For the countless babies born on a leap year, February 28th marks the time to celebrate their birthdays most of the time. Among those turning up to mark another trip around the Sun today is Ja Rule, who turns 47. On his Instagram Story, the Fyre Festival co-founder has been reposting thoughtful messages from friends on his Instagram Story. Conversely, his fans have been at home, streaming some of his biggest hits to commemorate along with him.
For our part, we’re highlighting Ja’s early 2000s collaboration with Ashanti, “Always On Time.” To this day the joint is often found in the best throwback R&B playlists, and can still be heard blasting at parties and clubs on top volume as music lovers bump and grind. What more could you need to get into a celebratory mood in honour of the birthday boy?
Revisit Ja Rule and Ashanti’s “Always On Time” Visual
Listeners have always praised the effortless connection between Ja and Ashanti, but as it turns out, she almost didn’t earn the female part in the song. While speaking with the New York Post last year, the R&B starlet revealed that it was first sent to Brandy, who actually turned the opportunity down. “She ended up not doing it, and Ashanti came in and alley-ooped!” the “Foolish” singer dished.
The salacious song went on to become one of the most-streamed in each artist’s catalogue. Other major releases for Ja include “Mesmerize,” “Livin’ It Up,” “Wonderful,” and “Put It On Me.” His most recent release, “Blow, came back in 2021 featuring Somong. Now that he’s beginning a new chapter of his life, it’s entirely possible we could see the lyricist head back to the studio soon.
Stream Ja Rule and Ashanti’s “Always On Time” on Spotify or Apple Music below. Afterward, tell us your favourite track from the man of the hour in the comments. Make sure to check back later for more release recommendations and music news updates.
Quotable Lyrics:
C’mon and get a piece of this late-night lover You know, the one that swing d*ck like no other I know, I got a lot of things I need to explain But, baby, you know the name, and love is about pain
Raleigh-bred artist Toosii has had enough of the insults when it comes to the LGBTQIA+ community. The rapper, who’s amassed over 500 million views across his YouTube channel, took to Instagram to defend his stance recently. While it’s not known what sparked the outburst, the Syracuse native mentioned attacks on us all in one late-night post. “I get on the internet everyday and see us attacking us. S**t getting overrated [one-hundred emoji],” Toosii tweeted yesterday evening.
At the beginning of the now-viral clip, the man behind “Magic Potion” warns viewers he’s unbothered by their commentary. “It is what it is at the end of the day,” Toosii continues. He then begins to deliver a speech about those who call others gay as a form of insult. “If being straight [is] not an insult, why is being gay an insult?,” the 23-year-old challenges. “You’re trying to use calling a person gay as an insult. Them is the motherf***ers that really need to be attacked, feel me?”
As responses rolled in from both sides of the debate, Toosii retweeted @SaycheeseDGTL’s repost with a few more words of his own. Commenters under their tweet were noticeably negative, with a majority of them proving his point. One tweeter tells him to shut his “pandering a** up. You sound suspect as hell!” In response to this, a Toosii supporter says the user should seek therapy as their “sexuality must be EXTREMELY fragile!” Another commentator mentions “The replies speak volumes” as others continue to hurl homosexual allegations toward the star. “[Thumbs down emoji] [The] comment section lame…,” Toosii began before confirming his own sexuality. “Shout out to the LGBTQ community be ya self! And this coming from a STRAIGHT MAN. I send my love to everybody I don’t got a hating bone in my body!”
Toosii then went on to celebrate his first Billboard entry for “Favorite Song,” which sits at No. 51 on the Hot 100 Chart. According to the site, the track has garnered over 9.7 million streams since its release. TikTokers have used the sped-up adaptation over 300,000 times thus far. “Favorite Song” follows Toosii’s 2022 deluxe EP, Boys Don’t Cry: Men Do.
50 Cent found much success in recent years, thanks to his endeavors in television. Power proved Fif can find as much success outside of rap as he did within the music industry. The Starz-backed series became a cultural phenomenon after its debut. Fans tuned in week after week as they followed the story of James “Ghost” St. Patrick and Tommy Egan. Though the series ended, Fif landed three spin-off series to expand the Power universe.
Power provides a look into St. Patrick’s life as he tries to leave the streets alone to become legitimate. However, one man filed a $1B lawsuit against Fif in 2021, claiming that the series was based on his life. “[Holland] fails to identify any defamatory statements made about him in connection with the fictional television series ‘Power,’” Fif’s attorneys wrote in a court filing. “He fails to allege that his name, portrait or picture was used in connection with ‘Power,’ or that any such use was a prohibited advertising use.”
