Month: January 2025

August Alsina Defends Close Friend Zu’s Viral Video Of Him Against Fans With This Stern Response

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August Alsina has broken his silence after a TikTok video featuring him and his close friend and collaborator Zu went viral, sparking renewed speculation about their relationship. On Wednesday (Jan. 1), the video was shared on an account claiming to be a “Spam Page” for Zu. In the clip, Zu films himself sitting in a car with Alsina, but it wasn’t the visuals that captured fans’ attention—it was the caption overlaying the video that read, “On God, I’m going [to] climb this [ninja emoji] soon as we get in the crib.” Ever since Alsina introduced Zu during the November 2022 finale of VH1’s The Surreal Life, fans have speculated about the nature of their bond, questioning whether they are more than just close friends or “brothers.”

This latest video only fueled the fire, prompting Alsina to address the chatter directly on social media. When one fan on X (formerly Twitter) commented that they liked Zu but questioned his decision to post such a suggestive video knowing it would spark curiosity, Alsina responded with humor and candor. “Aht! Don’t do detttt… Everybody else alr be trollin’… so let that man troll in peace!” he wrote. Reflecting on the public’s fixation, Alsina offered a broader perspective for the new year: “In 2025, what everyone needs to know is this—if someone supports you, they’ll support you. If they don’t, they won’t. No perceived condition will change that. People who enjoy low-hanging fruit will just keep enjoying it. And for that, there’s trolling.”

Read more: August Alsina Responds To Akbar V’s Homophobic Rant

August Alsina Fights Off Fans Against Partner Zu’s Trolling Antics

Alsina continued engaging with fans, sharing insights about his hopes for the year ahead while maintaining his lighthearted approach. When another user asked how he felt about Zu openly joking about “climbing him” in the video, Alsina clarified, “To be clear, Zu comes to me before posting anything involving me. Anyhow, he’s his own man. Let him cook!”

In true Alsina fashion, he didn’t shy away from joining the playful trolling. The exchanges, full of wit and self-awareness, underscored his ability to navigate public curiosity with grace and humor. As fans dissect every interaction, Alsina and Zu seem content to let the world speculate while keeping the focus on their dynamic energy and undeniable chemistry.

Read more: August Alsina Hints That The Music Industry Will Be Exposed For “Diabolical” Actions Behind The Scenes

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

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Welcome to 2025, a year that already kicked off with a bang in the hip-hop world. That’s why our latest Fire Emoji playlist update is here to round up the best of the best rap music that dropped this week (on streaming services), although there are only a couple of truly big releases to talk about. Leading the way is the new Lil Baby album WHAM, his first of two projects set to come out in the first quarter of this year. The easy standout here is “Dum, Dumb, And Dumber” with Young Thug and Future. Not only is it Thugger’s first verse since getting out of prison, but the chemistry these artists share is pretty killer.

However, Fire Emoji didn’t skip out on some other highlights on Lil Baby’s new tracklist. “Outfit” with 21 Savage also got a lot of buzz for how the featured guest seemed to subliminally diss Kendrick Lamar on the cut, although we doubt that anything will really come from that since it’s unlikely that we’ll get clarification on it. On the other hand, “Stuff” with Travis Scott is a more spacey and woozy cut that still delivers hard-hitting trap drums and well-meshed flows.

Read More: Young Thug Clarifies Controversial Lyrics On His First Post-Jail Song, Lil Baby & Future’s “Dum, Dumb, And Dumber”

HNHH Fire Emoji Playlist

Speaking of new albums, we also wanted to shout out one of the most prolific rappers in the game right now with this latest Fire Emoji update. Boldy James dropped his fifth project in 12 months, the collaborative Murder During Drug Traffic with RichGains. It’s got a lot of varied, lo-fi, gritty, and cold-blooded hip-hop, and it’s a nice change of pace when compared to more classic or old-school sounds that Boldy’s known for. For example, “No Screenshot” with Detroit King Tape is an eerie trap slow-burner with an energizing performance from both MCs.

