It’s no secret that it’s been a major year for Sexyy Red. Aside from joining Drake on tour and taking part in several high-profile collabs, the St. Louis-born rapper unleashed her third mixtape In Sexyy We Trust just last month. As expected, it arrived jam-packed with hits. Many fans thought would make her a shoo-in at the BET Awards last night (June 30).
She was nominated for a few different awards, including Best Collaboration, Best Female Artist, and Best New Artist. The latter is what now has her supporters feeling snubbed, however, and they’re making their opinions known. Tyla took home the honor instead of Sexyy, and many feel as though this simply wasn’t fair.
Sexyy Red shared some fun clips and photos from the awards show on Instagram earlier today, showing her making it rain in the crowd, dancing, and more. Her comments section is flooded with fans insisting that she was “robbed,” as well as words of encouragement after the loss. “Sexyy should’ve won best new artist over Tyla tbf,” one commenter claims. “It’s ok sis, your efforts don’t go unnoticed. You won in my book,” another says.
Fortunately, it doesn’t appear as though Sexyy is too upset by the whole thing, as she’s gone on to share even more footage from the event. In one of her latest clips, she’s seen throwing around cash on the carpet, providing a heartfelt message to fans in her caption. “I do dis for da trenches da hood btches winnin,” she wrote. What do you think of Tyla winning Best New Artist at the BET Awards last night? Do you think the award should have gone to Sexyy Red or not? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
R&B icon Usher received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the BET Awards on Sunday night, held at the Peacock Theater in Downtown Los Angeles.
The “You Got it Bad” singer, who has had a standout year, was celebrated with a tribute medley from an all-star ensemble featuring performances by Keke Palmer, Coco Jones, Summer Walker, Teyana Taylor, Childish Gambino, Victoria Monét, Marsha Ambrosius, Chlöe Bailey, and Latto.
Here’s when his big moment took a turn. When Usher took the stage to accept his award, viewers at home noticed that his speech was heavily censored. Like weird muting all over the place.
On Monday, BET clarified that the muting was due to a technical issue. Oh, that part.
“Celebrating global icon Usher on our stage with a star-studded tribute and having him accept his award with a heartfelt speech was an honor. Due to an audio malfunction during the LIVE telecast, portions of his speech were inadvertently muted,” BET declared in a statement.
“We extend our sincere apologies to USHER as we couldn’t be more grateful for his participation in Culture’s Biggest Night. Fans can catch his full uninterrupted speech across BET platforms and tonight’s encore on BET.”
During the parts that we could hear during the speech, Usher reflected on his 30-year career, expressing gratitude to those who supported him along the way. As expected. He also got relatable, delving into personal matters, discussing his journey to forgive his absent father and his efforts to co-parent with his ex-wife, Tameka Foster.
“We gotta be willing to forgive. We gotta be willing to be open. I’m telling you — you’re standing before a man who had to forgive a man who never showed up, ever, and look at what I made with it,” he said onstage. “Look at what I was able to usher in. That’s what’s real and that’s what makes us human.” Get this, Usher made those remarks while standing onstage alongside fellow industry icons Babyface, L.A. Reid, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, and Jermaine Dupri.
ICYMI, in addition to receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award, Usher snagged the award for Best R&B Male Artist.
Usher, stay winning. CLAPPING EMOJI CLAPPING EMOJI, TROPHY EMOJI. Spelling that out was on purpose, ya’ll – ha!
While many of his peers were preparing for the BET Awards over the weekend, Diddy was laying low hundreds of miles away in one of the places most people would least expect to see him- Jackson, Wyoming.
Despite facing numerous lawsuits, a federal investigation, and the fallout from the recently resurfaced video of him assaulting Cassie in 2016, the embattled rapper appeared to be enjoying himself at one of the most scenic rafting spots in the nation in a video obtained by TMZ.
The disgraced mogul is seen with two friends and a guide on what appears to be a Class II rapid. River classifications are graded on a scale of I to VI with class I being smooth, flat, calm water and Class VI is the most difficult and requires special certification. (Anything above Class III also usually requires protective headgear.) According to the river company’s website (which can be seen on the side of the boat), the trip was likely eight miles long and took place on the Snake River just outside of Jackson, Wyoming (which is most well-known for being the home of the Jackson Hole Ski Resort).