Ex-Drug Dealer Claims 50 Cent Pulled Up To His Home
NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 02: (L-R) Lela Loren, 50 Cent, Joseph Sikora, Courtney Kemp Agboh, Omari Hardwick, and Naturi Naughton attend the “Power” Season Two Series Premiere at Best Buy Theater on June 2, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/FilmMagic)
Corey “Ghost” Holland Sr. accused 50 Cent of actually coming to his home to resolve the issue. In a filing obtained by AllHipHop, Holland said Fif pulled up to his home twice between July and August 2021. He added that Fif continuously attacked him online subliminally before showing up in his front yard. “… Now 50 Cent is bringing the drama right to plaintiff front yard,” the document reads. “So plaintiff responded to 50 Cent the way any normal person would respond to a possible threat, plaintiff prepared himself for whatever was go happen.”
Holland said that he tried to find out why 50 Cent was at his home yet couldn’t get an answer from the security detail. “The men in the truck returned, repeated the same intimidation tactic and left, but this time they appeared to be armed,” read the motion. “So plaintiff family ARM themselves, cause defendant Jackson, came back to plaintiff neighborhood for a second time, but once again security protected him. Plaintiff again tried to get to him and ask why is he coming to his home and neighborhood, but security prevented that, it’s clear your Honor, he was seeking a confrontation, and came very close to getting what he came for.” We’ll keep you posted on any further updates surrounding the case.
Young Thug is one of the most popular artists of our generation. Through his unique voice and delivery, he’s paved the way for many other artists. He’s already been in the game long enough to have inspired people through his music. With a label under his belt and successful members on it, he’s already left his mark on the game. He’s also collaborated with multiple other popular artists both in the rap world and outside of it. These include not only people on his albums, but his features on other people’s albums. With so much music in discography, one might wonder which songs are bringing in the most listeners. In this list, we’ll be examining his most streamed songs on Spotify.
Young Thug and Lil Baby perform at Birthday Bash 2018. (Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)
#10: Never Hating – Lil Baby feat. Young Thug
Young Thug and Lil Baby have multiple songs together. This one comes from Lil Baby’s album It’s Only Me. Young Thug comes in on the second half of the track and uses a flow that dances over and around the production. The strings on the song add a small sense of drama to the head nod-inducing production and trap drums.Thug doesn’t weave in any singing this time but the flow is what holds listeners attention during his portion. His verse is short but fits in well with the tone set by Lil Baby on the hook and his verse. They may not trade bars on this one but their presence compliments each other on the song.
This is one of Young Thug’s most recent songs and his performance on it was very well received. As one of the solo cuts on the Metro Boomin helmed album, Thugger made sure he left his mark. The focus is on him and he made sure listeners stayed locked in on everything he had to say. Over menacing piano keys and bell chimes, Thug crafted an earworm of a hook and verses that complement it well. The most standout point is in his second verse where he goes into a bouncy pocket with his flow that’s catchy and infectious. His adlibs on this one are more understated but they still are effective. It may not be gym playlist worthy, but the energy is still present on this one.
#8 Trance – Metro Boomin (with Travis Scott and Young Thug)
Thug and Travis’s melodic techniques have been well-documented across the years. In this cut from Metro Boomin’s album HEROES AND VILLAINS, the iconic duo put their vocals on display. Metro crafts a dreamy atmosphere for them and they deliver. Thug opts for a rap sung flow that matches the atmosphere of the song well. The strings that come in during portions of his verse enhance his flow well and take the song to the next level. As expected, Thug blends his vulnerabilities and flexing in a unique verse The final moments of his verse have him in a mini duet and his vocals blend well with Travis’. This is one for late-night listening and everything in it sets the tone for that.
#7 Potion – Calvin Harris (with Dua Lipa and Young Thug)
Rappers collaborating with pop artists is not something that’s unheard of. But, when it does happen, listeners are always curious about how it comes out. This one has pop superstar Dua Lipa and producer Calvin Harris on the production. Thug’s first verse finds him showcasing his rapping and singing skills over a summery beat. Towards the end of it, he uses a unique singing technique. He comes back in for the song’s bridge which features more vocal gymnastics from him. Dua’s hook takes up most of the song but Thug makes his presence known. Anyone who wasn’t familiar with him found out quickly once they heard his contribution to the song. This one was interesting to say the least.
Young Thug and Gunna perform at halftime during the Boston Celtics v Atlanta Hawks game at State Farm Arena. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
#6 Solid – Young Thug feat. Drake and Gunna
Drake and Thug have had several tracks together over the years. Gunna has a verse after Drake’s and before Thug’s. The eerie production of this one is one of the main draw-ins to this song for sure. At the beginning of Gunna’s verse, there’s a beat switch and the original comes right back flawlessly. The second beat comes back during his verse too. Young Thug closes out the song with a verse that sees him using a more understated delivery. He’s not whispering but still keeping the volume at a relaxed level. There’s some alliteration towards the end of his verse and Thug delivers it effortlessly. We get a beat switch during his verse too which adds to the layers of production the song has and showcases his ability to adapt to it.