Finally, we wanted to wrap Fire Emoji up by highlighting Hurricane Wisdom and Polo G’s new “Giannis Remix,” a Florida and Chicago crossover with a lot of chemistry between its artists. The beat’s steady pianos contrast well with more rapid-fire percussive embellishments, whereas the melodic flows and stretched-out deliveries over this instrumental are the right balance of malleable and focused.

Read More: 21 Savage Appears To Diss Kendrick Lamar On Lil Baby’s New Album

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Ella Mai Sternly Shields Her Baby Boy’s Face From Broadcast Cameras At Celtics Game

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Ella Mai may be a famous musician, but that doesn’t mean that everyone has the right to spread her personal life all over a big screen or on social media. Moreover, she recently went viral thanks to her appearance at a recent Boston Celtics game, the team of her NBA superstar boo Jayson Tatum. When the broadcast cameras for the Jumbotron cut to the 3 artist and her son with Tatum, she outstretched her arm to cover the little one’s face, and she seemed visibly annoyed by having to do so. Some fans in the comments section of the Instagram post below even theorized that her frustrated expression indicates that she probably asked the team to not do that, and they did it anyway.

That’s just a theory, though, so take it with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, this Ella Mai moment caused a debate around whether celebrities are right to attempt to maintain their privacy in public settings, with many fans drawing a line between attending big gatherings like NBA games and allowing others to post your baby boy online or plaster his face on a massive screen. The “One Bad Decision” singer might’ve learned the hard way that’s it’s a very tough task to balance.

Read More: Top 10 Hottest R&B Albums Of 2024

Ella Mai Covers Her Son’s Face During Celtics Game

Despite this struggle, it’s still heartening to see Ella Mai support Jayson Tatum with their son, as we remember how shocked and excited fans were when their pregnancy rumors first emerged back in June of last year. This followed the Boston Celtics’ victorious run as the 2024 NBA champions, so a lot of this base was already fired up and in a celebratory mood. Now that said celebration shifted to their new journey as parents, hopefully they can avoid more invasive situations like this Jumbotron incident in teh future.

Meanwhile, we just wish all the best for Ella Mai and Jayson Tatum, whose power couple status also exacerbates and amplifies this interest in their personal lives. Maybe 2025 will become an even more difficult year in this regard – especially if the Boston Celtics pull off a repeat ring – but we hope that the media will learn to hold back a little bit when their subjects of interest ask for privacy.

Read More: Top 10 Best Athletes Of 2024

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Nelly & Ashanti Keep Second Pregnancy Rumors Alive & Well With New Year’s Performance

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Ashanti and Nelly are still one of the Internet’s favorite couples, and the world wants to see them continue to grow… Even without their permission. Moreover, after they welcomed their first child into the world, people are already speculating that they’re expecting another baby, especially after a recent joint performance for New Year’s Eve. “Hey, what are you doing? What is that?” the rapper asked the singer as she took a drink from her cup. “It’s water,” she replied, a statement that paired with her hands being constantly on her belly to make for another second pregnancy theory for fans.

Of course, this is all just speculative and based on interpretive rumor at the end of the day, so take this assumption with a grain of salt. We’ll have to wait until Ashanti and Nelly are ready to announce or comment on anything, whether they preview their next bundle of joy or let fans know that they’re not there yet. Either way, both of them will continue to steal social media’s hearts and express their love for one another and their new family.

Read More: Ashanti Helps Nelly Celebrate His 50th Birthday With Adorable “Baby” Duet

Ashanti & Nelly Fuel Second Pregnancy Rumors

“We are both very strong-headed, strong-willed,” Ashanti told Entertainment Tonight of Nelly during an interview. “When two leaders come together… I don’t tell him all the time, but I’ve learned a lot. About just being grateful and graceful, and giving people grace. Being open-minded and level-headed and not too emotional. I’m a little bit dramatic, as he says. To have my soulmate, like, my person, my best friend, my protector, you know, it’s an amazing feeling. I think, just, the universe just doesn’t make mistakes.”

“Oh, man, that was a good one!” Nelly reacted to Ashanti’s flowers. “She’s a great person, she’s a great mother. Even when it comes to like, doing this, having birthday parties, and things like that. So to have that person with me is, like, yeah, that’s it, you know what I’m saying? Plus, you seen her in Resident Evil? She shoot that thing, too.” We’ll see whether this couple actually has another baby on the way or if social media is just trying too hard to celebrate them. There’s plenty of celebration already!

