Month: January 2025

Lupe Fiasco Heads To Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute To Teach Rap In Fall 2025

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Lupe Fiasco Heads To Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute To Teach Rap This Fall

Lupe Fiasco is stepping into academia to share his insights on rap!

The artist, born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, announced on Instagram that he will join Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute this fall as a professor for its four-year Hip Hop degree program. The program is led by Hip-Hop producer Wendel Patrick, who serves as an associate professor of music engineering and technology at the Peabody Conservatory.

“Thrilled to share that I’ll be joining the faculty at the prestigious Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute in Fall 2025 as a Distinguished Visiting Professor,” Lupe Fiasco wrote on Instagram.

The rapper behind “The Show Goes On” later added, “The @peabodyinstitute is one of the oldest music conservatories in America. World renowned for its rigorous training and for producing some of the world’s greatest musicians, and I’m honored to contribute to this legacy doing what I love most, Rap.”

As for what students can expect, the course will include lessons with a private instructor and opportunities to exercise their creativity among classmates.

“Following the one-on-one studio model of a traditional conservatory education, you will develop your skills in lessons with a private instructor — turntable majors will study with a world-class turntablist; rap majors with a chart-topping emcee,” a description of the program reads, according to Billboard. “And you’ll get to perform, with and for your colleagues, in an environment that encourages experimentation and authenticity.”

As for Lupe Fiasco, his support of students does not stop here. He is also a teacher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and will be leading a Spring 2025 course titled “Rap Theory & Practice.”

The course is also open to students enrolled at Harvard University, Wellesley College, and Massachusetts College of Art and Design. While he is pouring into students, Lupe Fiasco is also making time to do so for himself. He revealed he is currently working to complete a fellowship at Yale University.

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Karrahbooo Insists She ‘Didn’t Get Dropped’ By Lil Yachty’s Concrete Rekordz, But The Label Is Blocking Her Releases

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Back in July 2024, Karrahbooo abruptly left the Concrete Boys crew. In the weeks following, Karrahbooo and her former mentor and label head Lil Yachty were engaged in nasty mud slinging online.

When the tension began to die down, rumors began circulating that Karrahbooo had officially been dropped from Concrete Rekordz’s roster. However, today (January 6) Karrahbooo dispelled that claim and shared some of her own while promoting the new song, “Bossy Boo.”

In the video’s description box on YouTube, Karrahbooo denied she was ever dropped by Concrete Rekordz. She then went on to accuse the label of blocking her from releasing new music and interfering with other professional opportunities. “I didn’t get dropped,” she wrote. “I’m still signed hence the reason I have not been able to drop [new music].”

She continued: “I was advised not to drop this way [on my own] and do it through the ‘label’ (the one that said they dropped me but would not let me go because they wanted me to stay lol, the one that has repeatedly lied on my name to make me look bad in the media and has been pushing away bookings and deals I could keep going, but the point is this industry is weird and confusing and this is all messy [as f*ck] and taking up too much time. They dragging it, I tried to listen and do it the ‘right way’ but it’s been 6 months now so imma go ahead n try my way.”

With her friend and fellow rapper Anycia making a special cameo in the visual and the use of Kelis’ 2006 song “Bossy,” Karrahbooo appears to be ready to take control of her career despite behind-the-scenes obstacles.

Watch Karrahboo’s official video for “Bossy Booo” above.

Lil Baby Appears To Diss Gunna Again On New Song “Running Sh*t”

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Lil Baby has released the deluxe edition of his new album WHAM. Well, technically. The rapper hasn’t uploaded the deluxe edition to streaming, but it’s currently available as a digital purchase. The newest version of the album contains four new songs. One of them, “Running Sh*t,” sees Lil Baby dish out some harsh words to his enemies. Or perhaps even his old friends. The rapper drops a devastating bar about his disdain for “rats.” It didn’t take long for fans to theorize that he was referring to his former friend and collaborator, Gunna.

“Running Sh*t” is one of the highlights on WHAM deluxe. Lil Baby’s delivery is aggressive, and the beat is extremely catchy. It’s the bars, though, that will garner the most attention. The rapper makes reference to “rats,” and how much he despises them. “I don’t care what he did, he a rat still,” Lil Baby spits. “And I said what I said, don’t @ me.” Once again, no names or direct references to Gunna. When it comes to Lil Baby and Young Thug talking about rats, though, the list is short. These two know how the rat talk will be perceived, and they have never claimed they weren’t talking about Gunna.

