iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour season is nearly upon us. Today (September 27), the annual multi-city run was announced, including its beloved New York City stop.
As its official sponsor, Capital One cardholders will get granted first access to tickets and exclusive experiences during the Capital One pre-sale beginning on Tuesday, October 1 at 10 a.m. local time. The general on-sale will launch on Friday, October 4 at noon local time. Find more information here.
If you aren’t able to secure a ticket to one of the tour stops, iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour will air as part of a special on ABC on December 18. The following day, the special will be available to stream on Hulu. Continue below to view the entire 2024 Jingle Ball Tour schedule.
iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour 2024 Dates
12/03 — Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena
12/06 — Los Angeles, CA @ Intuit Dome
12/09 — Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena
12/10 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
12/13 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
12/15 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
12/16 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
12/17 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
12/19 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
12/21 — Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center
Yesterday (September 26), Justin Johnson was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and felon in possession of a firearm for his alleged role in the 2021 shooting of Young Dolph. The 25-year-old was given a sentence of life in prison following the verdict. The fate of his co-defendants Hernandez Govan and Cornelius Smith has not yet been revealed.
As expected, the verdict has since prompted big reactions from Young Dolph’s fans, peers, and loved ones. While the news began to circulate, for example, his fiancée Mia Jaye took to Instagram to share a heartfelt statement. In it, she thanks everyone involved in bringing Johnson to justice and also acknowledges the public for supporting her family.
Mia Jaye Releases Statement About Justin Johnson’s Guilty Verdict
Young Dolph’s fiancée, Mia Jaye, releases a statement following the guilty verdict on one of his killers.
“This is just the beginning of our journey to achieving full justice for Adolph, and we will patiently support the unfolding of that process.” pic.twitter.com/D5fO49zr8R
“Today’s verdict brings relief and restores my confidence in the justice system,” she wrote in part. “On behalf of my children, family, and myself, I would like to thank law enforcement, the prosecution, and everyone involved for their diligent work in presenting the facts that led to this conviction. We are also grateful to the public for standing with us and advocating for accountability throughout this process. This is just the beginning of our journey toward achieving full justice for Adolph, and we will patiently support the unfolding of that process.”
Young Dolph’s sister Carlisa Brown also spoke after the verdict was read. She encouraged the public to focus on her late brother’s legacy as opposed to his killers. “We ask you to remember the man who enjoyed being a father and spending time with his family, we ask that you remember the man who enjoyed giving opportunities to those who were often overlooked and counted out. We ask that you remember the man who enjoyed giving back to others and being an inspiration to those who come from less-than-ideal backgrounds,” she says in a clip obtained by The Shade Room.
Carlisa Brown Encourages Fans To Remember Her Brother Young Dolph
What do you think of Young Dolph’s convicted killer receiving a life sentence? What about his fiancee Mia Jaye and sister Carlisa Brown’s responses? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
Legendary fashion designer Nigo is dipping his toes back into the music world. In 2022, he released I Know Nigo!, a DJ Khaled-like compilation album with some of the biggest names in hip-hop. Tyler, The Creator, A$AP Rocky, Pusha T, and Pharrell are among the names who appeared on that project. Now, Nigo appears to be continuing to work with hip-hop’s superstars. “Dope Boy,” the lead single from his upcoming third album, features Young Thug. The track, which is produced by Wheezy, finds Thug in familiar territory.
Young Thug’s performance on “Dope Boy” highlights aspects of his signature style, but it’s not quite a trademark Thug track. It is much less of a melodic performance from Thug and more of a focused rap effort from the Atlanta superstar. Lyrically, he touches on themes of luxury, family, and street life. Those topics are not new ground for Thug, but it’s a punchy track that sounds good. It’s also a quick track, as it’s only one verse and runs for just over 90 seconds. As Young Thug continues to battle a racketeering case in Georgia, a new album is probably the least of his worries right now. However, a strong appearance on Nigo’s upcoming work should be enough to keep fans somewhat happy while they wait for a verdict in the longest trial in state history. For now, stream the latest offering from Nigo and Thug below.