Vice President Kamala Harris has entered the chat. The second most powerful person in America referenced the Kendrick Lamar-Drake feud with a sharp one-liner during the 2024 BET Awards on Sunday night. It was a skit, pre-taped but hit the mark.
During the skit, alongside the event’s host, actor Taraji P. Henson, the vice president and Henson discuss the upcoming presidential election over a video call.
Get this, Henson, got political across hot button issues, expressing her concerns about reproductive health access and potential Supreme Court vacancies, said, “Our basic freedoms are being tested, Madam VP. I know you’ve been traveling across the country, what are you hearing?”
“Yeah, girl, I’m out here in these streets, and let me tell you — you’re right, Taraji, there is so much at stake in this moment,” Harris responded. “The majority of us believe in freedom and equality. But these extremists, as they say — they ‘not like us.’”
Harris’ audacity albeit in jest was referencing Lamar’s new song, “Not Like Us,” which emerged from his highly publicized feud with Drake.
Additionally, Harris remarked that Republicans want to “turn back the clock on our hard-fought progress,” urging people to register to vote.
The point is the song is so big the executive branch of our government is using it to sell their policies as viable incumbent candidates against Donald Trump in the upcoming election. Whether you’re voting democrat or republican, that has to count for something.
Two-way Celtics wingman Derrick White has $125.9 million reasons to smile after reportedly signing a four-year contract extension with Boston, as reported by top NBA journalist Adrian Wojnarowski.
Get this, White’s extension represents the maximum amount Boston could offer under NBA rules, starting with a 40% raise on his 2024-25 salary. Including the final year of his current contract, White is set to earn approximately $145.4 million over the next five seasons.
If you recall, the Celtics acquired White from the San Antonio Spurs at the 2022 trade deadline, and he has since become a crucial player for the team. What a steal that was.
Initially brought in as a bench player, White’s role and performance have significantly expanded in Boston.
Even though he is known for his stellar defense, White has also improved offensively, increasing his three-point shooting percentage from 34.4% with the Spurs to 38% with the Celtics. All where it counts.
Boston has also given him more responsibilities as a ball-handler, making him their starting point guard on a team that recently achieved the best offensive rating in NBA history. No easy feat with ball dominant players like Tatum and Brown on each wing.
This extension indicates that the Celtics will face substantial luxury tax bills starting in the 2025-26 season. Jaylen Brown is beginning his super-max extension this season, and Jayson Tatum is expected to follow with his own super-max extension next year. Additionally, Jrue Holiday received a similar four-year, $135 million extension during the season, and Kristaps Porzingis is secured for about $60 million over the next two years.
With White’s contract now locked in, the Celtics are positioned as championship favorites for the upcoming season. However, maintaining this roster will come at a significant financial cost.
Let’s be real, would the Celtics have won without White hitting big shots, locking down the other team’s best players at times and diving for loose balls? He even lost a tooth in the finals, didn’t he? Congrats White, you deserve every penny.
Finally, Jamie Foxx has revealed more about the mysterious illness that hospitalized him last April. The 56-year-old actor shared his experience in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) by The Art of the Dialogue.
“Look, April 11th last year,” Foxx said to a group gathered around him at an outdoor café in Phoenix, “Bad headache. I asked my boy for an Advil.” He snapped his fingers, indicating how quickly things escalated.
“I was gone for 20 days,” Foxx continued. “I don’t remember anything.”
Here’s Foxx describing the early response to his health crisis, “So they told me — I’m in Atlanta — so they told me my sister and my daughter took me to the first doctor,” referring to his sister Deidra Dixon and daughter Corinne Foxx. “They gave me a cortisone shot,” he said to a woman next to him. (According to the Mayo Clinic, a cortisone injection can “relieve pain, swelling, and irritation.”)
Something many can appreciate, Foxx, then mentioned the next step in his medical journey: “The next doctor said something’s going on up there,” he said, pointing to his head, though he refrained from specifying further on camera. “I won’t say it on camera,” Foxx added, drawing laughs from the crowd. “But it was…” he trailed off, shrugging, as the video ended.