Read More: YSL Mondo Details Lil Wayne’s “Standoffish” Behavior Around Young Thug

Lil Baby Refers To Mysterious “He” As A Rat

Young Thug made a reference to rats on the WHAM song “Dum, Dumb and Dumber.” He hopped on social media to clarify a lyric about “b*tches” being “bad,” but did nothing to dissuade fans from their Gunna theories. Lil Baby has also gone out of his way to voice his dislike of snitches and rat behavior following Young Thug’s release from jail. He went on the Safe Place podcast and vowed to never work with an artist he deemed to be a rat.

“I’m always gonna look at certain stuff a certain way,” Lil Baby explained. “It boils down to what we rapping about. We can’t rap about that if you did that. If I was making Christmas music, then I don’t give a damn what you did.” Gunna has repeatedly denied the allegations that he snitched on Young Thug in the midst of the YSL case. That said, it does seem as though Lil Baby and Gunna will be teaming up to drop Drip Harder 2 anytime soon.

Read More: Gunna’s Lawyer Claims He Did Not Snitch Amid Alleged Young Thug & Lil Baby Disses

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[WATCH] Justin Laboy Relaunches #Respectfully Show With Jim Jones As Guest On Debut Episode

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Renowned motivational speaker and social media icon Justin Laboy is back with a bang, relaunching his celebrated “#Respectfully” show. The debut episode of the revitalized series features none other than Harlem legend and cultural pioneer Jim Jones in an intimate and thought-provoking conversation.

In the inaugural episode, Justin delves deep into Jim’s formative years, exploring the influences of his mother, grandmother, and the crack epidemic of New York City on his hustler’s ambition. The conversation transitions into light-hearted banter as Jim recounts his impact on fashion, becoming the first rapper to make True Religion jeans iconic, before diving into profound discussions about loyalty, relationships, and personal growth.

Justin praises Jim’s unwavering loyalty, a trait evident in his lifelong commitment to his partner and childhood friends. The duo emphasizes the importance of investing in relationships, both romantic and platonic. Jim’s heartfelt wish for his childhood friend Cam’ron’s success alongside Ma$e on their “It Is What It Is” sports show highlights the enduring bonds of friendship.

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Lil Baby Unveils Bonus Tracks For “WHAM” Deluxe Edition

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Lil Baby is back. Well, he never really left. The rapper decided to bless fans with WHAM at the top of the year, and he apparently has more music in the stash. The very night Baby dropped the regular edition of the album, he confirmed a deluxe was on its way. Now, we have the tracklist. Lil Baby unveiled the extra songs via social media on January 6. The new WHAM features four new songs and an additional feature from longtime Baby collaborator, Future.

Lil Baby’s deluxe edition of WHAM runs 19 songs. The first 16 songs run in the same exact order as the standard edition. The four bonus cuts are “99,” “My Idol,” “Running This Sh*t” and “My Shawty.” “99” is the only song to have a feature on it, but knowing what Lil Baby and Future are capable of, we are eager to hear it. Baby’s decision to run out a deluxe edition of WHAM may have been in the works for a while, but it takes on different context in light of the album’s release. Lil Baby promised fans that WHAM was his best project to date, hands down. The reception to the project, however, has been less than stellar.

Read More: Lil Baby Has Bangers For The New Year On Our New “Fire Emoji” Playlist Update

Lil Baby Enlists Future For WHAM Deluxe Edition

Several fans have expressed their discontent with Baby’s new direction. Several high profile streamers, like DJ Akademiks and Kai Cenat, have also voiced their frustration with Baby’s new direction. Akademiks claimed that Lil Baby had fallen off in the time since his last album. Kai Cenat, meanwhile, was visibly let down during his streamed reaction to WHAM. “Too much, being too nice, I think it’s a 6.5,” he told his viewers. “I’ma keep it a whole stack. Probably like a six. Oh, my God, I don’t know, I don’t know. ‘Now you just hating.’ I don’t think I’m hating, bro.”