I don’t need a key to crank it, all my opp’s spicy They b*tches wanna f*ck us all day and all night, G Acrobatic wrist, I flip the disk, give me a kiss, bitch Contemplatin’ on this deal ’cause I’m already rich, bitch Sometimes I eat cereal, but I never eat tricks Triad green AP on my bitch look like it’s mint
Diddy continues to receive some pretty damning updates in his saga of misconduct allegations, civil lawsuits, and federal investigation. Moreover, a Texas attorney recently announced his representation of over 50 new alleged sexual assault victims who claim to have suffered the crime at the hands of the Bad Boy mogul. On Thursday night (September 26), the Houston-based Buzbee Law Firm took to Instagram to announce their move against him and his associations for their alleged sexual assault and abuse. Furthermore, this adds to Sean Combs’ 11 lawsuits over the past 11 months. One of these was the settled Cassie case. Meanwhile, he denies all the other allegations against him.
“The Buzbee Law Firm has been associated by the Ava Law Group to act as Lead Counsel to pursue claims on behalf of more than fifty individuals who suffered sexual assault and abuse at the hands of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and his cohorts,” their statement reads. “This group of brave individuals include both men and women. Many were minors when the abuse occurred. Some of these brave individuals reported the incidents to the police, others did not. Each individual story is gut wrenching and heartbreaking.
“The acts complained of occurred at hotels, private homes, and also at the infamous P. Diddy ‘Freak Off’ parties,” the firm continued. “The violations against this group of individuals are mind-boggling. [They] can only be described as debauchery and depravity, exacted by powerful people against minors and the weak. I expect the group seeking redress will grow as this case progresses. I expect many other individuals will be implicated. We expect to have a press conference early next week where some of these stories can be told as the nation learns more and grapples with the potential scope of this scandal. Our firm has always been at the forefront of the most important cases in the United States. We are proud to represent this group of brave souls and pray for justice on their behalf.
“My referring counsel, who associated me to lead this effort, has been vetting and performing due diligence on these claims for many months,” Tony Buzbee stated to XXL of his firm’s Diddy case. “These are thus vetted claims that we intend to file in the courts of New York. I expect there will be many more victims who come forward. On behalf of these brave individuals, I intend to sue Mr. Combs along with several other notable entities and individuals who were involved.”
The Moneybagg Yo we know now isn’t the same one we met on projects like All Gas No Breaks or the Federal series. Before he penned a deal with CMG, he was already a household name among hustlers and trappers. In the past three and a half years alone, he’s reaped the benefits from his relentless hustle of high-quality mixtapes. Bagg has nabbed a #1 album on the Billboard 200 and secured several RIAA certifications, many of which have been the result of the grip he has every summer. His latest album, Speak Now, produced the Morgan Wallen-assisted country-rap banger, “Whiskey Whiskey,” which recently made it to Obama’s Summer Playlist 2024.
“I was like, ‘Damn, Barack.’ Like, he’s listening? That was a good feeling, but it was a shocking one,” Moneybagg Yo tells HotNewHipHop over Zoom. “You don’t think when you’re putting these songs together and you putting this stuff out that it’s going to reach and do what it do.”
However, Moneybagg Yo’s relentless hustle throughout his career has positioned him in such a way as to land on Obama’s playlist and have a sit-down with Denzel Washington. Today, he releases the deluxe edition of his latest album titled, Speak Now Or. It’s the bridge between the June album and his forthcoming follow-up, Forever Hold Your Peace, which he said will be out before the year’s end. He explains that the key to his prolific output relates back to his conversation with Denzel Washington who told him, “With me, you gotta know how to be Shakespeare, and you gotta know how to be the man in Training Day. You gotta know how to do both of them. That’s what made me different.”
