Month: November 2021

When Kanye West Ye was working on his never-released studio album Yandhi, the Chicago music legend told reporters that he planned to complete the project during a trip to Africa, declaring that he was off his medication and welcoming “Alien Ye” into the fray. That happened three years ago and, since then, the rapper has released his latest studio album DONDA, and made numerous other major moves to further himself as a multi-billionaire creative genius. 

Following his announcement that Sunday Service was finally returning this past weekend with appearances from Marilyn Manson, Roddy Ricch, Justin Bieber, and others, Ye appeared with a new look, pairing his fresh haircut with a set of shaved eyebrows, reminding some fans of his “Alien Ye” phase.

During Sunday Service, as well as a shopping trip earlier in the weekend, fans captured clear shots of the artist without eyebrows. Some of his supporters are questioning his mental state following his questionable stylistic choices over the last few weeks, while others are celebrating Ye’s fearlessness. Almost unanimously though, nobody has a clue what Ye was thinking when he took a blade to his brows.

Check out some recent photos of Ye below, as well as some reactions from fans underneath, and let us know what you think of No-Brow Ye.

Last Friday, Jay-Z appeared in Manhattan Supreme Court to testify against perfume company Parlux, which claims the Reasonable Doubt rapper failed to “properly promote his Gold Jay-Z cologne line,” and caused $18M in lost revenue. Jay maintains that he did fulfill his contract with Parlux, and filed his own countersuit against the company, claiming it still owes him $2.7M.

During last week’s testimony, things got semi-heated between Hov and Parlux’s lead attorney, Anthony Viola.

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Viola tirelessly questioned Jay-Z, and accused him of changing his testimony on multiple occasions. Viola also brought into question a 2019 deposition, in which Hov allegedly admitted that he was not fully aware of the requirements of the contract. 

According to Complex, the Brooklyn rapper accused Viola of “playing lawyer tricks,” and “word games,” that prompted the judge to request that Viola reword his phrasing of certain lines of questioning during testimony on Monday. 

Along with complaints over Viola’s tactics in the courtroom, Hov also made it clear that Parlux had never given him the proper resources or support to make his Gold Jay-Z cologne successful, and that they sabotaged their own product by stocking it in “discount stores.” 

Noting that he “always had problems with the quality of the lazy work that was coming from Parlux,” Jay said that Parlux was “almost cutting the legs off from the brand [by] putting it in discount stores,” and when asked if he wanted the scent to be a success, he assured that he would not have co-signed a product he wanted to fail. 

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“I’m not gonna cut off my nose to spite my face,” he told the court. 

Despite claims that Jay-Z never appeared in person to promote his Parlux cologne, the hip-hop icon and recent inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame says that he “did a lot for the Gold Jay-Z launch,” and in claiming that the company still ows him nearly $3M, has repeatedly brought into question Parlux’s ability to promote their own product.

This case is still developing, so keep it locked to HNHH for any further updates. 

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Chicago rapper Juice WRLD made a tremendous impact on the music industry in such a short time, and he continues to rack up posthumous achievements. Last week, the late “Lucid Dreams” artist earned fifty new platinum and gold certifications from the RIAA, adding to his prolific collection of plaques received during his lifetime.

According to the RIAA’s records, Juice WRLD was awarded fifty new platinum and gold certifications on October 29, 2021. Among the awards are a 5x platinum plaque for “All Girls Are The Same,” a 3x platinum certification for “Black & White,” a 4x platinum plaque for “Robbery,” a 3x platinum certification for “Bandit” with YoungBoy Never Broke Again, and more. Juice WRLD’s most popular song “Lucid Dreams” is also one step closer to being certified diamond, going 9x platinum last week. 

As for his albums, Death Race For Love was certified 2x platinum, Goodbye and Good Riddance got its third platinum plaque, and Legends Never Die earned a second platinum certification. 