#5 Hot (Remix) – Young Thug feat. Gunna and Travis Scott
This remix was on the deluxe edition of Young Thug’s album So Much Fun. The original featured frequent collaborator Gunna. This remix features another frequent collaborator, Travis Scott. Thug starts his verse with some vocals that are hard to hear because of his volume and how he’s saying them. However, after this moment he picks up in volume and energy. Many may remember how much Thug name dropped Cartier in this verse. His flow skated all over the horns on the song and he ended the verse the same way he started it. But, at the end, he had vocalizations from Travis in the background and he did deliver the bars at a slightly higher volume.
If there’s one thing Drake and his team know how to do, it’s generate buzz. When the tracklist for Certified Lover Boy released, many were equally skeptical and intrigued by this track title. The song samples another song titled “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred. Future interlopes the hook from that song and also has a verse. Thug comes in calm and confident after that verse with a flow of his own. Thug’s flow is unique as it has a “start-stop” cadence to it that fits the bounce of the song. Much like the entire mood of the song, several of Thug’s bars have a certain silliness to them. Still, we all remember how we felt the first time we heard this one.
This song came out in 2020 but radio stations still have it in rotation like it came out last week. This track comes from Chris Brown and Thugger’s collab album Slime & B. Fittingly, Thug’s verse on here heavily favors singing. Over glistening keys, he croons about his thoughts on his lover. Background vocalizations enhance the melodic delivery of his verse. This time around, he’s not on hook duty with Chris and has only one moment on the track. However, before his verse begins, we do get some vocalizations from him. We have come to expect these to precede his verses as it lets us know he’s on the song. While it can be generally classified as R&B, this one fits better in the daytime. The upbeat drums and keys make it ideal to play during a day out.
Travis Scott and Young Thug perform at the BET Hip Hop Awards 2016. (Prince Williams/Wireimage)
#2 pick up the phone – Travis Scott feat. Young Thug
This was not the first collab between these two artists but it was one of their most popular. The hook has Travis on the first half and Thug on the second half. Thug’s portion sees him showcasing his vocals with just a splash of autotune in the hook’s first appearance. Thug uses his verse for braggadocios bars in the first half of his verse. He also weaves in reflection on his mother in the second half of the verse. Almost each line of his verse has an ad-lib on this one and they are all fun and hype as we expect. For many listeners, this was the song that sparked the idea that these two needed a collab project.
#1 The London – Young Thug feat. J. Cole and Travis Scott
Hearing J.Cole and Young Thug on a song together is something nobody imagined would ever happen. Travis Scott is on this one too. J.Cole’s verse was praised, as per usual. Thug comes in after him and uses three flows total for his verse. All of them blend well with the production which is a testament to his versatility. The first one is somewhat scattered yet cohesive. The second finds him in a high register with a rap sung flow. The third one finds him in a more traditional one that closes his verse well. This was easily one of the most popular songs the year it dropped mainly because the collab was so unexpected. It also came out really well.
Don Toliver has wasted no time in answering a question many of his fans had almost from the first instant his new album Love Sick hit the DSPs: Will he release a deluxe edition?
Yes, yes he did. Just four days after the release of his third album, the Houston rap crooner followed up by adding four new songs, tapping his mentor Travis Scott and Texan rising star Teezo Touchdown to feature on “Embarrassed” and “Luckily I’m Having,” respectively. The other two new songs are “Geronimo” and “No Pole.” All four songs continue the album’s theme of addressing various aspects of love.
Toliver revealed the original tracklist by means of a string of posts highlighting the featured artists with vintage art. Those features include Brent Faiyaz, Charlie Wilson, GloRilla, Future, James Blake, Justin Bieber, Don’s girlfriend Kali Uchis, Lil Durk, TisaKorean, Toro y Moi, and Wizkid. He also released a playlist of songs from the album with visuals forming an episodic short film which you can watch here.
The updated tracklist for the deluxe edition of Love Sick can be found below.