“Every project should just be viewed and looked at like a movie,” Moneybagg Yo explains. “Like, all right, what can we expect from him in this movie? Like, the actor good. We know he plays good roles, and he do his thing when the camera’s on. But, what is this about that’s different from last time? Like, Malcolm X and Training Day are two different things, but it’s the same great actor, you know what I’m saying? So basically, that’s how I’m taking the approach with just Speak Now, Speak Now Or, and Forever Hold Your Peace. It’s just like you get a different movie every time.”
We recently caught up with Moneybagg yo to discuss his latest project, his immeasurable influence, and working alongside Morgan Wallen.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – AUGUST 4: Rapper Moneybagg Yo performs during MoneyBagg Yo Larger Than Life Tour at State Farm Arena on August 4, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage)
HotNewHipHop: The last time, we spoke was around the time “Hard For The Next” came out and you released AGangsta’s Pain shortly after. You’ve had a productive few years since then. What’s been the biggest difference in your life between that album coming out and now?
Moneybagg Yo: When I dropped A Gangsta’s Pain, I set the standard so high, you got to always be able to fill those shoes up when people expect you to fill them shoes over and over again. It’s just really me vs. me. I’m in a me vs. me type of situation. I’m battling me. So, that’s what I’m doing, just trying to be better than my last.
How’d you feel about the reception of Speak Now, especially after having the summer pass and still dominating?
It’s cool, you know? I feel like I could do better, you know what I’m saying? But I feel like, it’s just a different movie of me. It’s just a different thing. Like, AGangsta’s Pain was one thing, Hard To Love was a moment. and then, Speak Now. Even with these eight, or nine songs that I’m about to add to the deluxe, this is even different. It really could have probably been its own tape but it makes more sense to attach it to Speak Now, you know what I’m saying? Then, even the next project, Forever Hold Your Peace. The next body of work, it’s a whole other Moneybagg. You don’t get the same thing every time. That’s how you get bored.
On a creative level, what’s been fulfilling you creatively? What’s been impressing you when you step out of the booth?
The Forever Hold Your Peace project, I’m impressed with that. Like, how it’s coming out, how everybody is like hearing it, listening to it. They taking a liking to it, and just really happy for me and excited for the body of work. That’s a good thing.
I think I heard you say that it’s going to be more melodic. Is that accurate?
Yeah, it’s just a whole melodic bag. You know, you probably heard a lot–well, I know you heard a lot of melodic songs from me. Songs like “Wockesha,” “Scorpio”–that type of vibe. A lot of just different ways that you can think that I probably came like that, but that’s the tone.
It’s a sequel to Speak Now, right?
Yeah, it’s just like a sequel. Everything ties in. Like. this right here that I’m going to drop is Speak Now Or. Like, the deluxe is like Or, you know what I’m saying? It’s like Or then Forever Hold Your Peace. We’ll drop that in another couple of weeks, a couple of months or however it might go. Whenever it’s ready, and then, that’s that. And that’s the whole attachment.
How far along are you with Forever Hold Your Peace?
Probably like 75-80% done.
I imagine we’ll probably get a single from this before the end of the year or sometime in the next few months.
Yeah, you’ll get the whole thing before that.
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – JULY 10: Moneybagg Yo performs during the Wireless Festival at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) on July 10, 2022 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Katja Ogrin/Redferns)
I was reading your interview with Billboard a few months ago where you were discussing when you met Denzel. You recalled him telling you, “With me, you gotta know how to be Shakespeare, and you gotta know how to be the man in Training Day. You gotta know how to do both of them. That’s what made me different.” I want to know, how do you think this quote applies to your approach to music?
I feel like I took that like, basically what I was telling you. You have to be like, just a different character every time. Every project should just be viewed and looked at like a movie. It should just be really looked at like a movie. Like, all right, what can we expect from him in this movie? Like, the actor good. We know he plays good roles, and he do his thing when the camera’s on. But, what is this about that’s different from last time? Like, Malcolm X and Training Day are two different things, but it’s the same great actor, you know what I’m saying? So basically, that’s how I’m taking the approach with just Speak Now, Speak Now Or, and Forever Hold Your Peace. It’s just like you get a different movie every time.