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With fifty new certifications being enjoyed by the late rapper’s team, the achievement speaks to Juice WRLD’s sustained status as one of the most impactful new-generation rap artists of the last five years. Check out all of the songs/albums that earned new RIAA certifications last week, and stay tuned for the eventual announcement that “Lucid Dreams” has gone diamond.

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Social media influencer Brittany Renner has finally addressed the speculation that she “trapped” PJ Washington by dumping the NBA player shortly after having a baby with him, making an appearance on DJ Akademiks’ new podcast Off The Record to deny those allegations.

Her episode of the podcast has been teased for much of the last week and it’s officially live. During her chat with the hip-hop media personality, Brittany says that she wanted to get married to PJ before pointing out that there’s a double standard between men and women when it comes to age gaps in relationships.

Brittany is a few years older than PJ, and she was previously spotted watching his college basketball games right after he had just turned eighteen. At the time, Brittany was in her mid-20s. However, she denies “trapping” the hoops star by tricking him into having a baby, stating that she was fine with waiting to have kids.

She told Akademiks that she was on birth control during her relationship with PJ until they had a conversation about the matter when PJ allegedly told her he wanted to have a child.

“Please stop playing this victim narrative. If you want to fuck me and just say you hit Brittany Renner, that’s that. Why do we have a baby?” she asked.

She also mentioned the double standards when it comes to age gaps in celebrity couples. The internet exploded about how Brittany was a few years older than PJ, but she says there was no such outrage about JAY-Z and Beyoncé (who have eleven years between them) and Lori Harvey and Michael B. Jordan (who have ten years between them). 

Check out part of their discussion below, as well as the entire episode underneath.

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It is common for artists and entertainers to dabble in certain substances for inspiration. Some people stick to smoking marijuana while others tackle psychedelics, and Lil Nas X has admitted to using the latter while working on his No. 1 album, Montero. The rapper-singer was recently featured in the Wall Street Journal to highlight his recognition of receiving the publication’s Innovator Award.

In his interview with WSJ, Lil Nas X admitted that a “pivotal moment” during the creation of his album occurred when he decided to try psychedelic mushrooms for the very first time. 

Dimitrios Kambouris / Staff / Getty Images

Nas X told the outlet that he had two friends, sober, by his side throughout the day that they made sure he was attended to and helped through the process. He reportedly didn’t work on any music, but he did converse about all aspects of his life while wandering from the pool to the hot tub. Lil Nas X is said to have enjoyed his experience and added that “it allowed him to push past lots of lingering feelings of self-consciousness.”

“I was able to open up a lot,” he said. “I was able to write actual stories about my life and put it into my music. I actually did that for the first time.” While reflecting on controversies over his sexuality, he believes that people need to address the root causes of their discomfort.

“You take certain things like kissing a guy onstage: I know that’s going to be something that’s talked about. But let’s get into the root cause of why it’s being talked about.”

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The evolution of their relationship has been documented in painstaking detail, but Haily Bieber is giving even more insight into her marriage to Justin Beiber. The world has learned of their love through their interviews, documentaries, songs, photoshoots, and social media posts, and recently, the couple sat down with their dear friends on the In Good Faith with Chelsea & Judah Smith podcast.

The famous celebrity pastors are well known in the entertainment industry and during their conversation with the Biebers, Hailey revealed that there was a time when she and Justin didn’t speak because she did something that upset him.

Theo Wargo / Staff / Getty Images

“It was actually very sad when we didn’t speak. I did something that really hurt him, and I think that kind of maybe took that idea (of marrying me) out of his mind at that point,” she said. Hailey admitted that it was something “immature and stupid,” but she would not specify exactly what occurred.

“There was really one solidified moment where I think it damaged the idea of me for you,” Hailey added, saying for that period they were “not cool with each other.” They eventually found their way back to one another, but their relationship also felt the pressure of Bieber’s mental health struggles. Despite his distance and personal issues, Hailey said she still knew she wanted to marry the singer.

