Month: December 2022

Keenan Cahill Dead At 27, YouTuber Was On Life Support After Heart Surgery

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As per usual, the last few days are proving to be some of the most interesting as unexpected headlines continue to pour in. Earlier today, word of Andrew Tate’s Romanian detainment was making rounds, but now, the internet has fallen into mourning after finding out about the death of Keenan Cahill.

The 27-year-old YouTuber previously rose to fame in the platform’s early days. He later went on to find major success by making lip-syncing videos with stars like 50 Cent and Justin Bieber, just to name a few.

Keenan Cahill arrives at The Fanatics Tour L.A. Show at Infusion Lounge on April 19, 2014 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images for The Fanatics Tour)

Cahill’s manager, David Graham, tells TMZ that his client lastly underwent open heart surgery on December 15th. Unfortunately, complications arose during the procedure, ultimately leaving the internet sensation on life support.

After spending several days on a ventilator, he concurrently died on Thursday (December 29) afternoon in a Chicago hospital. The news has been devastating to not only his millions of fans but also the countless celebrities he connected with throughout his short but impressive career.

Cahill markedly became one of the first YouTubers to gain over 500 million views on his channel. As it turns out, working with Fif is an opportunity that obviously helped launch him to the next level.

The two posted a collaboration to the New Yorker’s “Down On Me” track, which eventually allowed him to connect with other famous faces. Among them were Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, Britney Spears, and finally, Tyra Banks.

Additionally, David Guetta, Jason Derulo, and LMFAO had the opportunity to work with him over the years.

As TMZ notes, Cahill was previously diagnosed with Maroteaux-Lamy, a rare genetic disorder as a baby. It’s specifically known as a “progressive condition that causes organs and tissues to enlarge, become scarred or inflamed.”

Some of those who deal with the condition can also suffer from heart issues, which seems to have been Keegan’s case. Scroll further to check out fan tributes to the late entertainer. RIP.

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Trae Tha Truth Turns Himself In For Assault Charges Stemming From Z-Ro Altercation

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On Wednesday, Trae Tha Truth linked up with Young Scooter to attend one of Young Thug’s court hearings. However, just one day after showing support for the Punk artist, he had to face legal issues of his own.

Earlier this year, Trae Tha Truth and Z-Ro were involved in an alleged altercation. The fight reportedly went down during 50 Cent’s Tycoon Weekend in Houston, and eventually, footage of it hit the internet. Following the incident, Trae spoke on the situation, saying, “It wasn’t no 7-on-1 situation. It wasn’t no blindside ambush. That’s not what this is. This is family business, internal stuff that’s been going on for 10, 15 years that’s probably been building up and just spilled over into shit.” Unfortunately, the situation has not yet been fully resolved.

HOUSTON, TEXAS – JULY 21: Houston rapper and entrepreneur Trae tha Truth throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the Houston Astros play the New York Yankees during game one of a double header at Minute Maid Park on July 21, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
READ MORE: Video Of Trae Tha Truth & Friends Jumping Z-Ro Surfaces Online, Disputing Former’s “Family Business” Comments

Trae Tha Truth released on bail after turning himself in to authorities in Houston

According to HipHopDX, Z-Ro reportedly pressed charges against his Trae Tha Truth, who’s both his cousin and former frequent collaborator. Authorities charged Trae with a misdemeanor assault charge for allegedly causing bodily injury to Z-Ro during the scuffle. On Thursday, December 29, Trae turned himself in to Houston authorities. He was released on bail shortly afterward.

Lyme Lite Media issued a statement on behalf of Trae Tha Truth.

“In the evening hours on Thursday, December 29, philanthropist and rapper Trae The Truth willfully cooperated turning himself into Houston authorities after rapper Z-Ro pressed charges for assault in regards to an altercation earlier this year in August,” the statement reads. After highlighting his humanitarian efforts, it continued, “The hometown hero is currently out on bail awaiting next steps in defense against the charges and claims pursued by Z-Ro.” 

Read MORE: Trae Tha Truth Helps Rescue 300 People From Hurricane Ian In Florida

In light of the latest update on Trae Tha Truth and Z-Ro’s conflict, let us know what you think about the situation in the comment section below.

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Lupe Fiasco Broke Down Eminem & Kendrick Lamar Lyrics During His MIT Rap Course

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Lupe Fiasco announced in May that he was “going to teach rap at MIT.” More specifically, the multiplatinum-certified rapper is teaching at the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (MIT) for the 2022-23 academic year as the recipient of an MLK Visiting Professorship, as explained in the YouTube description of his “Rap Theory & Practice: An Introduction” lecture.

