Month: November 2021

The rap game has been missing EARTHGANG’s presence for quite a long time. The Atlanta rap duo has not released a full-length solo project since Mirrorland in Sept. 2019. 

On Nov. 3, they revealed the light at the end of the tunnel. EARTHGANG and their label Dreamville announced on Instagram that the group’s fourth studio album Ghetto Gods will be released on Jan. 28, 2022. The announcement was coupled with a thrilling trailer narrated by fellow Atlanta native and rap icon 2 Chainz.

In the trailer, 2 Chainz poetically introduces the project: “Ghetto Gods. Diamonds in the rough. You know it’s hard to see the gretness when they tell you you ain’t gon’ be shit, or when they tell you you ain’t shit. Or they step on you. Walk around you. Life shit. But we know better than that. Straight out the mud, out the trench. Having that glow now, that shine, that polish. You feel it.”

Immediately after, the video transitions to a snippet of one of the songs on the album. While the title was not revealed, the clip of the song feels as if it is approaching a climax. This surely helps to build anticipation for whatever EARTHGANG has in store for the album.

This trailer was followed by the announcement of a European tour with seven dates in March 2022. 

EARTHGANG will kick off 2022 with a bang, releasing music and playing it for their fans. Perhaps they will share music from the album during their set at Rolling Loud Los Angeles in December, a month before their forthcoming album is set to drop.

Check out the Ghetto Gods trailer by EARTHGANG below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by EARTHGANG ⚡️ WEST SIDE ATLANTA (@earthgang)

If you have ever been involved with or observed hip-hop Twitter, then you are surely aware of the long-standing beef between Freddie Gibbs and DJ Akademiks. They have made it clear they do not like one another, constantly questioning each other’s toughness.

The latest chapter of the beef between the two commenced this past week, resulting in a days-long squabble. The war of wards first began when Akademiks tweeted a video of rappers Kay Flock and Ron Suno engaging in a fight at New York Rolling Loud last weekend. Gibbs quoted the video humorously saying: “I hope you post it when I run into you.”

Then, the flood gates opened, and the pair traded shot back and forth for days.

After another long shift on Twitter beefing with Akademiks yesterday, it seems like Gibbs woke up today feeling energized and ready to attack. He let off a handful of insults at Akademiks earlier today before Akademiks finally responded to a claim that Freddie engaged in relations with a woman that Akademiks was fond of.

From there, several back-and-forth shots were levied by Gibbs and Akademiks against one another, as the bout would last over two hours with active participation. Whether it was memes about a boxing match between the two, accusations about threatening women, memes about funerals and sleeping due to boredom or accusations about using the beef for album promotion, today’s episode had it all.

At one point, they both referenced Lil Nas X and Boosie Badazz’s in response to homosexual behavior.

This round of Gibbs versus Akademiks had it all, and then some. Check out the tweets below.

Over the last five decades, hip hop and the culture surrounding it has woven itself so firmly into the fabric of the United States, that it has become the force behind almost every trend or cultural movement in the country.

Back in July, Congressman Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) co-sponsored Resolution 331, which sought to designate August 11 as Hip Hop Recognition Day, and November as Hip Hop History Month, and pushed to bring it to fruition. Much to their surprise, the Resolution was passed by the Senate (under the leadership of Senator Chuck Schumer (D-CA)) and both Hip Hop Recognition Day and Hip Hop History month were legitimized.

Jeenah Moon/Getty Images

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

To commemorate the inaugural Hip Hop History Month, the Universal Hip Hop Museum has announced its “Know Ya Hip Hop” campaign, in celebration of the passing of Resolution 331. 

According to a press release, the “Know Ya Hip Hop” campaign “is a call to the public to educate itself on Hip Hop as a culture’s significant impact on history and to acknowledge its “universal” spirit, one that is inclusive and brims with diversity, creativity, and social equity,” and will “be featured on the museum’s social media, website, select billboards, and AllHipHop.com. It will include flyers from legendary parties and jams from across the country whose event dates will correspond with each day of November.” 

Congressman Bowman, who played a pivotal role in the drafting and passing of Resolution 331, professed his love for hip hop, and made it clear why he worked so hard to establish Hip Hop History Month in the United States. 

“Hip Hop is an honest story of communities around the world and provides the opportunity to increase understanding and create a pathway forward for all of us,” he said. “Hip Hop is my life. Hip Hop saved my life. Hip Hop gave me knowledge of self. Hip Hop is who I am … the celebration of Hip Hop history and the study of it is essential to our democracy, our innovation, our voice, and who we are as human beings.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Universal Hip Hop Museum (@uhhmuseum)

Check out the “Know Ya Hip Hop” campaign across all of the Universal Hip Hop Museum’s social media accounts, and let us know what you’re doing to celebrate Hip Hop History Month down in the comments. 