Some people were feeling like Speak Now was a bit commercial or something. So Speak Now Or, they get this, I guarantee you, they ain’t gonna say that. This is strictly street records, energy, street records. And then you got Forever Hold Your Peace, it’s just melodic. It’s more of a vibe. It’s the “woo the ladies” in and talk like it’s good with that.
In that same interview, you mentioned how you don’t feel like you have much to prove because you’ve accomplished so much. Are you able to identify your influence in music and in culture at large these days?
Yep. The largest. Really, basically, to where it’s the largest. I feel like everytime I do something, people gravitate and bite onto it. Like, I’m not a person that like is meant to follow. I’m meant to lead. Every time I do something where I take the lead or take the initiative, I set the trend like that. Once I do it, everybody else does it or they try to act like they ain’t do it and then, do it [laughs]. Or try to like, see me halfway doing it and try to finesse it all the way to the T. Now, when I‘m coming me down there, I almost look like–once I finish what I’m doing, it damn-near look like they seen it before because he did it.
That’s another thing too, like I don’t like posting everything before it’s done. I like posting the finished product. Then I show you the behind-the-scenes of it, how I did it, instead of the other way around. Like, showing you the behind-the-scenes first, and then “this coming” and then I put it out. Because when you do that, you just opening up doors for people to be like, “Oh, he’s doing it. Let me do this. But I’m gonna put a twist on it. I’m gonna do it like this, this new wave. This gotta be it.”
They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Do you feel like people are giving you your flowers when they’re biting your style?
No, not really. They don’t pay homage all the time. They need to.
You’ve been an advocate for a lot of the women in the South who are crushing it in rap right now, even with your collabs with GloRilla. How do you think the women in the South complement what you bring to hip-hop? Obviously, it’s a different perspective but they bring that energy.
Yeah, I like what all the women doing right now. I like what all the women doing. I’m excited for them, I’m happy for them. It’s like a handful of them that I rock with. too. Another thing is I feel like we resonate well, the chemistry is good because of the substance and topics and like, how I come. How I come, I feel like this is just a versatility thing. Like I can do anything, you know what I’m saying? If it’s a song with a girl, I can do it. Like, if it’s a song with guys, I can do it. If it’s me singing like melodic, I can do it. Whatever it is, I feel like I can adjust to it whatever the case may be.
No, for sure. “Whiskey, Whiskey” is probably one of the more surprising songs that you’ve released. It just landed on Obama’s summer playlist. Can you just describe to me where you were when you first received that news, and what was your reaction to it?
I seen that yesterday. I was like, “Damn, Barack.” Like, he’s listening? That was a good feeling, but it was a shocking one. You don’t think when you’re putting these songs together and you putting this stuff out that its going to reach and do what it do. You don’t think that–some people do, though. Some people go in with that. I ain’t saying I ain’t confident, but some people go in with all the confidence. But my thing is with music today, you don’t never know. Like, you don’t know what’s gonna be this and be that, so it’s hard to say. So I just kind of like, let it do it.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 23: Music artist Moneybagg Yo performs during 2022 Rolling Loud New York at Citi Field on September 23, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
Have any singles surprised you with how successful they became?
Yeah, all of them except for “Wockesha.” I kind of knew that one was like–I was so passionate about the song, I kind of knew that song was going to be like, something special in some kind of way.
You’ve previously teased a country project with Morgan Wallen. How much progress has been made with that? If there has been any.
No, no, it just was an idea, a thought. Like, something that could happen.
Has he been receptive to the idea?
Yeah, he’s with whatever. Like, I’m one of his favorite artists.
I know it’s a bit of old news but you did some work with Kanye West a couple of years ago. What the biggest takeaway from being in the studio with him?
It was a good experience for me. I learned a lot and just saw how to do things, saw how stuff went, and just soaked up the game, and applied it to my situation. So shout out to Kanye. Unfortunately, what we did didn’t get used. But I understand like, as an artist, I understand it could be like that sometimes.
What was one thing that you learned from that session and started applying to your own sessions?