1. “No Pole”
2. “Embarrassed” Feat. Travis Scott
3. “Geronimo”
4. “Luckily I’m Having” Feat. Teezo Touchdown
5. “LoveSickness”
6. “Let Her Go” Feat. James Blake
7. “Leave The Club” Feat. GloRilla & Lil Durk
8. “4 Me” Feat. Kali Uchis
9. “Go Down” Feat. TisaKorean
10. “Time Heals All”
11. “Leather Coat”
12. “Honeymoon”
13. “Private Landing” Feat. Future & Justin Bieber
14. “Slow Motion” Feat. Wizkid
15. “Do It Right”
16. “If I Had” Feat. Charlie Wilson
17. “Company Pt. 3”
18. “Bus Stop” Feat. Brent Faiyaz
19. “Cinderella” Feat. Toro Y Moi
20. “Encouragement”
Coach Robert Jones, the men’s basketball coach at Norfolk State University, discussed ways to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). He also sheds light on his perspectives on why HBCU sports aren’t major networks and get passed up in recruiting. Norfolk State University Coach Robert Jones Norfolk State University men’s basketball coach Robert Jones […]
Elon Musk has reclaimed his title as the richest man in the world after a rise in Tesla’s stock over the last few weeks. While the stock, in which much of Musk’s wealth is tied up, took a massive hit in 2022, it’s bounced back a bit over the last month. Since February 1, Tesla is up 17%. It is still down significantly from its highs in 2021 however. According to reports from Barron’s, the SpaceX co-founder owns approximately 424 million shares of Tesla.
As it stands, Musk’s net worth was just north of $187.1 billion as of Monday after markets closed, according to Bloomberg. The figure positions him just over Bernard Arnault, CEO of French luxury brand LVMH (LVMHF), who is worth $185.3 billion. All-in-all, Musk spent a little over two months at the No. 2 spot before regaining it this week.
Elon Musk In 2022
BOCA CHICA BEACH, TX – AUGUST 25: SpaceX founder Elon Musk during a T-Mobile and SpaceX joint event on August 25, 2022 in Boca Chica Beach, Texas. The two companies announced plans to work together to provide T-Mobile cellular service using Starlink satellites. (Photo by Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images)
Despite the recent gains, Musk is still down significantly over the last year. At the end of 2022, he became the first person to ever lose $200 billion. His net worth plummeted from $340 billion in Nov. 2021 to $137 billion in Dec. 2022. Outside of Tesla, Musk’s $44 billion purchase of Twitter has also done a good deal to damage his personal wealth. The decision to buy the company shook Tesla investors for starters.
Additionally, his behavior on the platform has become increasingly erratic. In one recent post, he claimed that the United States media is racist against white people. “For a very long time, US media was racist against non-white people, now they’re racist against whites & Asians. Same thing happened with elite colleges & high schools in America,” he said. “Maybe they can try not being racist.” Behind the scenes, there have been large layoffs at the company as well. In his time at the site, he’s also launched a paid verification program known as Twitter Blue. The feature got off to a rocky start in 2022 but has since launched in full.
Tory Lanez was found guilty, on Dec. 23, of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the July 2020 incident after a gathering in the Hollywood Hills. He is facing 22 years and has a sentencing hearing scheduled for Feb. 28. SOHH covered the trial from the first day, Dec. 5-23, 2022, and continues its coverage through […]
N.O.R.E., also known as Noreaga, and DJ EFN have been running the podcast Drink Champs for years now. Being able to bring on world-famous guests has brought about many intriguing conversations on the show. Both with rich backgrounds in hip-hop, their relationships with star rappers can sometimes be a double-edged sword, though. For example, N.O.R.E. sometimes does not bring on guests that are a conflict of interest for his rapper friends. In a recent Drink Champs clip, he explained how his bond with Joe Budden kept him from interviewing certain artists .”Just cause of my friendship with Joe, I couldn’t interview certain people,” he said. “That has nothing to do with Illuminati. It’s just a friend thing. I have no disrespect towards the other person.”
But, this would not be the case if Noreaga and EFN were proper journalists. Typically when conducting interviews, journalists are required to put relationships and biases aside. So, following this statement, EFN made it clear to N.O.R.E. why his stance could be confusing to some viewers of the show. “I’mma tell you why people get it confused, cause you often say you’re a journalist,” he said. “This is why I always say stop saying that.”
When approached by his pal DJ EFN about his policy for interviews, N.O.R.E. responded with vigor. “I’m not a journalist! I’m not a journalist! I never said I was a journalist. I do journalist sh*t and I’m richer than a lot of them journalists but f**k that, I ain’t no journalist. Mothaf**ka!” Although he disagreed with EFN about ever making the claim that he was a journalist, they both agreed with the fact that they are not. “We’re media, we’re not journalists,” EFN responded.
To this, N.O.R.E. agreed. “We’re media! I’ve never said I was a journalist! I just said I do journalist sh*t,” he said. “And guess what? My relationships (are) more important than this.” With this clarification, N.O.R.E. asserts that he does not commit to fully being a journalist because his hip-hop relationships are too important to him. So, even though Drink Champs may give some of the most insightful and enjoyable interviews in the industry, they responsibly make it clear that they are not official journalists. And they prefer it that way.
(@SaycheeseDGTL) 