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“Imagine abandoning somebody in the middle of the worst time of their life potentially,” she said. “I’m not that type of a person. I was going to stick it out no matter what the outcome was going to be.” Listen to the discussion below.

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The alleged dog attack that has Chris Brown facing off with a former employee and her sister has new developments. Back in April, it was first reported that Brown was being sued after Patricia Avila, a woman who reportedly cleaned his Tarzana mansion alongside her sister, alleged that the singer’s Caucasian Shepherd Ovcharka accosted her in Brown’s backyard.

According to Radar Online, courts documents state that the dog somehow got out into the yard and allegedly bit Avila in the face. However, Avila claimed that her sister suffered extensive injuries and was found “covered in blood while she was screaming and crying for help.”

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The outlet further stated that it was Brown who allegedly called the authorities for assistance before Avila’s sister was quickly taken to the hospital. She reportedly “underwent multiple surgeries.” Although Avila did not suffer injuries, she stated in court documents that she has lived with severe PTSD and anxiety.

Avila also stated in recent documents that Brown was served a notice of the lawsuit but has not attended court dates. She is hoping that a judge will award her a default judgment totaling $1 million.

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The breakdown of her request is $1 million for the emotional distress she suffered, $1k for medical expenses, $24k in loss of earnings, and an unknown amount for future loss of earnings.

In her lawsuit, Avila says she cleaned Brown’s home twice a week for $600 a day. His two dogs, Zeus and Hades, were at the home when she cleaned.

Avila’s sister has also filed a separate lawsuit against the singer.

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The Bryant estate had been at the forefront of conversations today after it was announced that Coca-Cola was acquiring full control of BodyArmor. In 2013, Kobe Bryant acquired 10 percent of BodyArmor for $6 million and became a major shareholder. Sports Illustrated reported that this business move by Coca-Cola would mean that the Bryant estate would earn approximately “$400 million for its stake in the company.”

“If it wasn’t for Kobe Bryant’s vision and belief, BODYARMOR would not have been able to achieve the success we had,” Mike Repole, founder of BodyArmor, reportedly stated in a press release. “I couldn’t be more excited to become part of the Coca-Cola family and set our sights on the future.”

Dia Dipasupil / Staff / Getty Images

On Instagram, widow Vanessa Bryant uploaded a photo of Kobe and penned a touching message to her late husband as she admired his posthumous accomplishment.

“Congratulations Papi!!! This is ‘no pie in the sky.’ You did it!” she wrote. “Always one step ahead. I’m so proud of everything you were able to accomplish. I wish you were here to celebrate. You deserve all the recognition for this. You continue being GREAT. Te amo per siempre. Congratulations Kobe, Mike Repole & @drinkbodyarmor team [rerd heart emoji].”

Vanessa added, “@kobebryant, you are the GOAT in everything you put your mind to.” Check it out below.

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For those who have been keeping up with Verzuz since it first began its takeover during quarantine last year, you’ve watched as the series has evolved. We went from tuning in to shared Instagram Live screens to in-person performances with special guests and surprises. There are talks that Verzuz is working on a tour that will mirror its online show and once that gets in gear, we’re sure it will continue to spell success for Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, and their entire team.

We all recently tuned in for the Big Daddy Kane and KRS-One matching that found the Rap veterans delivering their favorite classics to a live audience as millions of others tuned in remotely. On Monday (November 1), Verzuz announced its return this week, with a slight twist.

This time around, we’re going to catch rappers performing as well as gaming. The brand shared the flyer to their social media pages showing that Verzuz Gamez would be hosting a Call of Duty: Vanguard world premiere event hosted by T-Pain on Wednesday. There will reportedly be a multi-round gameplay tournament featuring Lil Jon and Lil Tecca versus Big Boi and Big Sean. So, yes, it is the Lils versus the Bigs.

In addition to the gameplay, Migos will take to the stage as performers. It is all going down from 6 pm to 9 pm PDT so let us know if you’ll be tuning in.