[via]

In the weeks following Alec Baldwin’s accidental shooting and killing of filmmaker Halyna Hutchins (and wounding of director Joel Souza) on the set of his movie Rust, the saga that has been trying to figure out what actually happened on that fateful October day has taken many twists and turns. 

Despite reports that Baldwin believed the prop gun he was using on set was loaded with blanks, those looking to make and example of out of the situation, like right-wingers Donald Trump Jr. and Candace Owens, have shed light on the situation, and made fun of the tragedy and Baldwin’s involvement. Meanwhile, Hutchins’ father has maintained that Baldwin should not be blamed for his daughter’s death, and that her killing was a tragic accident. 

Sam Wasson/Getty Images

Rumors about reportedly unsafe set conditions, especially concerning guns, have swirled and in the days following the shooting, it was reported that multiple people involved with Rust left the film’s production prior to Hutchins’ death, as they were disgruntled with the lack of gun safety.

Rust armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, has come under investigation in recent weeks for her role in the fatal incident. 

Gutierrez-Reed, who was in charge of all firearms on set, says she has no idea how the live round that killed Hutchins made it into Baldwin’s prop gun, or onto the Rust set at all. 

This morning, Jason Bowles and Robert Gorence attorneys representing Gutierrez-Reed appeared on Today, and said they believe their client was sabotaged.

“We know that people had walked off the set the day before,” Bowles said. “I believe that somebody who would do that would want to sabotage the set, want to prove a point, want to say that they’re disgruntled, they’re unhappy.” 

Bowles and Gorence continued to explain why and how they believe somebody tampered with the prop firearms on set. Acknowledging that “there was a live round in a box of dummy rounds that shouldn’t have been there,” both attorneys pointed to disgruntled crew members as their prime suspects. 

“We have people who had left the set, who had walked out because they were disgruntled. We have a time frame between 11 [a.m.] and 1 [p.m.], approximately, that day, in which the firearms at times were unattended, so there was opportunity to tamper with this scene,” Bowles said, with Gorence adding that the Rust prop truck “was completely unattended at all times, giving someone access and opportunity.”

Watch Bowles and Gorence’s full appearance on Today below and let us know what you think in the comments. 

[via]

It has been a rough past year for Casanova since his Dec. 2020 arrest and imprisonment.

The New York rapper has maintained his innocence in the midst of his several charges related to alleged racketeering and gang-related activities. He currently stands to serve a minimum of 15 years in prison, with a maximum life sentence. The main accusation handed down upon Casanova is that he was one of the leaders of the problematic Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation gang.

Since his imprisonment, Casanova has been disappointed by the lack of support and assistance he has received from his rap friends and colleagues. He says he has put a great deal of time and money towards his cause, but has received a fraction of that effort from his peers on the other side.

Now, Tory Lanez has spoken out calling for help for his friend behind bars. Lanez took to Instagram to share a post from Casanova’s account to his story, hoping somebody can assist him while also sending good vibes: “Y’all help my dog out @BIGCASANOVA_2X You’ll be home soon.”

The original post Tory shared was a photo of Casanova from prison attached to a message from Casanova delivered by his manager. In the message, he explains his current circumstances and explains that he is being punished for his past criminal livelihood rather than the current allegations against him: “This is a public service announcement to all my fans and very important friends. I’ve been incarcerated for almost one year now, exhausted all remedies and spent a significant amount of money on legal fees to prove my innocence.The charges against me are false,they don’t represent or reflect the person that I am. They are simply using my past criminal history to crucify me in court.”

Under the post, fellow New York rappers such as Rowdy Rebel, Dusty Locane and Fabolous commented to show their support for Casanova. Earlier this year, a newly freed Bobby Shmurda also showed love to Casanova and advocated for his release.

But recently, Tory Lanez is one of the only artists looking out for Casanova in this tough time.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic changed life as we know it in 2020, the year had already started off with horrible news. On January 26, 2020, a helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California, which killed nine people. The most famous people among the victims were Los Angeles Lakers basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna.

While many people associate the tragic helicopter crash, and the immoral actions by some of the local authorities in light of the accident, with the Bryants, seven other people died on that fateful day as well, and today, news has broken that two of the families who lost loved ones in the crash have reached a settlement in a federal lawsuit brought against Los Angeles County.

David McNew/Getty Images

According to Complex, the Altobelli and Mauser families sued L.A. County over the emotional distress caused by the graphic photographs of the crash scene that reportedly were taken by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies and firefighters and then later shared. The Altobelli’s lost husband and wife John and Keri Altobelli and their daughter Alyssa in the crash, the Mauser family lost 38-year-old Christina Mauser, who was an assistant coach for Team Mamba.

The families will reportedly receive a combined $2.5 million settlement from Los Angeles County, with Matthew Mauser, Christina Mauser’s husband, as well as J.J. Altobelli and Alexis Altobelli, the children of John and Keri Altobelli, all set to receive $1.25 million each.

Rest in peace to all of the victims of the 2020 helicopter crash in Calabasas. 

[via]