In a heartfelt note to this harrowing journey, Foxx previously credited his sister Deidra with saving his life during this crisis, posting on Instagram, “without you I would not be here … had you not made the decisions that you made I would’ve lost my life.”
On the lighter side, thankfully Foxx returned to the FOX competition show Beat Shazam after missing season 6 due to his illness. He has also hinted at a return to stand-up comedy, where he plans to address his health scare. In February, Foxx hinted at his comeback, saying, “Going to get on somebody’s stage somewhere near you. I got some jokes, and a story to tell….”
This past Saturday, The Roots brought the best parts of their annual festival, Roots Picnic, to the Hollywood Bowl for a special concert, Love Of My Life. Named after a song from the Philadelphia band’s 1999 fourth studio album Things Fall Apart (which was itself inspired by Common’s metaphorical 1994 storytelling track “I Used to Love H.E.R.”), the concert was dedicated to celebrating the group’s 30-year love affair with this thing called hip-hop. To that end, they recruited a slew of guests from the genre’s Golden Era to join them onstage to perform some of their greatest hits.
Arrested Development, Black Sheep, Common, Digable Planets, The Pharcyde, and Queen Latifah were all billed as performers, but throughout the evening, surprise guests ranging from Black Eyed Peas’ Will.I.Am to an all-star roster of pioneer women in rap, including The Lady Of Rage, MC Lyte, Monie Love, and Yo-Yo, all joined The Roots on the legendary stage. And, as befits any live performance played the Philadelphian ensemble (the most recent of which I have to compare it to was their New Year’s Eve show at the Wiltern in LA just seven months ago), those hits were reinterpreted, remixed, and transformed by the addition of the live band.
When the crew launched Roots Picnic back in 2008, I felt so left out, living on the West Coast. While endless sunshine and pretty people never really gets stale, it did feel a bit like I was missing out on all the best bits of culture taking place in the northeast. As social media became more commonplace, allowed more footage from the festival to enter the public consciousness, that feeling was only intensified. For someone who counts The Roots among his most formative acts, watching Black Thought freestyle for 15 minutes on a phone screen was as exciting as it was disheartening that I couldn’t see it live.
On Saturday, I did. It was glorious. I’ve seen LeBron James play basketball in person in a high school gym in the hood (another of those perks of growing up in LA). I got the same, transformative feeling watching Tariq Trotter, a master of his craft in the same respect, do things very few other earthly powers have ever been able to come close to reproducing. When Common came out to perform “I Used To Love H.E.R.,” to see nearly 17,500 other people rap EVERY. SINGLE. WORD. was akin to a spiritual experience.
The biggest pops, though, were reserved for Queen Latifah and the cadre of hip-hop sistren who joined her for a mini-set that proved that women have always run hip-hop — and always should. Not expecting Lyte, Rage, or Yo-Yo to put in appearances, I was genuinely surprised by the surprise guest appearances. And I was awed. These women, all well into their 50s, hit every bar. The mics were ON. I get why younger artists often look like deer in the headlights at these festivals, but I’m going to recommend that you festival organizers start sending out media packages for study with the booking contracts. This is what it’s supposed to look like.
The night ended, somewhat fascinatingly, with a singalong of Black Sheep’s “The Choice Is Yours.” It was a high point, but there were so many singalong moments that could have been the finale: Thought and Com running through the title track of the evening. Arrested Development crooning “People Everyday,” Will sitting in with Pharcyde for a rendition of “Passin’ Me By,” or the Jungle Brothers popping out to perform the Native Tongues posse cut “Buddy” with more than a few of the original artists in attendance.
The best part of the show was the best part of the Roots Picnic as an event. Getting to see all these pillars of hip-hop together, not just on the same stage performing their own sets, but as a group, playing off each other, enjoying each other’s company and vibing together. That’s the one-of-a-kind experience that makes Roots Picnic one of the premiere festivals throughout the year. Even getting to sample it at an iconic venue like Hollywood Bowl? You can’t beat that with a bat.