Just how to be creative. How to be creative with the songs, and start just making everything make sense. Like, starting from scratch, building the beats up. Already have the ideas on some of them and making the beats around them. Just different stuff.
I was recently watching Mannie Fresh explain how in the early days of Cash Money, they would take catchphrases and turn those into songs. I’ve noticed you have a similar approach to taking certain words or phrases and flipping them into hit records. How did Cash Money inspire your songwriting in that aspect? If they did at all.
I didn’t even know that they looked at it like that or they were doing it like that. To be honest, when I do it I just do it because–it’s gonna look like that, so it gonna be hard. But it’s just like, it’s a moment. I just feel like it’s just a moment in life to where it’s like, this is what’s going on right now. This is what I’m literally experiencing. I’m going through this or like, I’m dealing with this. It all circles back to like that term or that phrase, or whatever the case may be.
So I just feel like, use it. It makes sense, and that’s what’s going on in the world. So that’s more the more the key things is like, you gotta be relatable. That’s the only way your music is gonna get off. If they can’t relate to it, how they gonna play it? [laughs]
You’ve established yourself as a highly successful business person. On a business level, what would you like to tackle outside of music? I’m doing clothing right now. I got my Loaf Brand clothing. So, that’s in the process right now.
That’s high-end streetwear, right?
Yeah.
Any last words for the HotNewHipHop audience?
Stay tuned. I got a lot in store for you. A lot, a lot, a whole lot of stuff in store for you. Stay locked in. Follow me, I won’t misguide you.
Despite the fatal shooting of Foolio taking place in June of this year, authorities haven’t caught all of the suspects. It was reported earlier this month that the fifth charged murder suspect in the case, Davion Murphy, was allegedly still on the run. At the time, police believed that Murphy was in the Jacksonville area, according to XXL.
As of today, Murphy is still not in custody. Recently, however, he was allegedly on Twitter Spaces. In a clip shared by Kollege Kidd yesterday, he allegedly gets into an argument with someone else on the platform. It’s unclear exactly what the spat was about. The other individual could be heard saying the suspect’s name multiple times, and insisting that he’d “make [him] go to jail.”
Foolio Murder Suspect Davion Murphy Is Still At Large
One of Jacksonville, Florida rapper Foolio’s murder suspects, Davion Murphy, allegedly went on Twitter Spaces despite being wantedpic.twitter.com/Vk7yhUIPY5
As for the other suspects in this case, including Murphy’s cousin Rashad, they’ve been arrested. Rashad surrendered after a police standoff, which bodycam footage surfaced of in July. Sean Gathright, Isaiah Chance Jr., and Alicia Andrews have also been arrested. Per court documents obtained by XXL, Chance Jr. and Andrews pleaded not guilty late last month to four counts of premeditated first-degree murder. Gathright also pleaded not guilty to two counts of premeditated first-degree murder, attempted premeditated first-degree murder, and tampering with physical evidence according to local news outlet WTSP. Police accuse Chance Jr. and Andrews of tracking Foolio while Gathright and the Murphys carried out the shooting.
Chance Jr, Andrews, and Gathright were denied bond in August. “Each of the three defendants played a role in the ambush and brutal murder of Charles Jones,” State Attorney Suzy Lopez said at the time. “The evidence of this coordinated attack is overwhelming, and our community is safer when they are behind bars. Our prosecutors will continue to build a strong case on the road to a trial that will allow us to bring justice to the victims and their families.” What do you think of one of Foolio’s murder suspects allegedly going on Twitter Spaces despite being on the run? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
The federal investigation and indictment concerning Diddy deals with charges of alleged sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Recently, another high-profile Big Apple indictment arrived against New York City Mayor Eric Adams for campaign finance corruption with a foreign government, bribery, and other related charges. While these situations don’t seem connected at all, Sean Combs’ former bodyguard Gene Deal thinks that something fishy went down. Moreover, before the Adams indictment, Deal spoke to The Art Of Dialogue and claimed that the Southern District of New York started to investigate the Bad Boy mogul as they investigated the mayor, meaning that the former’s ties to the latter might be what caused Puff Daddy’s indictment.