Lil Baby has even been accused of trying to boost his album sales by issuing a deluxe edition of WHAM so soon after its release. It hasn’t even been a week since the standard edition hit streaming platforms. “Same week deluxe sh*t for the sales push is embarrassing,” one Twitter user posited. In the rapper’s defense, WHAM is only available as a digital deluxe. It will be added to digital streaming platforms at a later date.

Read More: Young Thug Credited As Mixing Engineer On Lil Baby’s New Album, “Wham”

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Lil Uzi Vert Confuses Fans With Intense New Face Piercings

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Lil Uzi Vert is one of the most influential rappers of the SoundCloud generation. They have always been at the forefront of new waves, and been good for a smash single or eccentric guest feature. That said, Uzi has been making headlines for reasons other than music as of late. The rapper’s last album, Eternal Atake 2, was widely panned by fans and critics. Now, Lil Uzi Vert is taking to social media to debut a new, intense look involving dozens of facial piercings.

The rapper unveiled his piercings on Monday, January 6. The rapper posted a video dancing to a new song in what appears to be a kitchen. They also get up close to the camera, revealing piercings in their nose, cheeks, lips, and forehead. It’s unclear whether these piercings are real. Lil Uzi Vert is very clearly showing the piercings off, but they never address them. Anybody familiar with the rapper knows they have always had a penchant for bold body piercings. Uzi made headlines in 2021 when they unveiled a massive forehead piercing with a $24 million pink diamond.

Read More: Lil Uzi Vert Compares Whippets To Eating Mayonnaise:”You Eat That You’re A Serial Killer”

Lil Uzi Vert Pierced Their Lips, Mouth And Forehead

The forehead piece made so much noise online that Lil Uzi Vert fans voiced their concern about its health ramifications. Rolling Stone spoke with Simon Babaev, a spokesman from Eliantte & Co, Uzi’s jeweler of choice, regarding the safety of the piercing. “It’s as safe as any other piercing,” they stated. “As long as you maintain it well and have good upkeep, it’s perfectly fine. We made sure that prior to getting anything done that Uzi brought someone in to consult on everything.” The concern was valid, given that Uzi’s insurance company nearly cut them off.

“My insurance tried to cut me off,” Uzi explained on the Scuffed podcast. “They were like, ‘This kid’s trying to kill himself. My insurance looked at it like, ‘This kid just implanted this diamond in his head, and he’s gonna die.’ I really had to call the piercing person and show them low-key.” Lil Uzi Vert continues to field backlash for their last album. The rapper’s comments about pulling a “Frank Ocean,” however, has some fans hoping Uzi will drop something better than Eternal Atake 2, and soon.

Read More: Lil Uzi Vert Shares His Thoughts On Women’s BBLs Being Either Over or Underrated

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TI And Tiny’s Massive Lawsuit Victory Reduced By Federal Judge

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TI and Tiny Harris scored a major legal victory in September 2024. The couple sued MGA Entertainment for trademark infringement. They claimed the company has issued dolls with designs and named similar to the duo’s girl group OMG Girlz. A federal jury ruled in their favor, and TI and Tiny were awarded a large sum of $71 million. It was a success by any measure, and the couple made it clear that they were happy with the ruling. At least, initially.

On January 6, U.S. District Judge James Selna made a preliminary ruling on the case. He claimed that there wasn’t enough evidence to prove that MGA Entertainment directly copied OMG Girlz designs. It’s still highly suspect, but Selna ultimately asserted that the lack of evidence did not support the massive payout that TI and Tiny had been granted. The judge pointed to the Lanham Act, which emphasizes how important it is to prove that a company willfully infringed on an existing trademark. As far as he can tell, MGA does not qualify. This means the company will not be on the hook for $53 million in punitive damages.

Read More: T.I. Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Ex-Friend, Sabrina Peterson, Over 3-Year-Old Allegations

TI And Tiny Will Still Be Taking Home $17 Million

 
 
 
 
 
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TI and Tiny are still getting paid. It is, however, a significantly smaller sum due to Selna’s ruling. Instead of $71 million, Judge Selna determined that the couple should take home $17 million. This will no doubt be a disappointment to TI and Tiny, who praised the court’s initial decision. “We wanted to thank the jurors for just seeing us through this,” Tiny explained to People Magazine. “And just believing in what we said. They heard our story and they knew we wasn’t lying. It’s amazing.” TI echoed his spouse’s sentiment.

