to deal with and their children’s children. 

At the end of the day, you cannot walk away from your bloodline. I have the ability to separate and distance myself from it, but his blood runs through my children’s veins and it’s part of their DNA and they couldn’t escape it even if they wanted to. So it’s very difficult for me to sit in that position.”

R. Kelly is expected to be sentenced next year, on May 4, 2022. 

“I can only speak of my journey as his ex-wife and a survivor and an advocate, but I think that goes for any child,” continued Drea. “It doesn’t matter if your parents have a problem with drug addiction – you are still going to love them because they are a part of your DNA, you share blood with them. I also support my children in whatever they feel because at the end of the day, whether he ever sold another song, found guilty or not guilty, what is true and what will always be true is that it’s their father, so they have the right to feel whatever they feel.”

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Drea married R. Kelly in 1996. She was his backup dancer. They have three children together. 

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Last week, Kanye West scooped up a $57M beach mansion in Malibu. This week, the Life of Pablo rapper grabbed a Belgian bachelor pad. 

After bouncing between Calabasas, Chicago and Wyoming the last handful of years, it looks like West is starting to establish new real estate patterns. In a move completely separating himself from Kim Kardashian and the long list of other celebrities who call Calabasas home, Kanye headed across the pond to buy a spot in Belgium.

Reporting that the purchase is in celebration of “being single after six years of marriage,” AllHipHop wrote that West’s new crib is in an exclusive neighborhood outside the city of Antwerp and will be transformed into a West-appropriate residence by Axel Vervoordt, the same interior decorator responsible for designing West and Kardashian’s storied Calabasas home.

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Coming on the heels of Kanye’s Malibu purchase, it is yet to be seen whether Yeezy heads to Europe full-time or is just setting up shop for a while, but this bachelor pad purchase is reminiscent of recent stories about the rap and fashion icon’s alleged infidelities and escapades with supermodels and an “A-list” singer. 

West, who was rumored to have spent his 44th birthday and ensuing months with model Irina Shayk, addressed some rumors in “Hurricane,” seemingly admitting to cheating on Kardashian after the birth of their second child but has done little more to clear up the current situation with the mother of his children.

Kardashian has been clear that West is a great father and will remain a part of their children’s lives but it does seem that, with multiple huge real estate purchases across the world and time spent with the likes of Puff Daddy and Marilyn Manson, the rapper is on his early-2010s outlandish wave and it will be interesting to see where things go from here. 

What do you think of Kanye’s European bachelor pad purchase? Let us know in the comments. 

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Prior to the arrival of CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, it seemed as if the game forgot that Tyler, The Creator could actually rap. Though many of his recent releases veered into more experimental territory — including his Grammy Award Winning IGOR — his latest body of work served as a welcome reminder that Tyler can spit bars with the best of them.

It’s also worth noting that the Odd Future innovator continues to be inspired by his hip-hop peers. During a recent XXL interview, Tyler opened up about Kendrick Lamar’s “Family Ties” verse, a release that — for a few moments, at least — shut down the rap world. For Tyler, Kendrick’s performance and creativity was impressive enough to leave a lasting impression.

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“You know why it ruined me? Because it’s someone at that level still gunning,” Tyler, The Creator said. “He’s trying new voices. He’s trying new shit. He’s still learning. You can tell he was off his phone for a few months.”  The story also notes that Tyler jokes (or so we interpret) about calling Kendrick every day to praise his work, pledging to “just stay weird and stay tryin’.” 

It’s cool to see an artist single out one of his peers as a chief source of inspiration, with Tyler placing particular emphasis on Kendrick’s mastery of cadence. Fans already know that Tyler isn’t afraid of manipulating his voice, having previously experimented with various pitches for stylistic effect. It will be interesting to see if Kendrick’s “Family Ties” verse will drive Tyler into the booth — after all, he confirms in the same interview that he’s always working on new music.

Check out Kendrick’s verse on Baby Keem’s “Family Ties” below if you need a reminder. 

LISTEN: Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – Family Ties

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