YTB Fatt is one of the Southern hip-hop figures that continues to climb up the ranks with every release. The rapper hailing from the Arkansas/Tennessee border embodies a lot of what is going on in the modern Memphis scene. Bellowing and dark trap bangers are the name of the game, and the 10K Projects affiliate is bringing that tenfold. The 22-year-old also arguably possesses one of the smartest ears when it comes to production. Once again, he lives up to that billing. YTB Fatt coasts over a ghoulish instrumental on his newest single “Score”. This is his first release since the “Get Up On It / Get Back” two pack from early June.
Also helping him is his willingness to drop quite consistently. While that can be a potential problem, Fatt avoids that at all costs by being more and more engaging with each listen. Rarely does he come across as lackadaisical on a track, even though his flows come across that way. If you get down to the nitty gritty of his lyrics, YTB Fatt is going in more times than not. On “Score”, he raps with a sense of urgency mixed with confidence, as he refuses to let the competition pass him up. His hunger to be a cut above the rest translates into his music and does very effectively here. Hopefully, with the number of singles he has released this year, Fatt is nearing the release of a new project. In 2024, he has put out close to 10 solo tracks, some of which have resulted in some mini, three-song collections.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was spotted passionately vibing to Kendrick Lamar’s hit diss track, “Not Like Us,” while preparing for a game with Greece for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments. In the viral video, he aggressively punches the air along to Lamar rapping, “Wop, wop, wop, wop, wop,” before nodding his head in enjoyment.
When The Art of Dialogue shared the clip on X (formerly Twitter), fans made plenty of jokes. “Giannis was also a bot who was streaming Not Like Us on spotify” one user joked, referencing the accusations that Lamar used bots to boost the popularity of the track. Another remarked: “Europe always gets American hits 2 months later.”
Kendrick Lamar Films Music Video For “Not Like Us”
Watts, CA – June 22: Kendrick Lamar smiles alongside Jay Rock, center, in between filming for the music video for “Not Like Us” at Nickerson Gardens on Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Watts, CA. (Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“Not Like Us” has quickly become one of the biggest hits from Lamar’s career. He performed the track several times over to conclude his recent concert, The Pop Out – Ken & Friends, in Los Angeles. Afterward, he also took to the streets of his hometown to film a music video for the single. He’s yet to confirm a release date for that project. Drake, on the other hand, has been trolling Lamar on social media in recent weeks, but hasn’t put out any new diss tracks since “The Heart Part 6.” Check out the clip of Antetokounmpo enjoying “Not Like Us” below.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Is Loving “Not Like Us”
Giannis in the locker room, listening to Kendrick Lamar’s song “Not Like Us.” pic.twitter.com/s2s5pJRul1
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) July 1, 2024
The video of Antetokounmpo singing “Not Like Us” comes as the NBA’s free agency period continues to heat up. Former Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson reportedly just agreed to a deal to join the Dallas Mavericks. Be on the lookout for further updates on Giannis Antetokounmpo as well as Kendrick Lamar and Drake on HotNewHipHop.
50 Cent has been wrapped up in a heated legal battle with Beam Suntory for a while now. Recently, it was reported that ex-employee Michael Caruso threatened to take his own life to avoid facing legal consequences for his alleged crimes. Fif accuses him and other former employees of taking part in an embezzlement scheme. Allegedly, one of the defendants previously decided that wanted to admit his guilt. This then prompted him to phone up his fellow ex-employees to share his plan. In response, Caruso reportedly began to cry and threatened to commit suicide if Green went through with it.
50 Cent took to Instagram earlier today to respond to the alleged threat, sharing a screenshot of AllHipHop‘s report. “Go read this article on @allhiphopcom beam Suntory change their name to @suntoryglobalspirits it is a 3.2 billion a year company, and they are doing this kinda sh*t,” he captioned the post. “The government needs to step in a regulate the spirits business. Black owned companies can not make it, if they don’t have the 70 million I had to put into the business.”
Reportedly, Caruso’s threat took place before he and the others were formally sued. Since then, he’s countersued the mogul, alleging that he was cut out of a deal with Fif’s Sire Spirits without getting the compensation or ownership stake that he was promised. 50 Cent later took to social media to call him a “snitch” for an unrelated case.
What do you think of one of the former Beam Suntory employees 50 Cent accuses of embezzlement allegedly threatening to commit suicide? What about 50 Cent’s reaction? Do you agree that the government should step in to regulate the spirits industry? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