“I think it’s a testament to the relentless and resilience of my wife, daughter and nieces,” the rapper said. “We’re just happy we were able to come out on top and fight for creatives and our intellectual property.” The fact that the court is still ruling in TI and Tiny’s favor means the importance of their victory is still a relevant talking point. Even if the celebrity couple are taking home much less than they were promised back in September.

Read More: TI’s Hilarious Reaction To Usher Feeding Tiny A Cherry Goes Viral

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A Warrant Request For Nicki Minaj’s Arrest Has Reportedly Been Denied Following Assault Allegations

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Nicki Minaj Pink Friday 2 World Tour New York 2024 (1024x437)
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Nicki Minaj has secured a minor victory in her ongoing legal dispute with a former employee. Last week, Minaj (real name Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty) was accused of assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress in a civil lawsuit filed by her ex-manager.

Although Minaj (through her legal representation) vehemently denies Brandon Garrett’s claims that did not stop local law enforcement from getting involved. Shortly after the case gained steam, the Detroit Police department supposedly filed for a warrant for Nicki Minaj’s arrest. However, according to TMZ, that request has officially been denied by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. But Minaj isn’t in the clear just yet.

A law enforcement force told the outlet that even though the request was denied due to “insufficient evidence,” the matter is still being investigated. Officers have begun to look into the details surrounding the claims in order to gather proper evidence.

Garrett claimed that on April 20, 2024, backstage of Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 World Tour stop at Little Caesars Arena she struck “him on the right side of his face with an open hand” and later his right wrist. Officers are allegedly searching for materials to substantiate his allegation. If evidence is found, they will refile the paperwork with the updated supporting evidence.

Judd Burstein, Nicki Minaj’s lawyer, denies Garrett’s allegations. “It is completely false and frivolous,” he said in a statement to the outlet. “We are confident that the matter brought by this ex assistant will be resolved swiftly in Mrs. Petty’s favor.”

Busta Rhymes Shocks Fans With Staggering Weight Loss Reveal

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Busta Rhymes has been around for a long time. He’s subsequently had many different styles. The rapper has rocked dreads, a fade, and various physical forms. He’s graced album covers with a thin appearance and a large, muscular one. Fans were not prepared for Busta Rhymes’ appearance at the top of the new year, however. The rapper took to Instagram on January 6 to show off his new physique. He was not only thinner, but he was so confident in his appearance that he posted a bathroom mirror selfie!

Busta Rhymes made it clear that he was thankful for his health and his appearance heading into 2025. So thankful, in fact, that he felt the need to share with fans. “The blessings don’t stop so we won’t ever stop. Grand rising don’t block your blessings and be great people,” the rapper wrote in all caps. He then noted that he went to the bathroom to wash up, but was feeling himself so much that he stopped what he was doing for a selfie moment. “It was a rubble dubble 5 minutes it lasted,” Busta Rhymes added. “The more or said you are conceited bastard!.”

Read More: Wack 100 Confronts Bodyguard Who Claims Busta Rhymes Is Gay

Busta Rhymes Has Lost 64 Pounds Since Last Fall

The rapper didn’t go into detail about his shocking weight loss, but TMZ provided some crucial details. An insider close to Busta Rhymes claimed that he has lost 64 pounds since last fall. The reason? Busta simply wanted to change up his eating habits and live a better, healthier lifestyle. The rapper reportedly hired a traveling chef to go on tour with him. He also, reportedly, hit the gym whenever he isn’t making or releasing new music. This is not the first time Busta Rhymes has undergone a radical transformation in terms of his physique.

The rapper detailed his harrowing 2019, when he 340 pounds and beset by a number of ailments as a result. He told Men’s Health that he was experienced several health scares during this period, including a 45 minutes stretch where lost consciousness in his career. He was ultimately compelled to get in better shape and change his diet. “Mind, body, and spirit,” he reminded both the readers and himself. “Make sure that you’re in the healthiest space that you can be in so that you can use your better sense of judgment at all times. Go to the gym, eat good, sleep,—get it right cuz it’s important.”

Read More: Busta Rhymes Claims Kendrick Lamar Raised The Bar With New Album “GNX”

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