“All the mayor people that he brought on, here in New York City, they all resigning,” Diddy’s former bodyguard alleged. “People ain’t gon’ tie this together, but if you look at it, you have to say because of Mayor Adams and his relationship with Diddy, it brought on the Southern District of New York to start investigating Diddy on civil lawsuits that was put against him.
Furthermore, Gene Deal claimed that the case against Diddy is “bigger” than the executive. “Because you know who else they was doing an investigation on during that whole time period? It was the mayor and the politicians in New York City,” he posited. In addition, Deal alleged that federal officials “found that there was some criminal activity” after looking at Cassie and Lil Rod’s civil lawsuits against Combs, which led them to pursue criminal charges. However, all these explanations still require further elaboration in court in order to make heads or tails of them. After all, the two indictments arriving during a similar timeframe could just be a coincidence.
As such, we still have a lot of allegations and claims to wade through. Both Diddy and Eric Adams vehemently deny the accusations against them. “They want to tarnish him,” the mayor’s lawyer Alex Spiro claimed at a press conference. “They want to tarnish him in your eyes. There’s no corruption, this is not a real case. we’re going to see everyone in court.”
Though he’s been facing intense social media scrutiny because of a well-documented affiliation with Diddy, Meek Mill’s stock is once again on the rise musically. Over the past few weeks, he’s dropped some singles that call back to earlier points of his career. They haven’t necessarily been “prime Meek Mill” tracks, but they evoke similar feelings. “ROBBIE SON” and “CYBER TRUCK” have highlighted his skills as an MC. Now, Meek is back again with another release: “WHO DECIDES WAR.” “WHO DECIDES WAR” is a commentary on the state of the world (he likens life at home to the war in Gaza), as well as another Meek track about the dangers of street life.
The track sounds similar to something that Polo G and Lil Durk would make. Meek Mill starts the track by singing in a style very reminiscent of the latter. He then goes into the mode that made him famous. He addresses the PTSD stemming from his upbringing in South Philadelphia, telling stories about the life he used to be in. It’s not the most dynamic Meek Mill song ever, and he doesn’t say anything we haven’t already heard from him, but it is a nice change of pace from his previous singles. Meek Mill has not yet announced plans for a new solo album. The last we heard of him on a full-length release was Too Good To Be True, his joint release with Rick Ross that was over a decade in the making. Until the next big announcement, stream the latest single from the star below.
Make it out the hood, then go to the army, need nine lives Only got like four left, they tried to kill me five times They gonna laugh if you fail, but if you win, it’s high fives And you wonder why I be lookin’ all funny with the side eye I’m like who decides war? I’m at war with myself in the mirror like “Are you sure?”
Dallas’ multi-platinum hip-hop sensation BigXthaPlug has again made waves in the music world by releasing his latest single, “Change Me.” Dropped through United Masters Group and produced by BandPlay, Tony Coles, and Charley Cooks, the track is a bold declaration of BigXthaPlug’s dedication to staying true to himself despite his meteoric rise to fame.
Following the release of his high-energy music video “The Largest” earlier this week, “Change Me” showcases a new side of the rapper. With a blend of soulful vocals and a hard-hitting beat, BigXthaPlug reflects on his journey from humble beginnings to the spotlight. His sound, inspired by the classic hip-hop era of the ’70s and ’80s, is marked by his powerful storytelling and introspective lyrics.
In the track, BigXthaPlug rejects the superficiality of fame, rapping, “I’ll never change, I am the same, just hit me. The only thing that’s changed is my paper. Forget about the diamonds and chains on my pendant.” The chorus further emphasizes his determination to remain grounded, declaring, “I won’t let them change me, I’ll forever remain.”
Closing with the line, “I come out on these folks that say X changed, I am standing on 10 with my name,” BigXthaPlug reassures his fans that he remains unwavering in his authenticity. As he continues to rise, his ability to blend hard-hitting beats with raw emotion cements his place as one of the most promising voices in the hip-hop industry today.