“Let your conscience be free. You’re now rolling with the thugs from the MIT,” Lupe said at the beginning of the session, playing off of Jay-Z’s “Get Your Mind Right Mami” verse. “Not thugs, but you know, rappers.”

He showed the class photos of him performing during his high school talent show and performing at MIT’s 2015 SpringFest to illustrate that “rap has always been a scholastic pursuit for me.” Over 90 minutes, Lupe dove into the educational root of rap and dissected the structures of Eminem’s “Stan,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Sing About Me,” and his own “Jonylah Forever.”

According to Lupe, “Stan” is “hands-down probably Eminem’s greatest record.” He laid out how Eminem brilliantly coined the term in fan culture, which was effective because he managed to pour universal, relatable macros into the song instead of trying to force “a bunch of details.” Lupe explained why he felt compelled to write “Jonylah Forever,” inspired by the tragic true story of a six-month-old girl named Jonylah Watkins who was shot dead in Chicago in 2013. Her father was the intended target.

“Destroyed the city. I was like, I need to make that a song right now,” Lupe told the class. “And the song was about Jonylah growing up, going to school, being really smart, going to med school, becoming a doctor. … She goes to open up a free clinic in the neighborhood in which she grew up in, and then one day, she’s in the office. She hears some gunshots outside, and then she runs outside to this van and gets this little girl. Triages her, stabilizes her till the paramedics can come, and eventually, she’s saved. She doesn’t realize that she just saved herself. Repetition, repetition, repetition, power. The twist, the power of that. The surprise.”

Lupe used Lamar’s “Sing About Me” as an example of when the surprise doesn’t fix everything — contrasting how he and Eminem blatantly said their plot twists where Lamar leaned more on evocative symbolism. Lupe promised to teach his students how to use “this particular frame” to learn about “a very specific type of surprise and how to utilize it and execute it” by studying stories from the simplicity of “The Three Little Pigs” all the way to Lamar’s intricate discography.

“You can talk about whatever you want,” Lupe said. “Just has to rhyme. That’s the only thing I ask. And it has to be to a beat.”

The course, per Lupe’s slideshow, will cover “fundamental rap primes” such as surprise, rhyme, metaphor, tone, and more. The full name of the class is “CMS.S60 Special Subject: Rap Theory & Practice.” Registration has begun for the 2023 spring semester.

Watch the full 90-minute introductory video above and learn more from Lupe’s tweets below.

Hit-Boy & Avelino’s New Single Is “2 Certified”: Stream

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The final New Music Friday of the year is upon us. Accordingly, some of the biggest names in hip-hop sharing new singles for your streaming pleasure. We’ve already heard from Wiz Khalifa on “#NeverDrinkingAgain” and Rae Sremmurd also came through with “Torpedo.” Now, we have a collaboration from Hit-Boy and Avelino called “2 Certified.”

The song finds the producer and the British rapper coming together to trade verses. “I told Hit-Boy he needs to rap more / I built myself up, brick by brick, but I don’t trap no more / Yeah, I ain’t full of myself, I’m impactful / I’m in a two-door Beamer, I’m toppin’ fuel, what do you think,” the 29-year-old spits.

On the chorus, Hit-Boy chiefly follows with, “I’ma need all the amenities / You made a lil’ pape, I went at their neck and made history / Dumbin’ out on my own beats / Hot like I threw ’em in grease.”

For his part, Avelino recently announced that his debut album will be forthcoming in the new year. On his final verse, he flaunts, “Yeah, I’m too certified / London boy in a German ride.”

As for the California native, he’s been undeniably busy all year. Among his projects were a slew of singles and albums in conjunction with other artists. October saw the arrival of “Tony Fontana III” with Curren$y. The next month, his work was showcased on Nas’ King’s Disease III album.

Other noteworthy titles from Hit-Boy this year include “Fire Proof” as well as his executive production on Drillmatic: Heart vs. Mind from The Game.

Finally, stream Hit-Boy and Avelino’s “2 Certified” on Spotify or Apple Music below. Afterward, tell us your thoughts in the comment section.

Quotable Lyrics:

Too certified, say that, watchin’ the numerals rise
Wrist and neck on jewelry heist
‘Cause I had some game, I knew when to apply it
TNT with it, we finna ignite

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