Read More: Ashanti Delivers Impressive National Anthem Performance At The World Series In New York

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SZA Seemingly Teases Her Retirement From Music, And ‘Last Two Album’ Plans With Label TDE

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Just last month, SZA released her long-awaited album, SOS Deluxe: Lana. The body of work has already proven to be a successful drop after it became the first No. 1 album of 2025. Still, despite the project’s fanfare and recently milestone, the “Drive” singer seems to be planning her retirement from music.

Today (January 4), SZA took to her official X (formerly Twitter) page to tease what her exit plan from music consists of. “To fulfill my last 2 album requirements I think I just wanna make peaceful children’s music,” she wrote. “[And] get outta here.”

After revealing her professional split from her longtime manager, Terrence ‘Punch’ Henderson, users online speculated that SZA could be the next act to depart from the Top Dawg Entertainment roster. However, SZA quickly shut down those rumors in a series of post online. But her recent statement has fans on the edge.

SZA closed the upload by detailing what she plans to do when she officially hands up her microphone for good. “Then go be a farmer and donate the produce to underserved communities,” she wrote.

Although the comments were disabled for SZA’s post, supporters online have chimed expressing their premature heartbreak. Others have jokingly brushed off SZA’s unprovoked confession claiming it would be nearly a decade before both of her obligatory albums hit streaming platforms citing the gap between CTRL and SOS.

SZA has made bold claims in the past. Could this be another one of those instances?

Lil Baby Lights Up The Atlanta Sky With Promo Drones For New Album “WHAM”

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Lil Baby is committed to dominating the first quarter of 2025, as he wasted no time in dropping his new album WHAM and kicking off his post-release rollout. Moreover, his latest strategy to do so involved a creative and pleasant new campaign that lit up the Atlanta sky. Various remote-controlled drone lights soared up high and formed various designs related to the new project, including spelling out its title in various forms and even recreating the icy cover art. It might not be the most exciting or unique rollout move in the world, especially when stacked up against the competition, but it’s always nice to see some regional love.

However, some of that love also has to fight off the hate, as Lil Baby’s new album WHAM proved to be quite divisive among his fanbase. Some continue to declare that he fell off the map, whereas others heralded this as a solid comeback moment that puts him back on track as a “new” gen leader. No matter where you fall on that debate, there’s a deluxe on the way, so we will soon have more tracks to sway our opinion on the matter.

Read More: Young Thug Clarifies Controversial Lyrics On His First Post-Jail Song, Lil Baby & Future’s “Dum, Dumb, And Dumber”

Lil Baby’s WHAM Drone Promo

What’s more is that we have even more Lil Baby music to look forward to in 2025, which is part of the reason why this rollout could become so dominant and persistent. He told Lil Yachty on the rap and psych-pop artist’s A Safe Place podcast that he will drop another album, Dominique, sometime in February. Even though this could still change in the future, it seems like we will have a lot of material to parse that serves as mainstream hip-hop’s first big event of the year.

We’ll see whether or not Dominique is even better than WHAM or its upcoming deluxe in due time. Meanwhile, through new music videos and moves like this drone show, Lil Baby will continue to keep his run fresh in our minds and lead rap music into a hopefully killer 2025. Regardless of whether or not you’re a fan, recent years’ conversations around the genre have made us appreciate such a splash so early into these 12 months.

Read More: 21 Savage Appears To Diss Kendrick Lamar On Lil Baby’s New Album

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Air Jordan 1 Mule Golf Gets “Chicago” Look

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The Air Jordan 1 Mule Golf is receiving a bold update with the iconic “Chicago” colorway. This reimagined silhouette blends the classic Air Jordan 1 design with a slip-on mule style, perfect for both golf and casual wear. Official images showcase a sleek combination of white, red, and black, paying homage to the legendary “Chicago” theme. The absence of a heel adds a modern twist, offering enhanced comfort and convenience on and off the green. Crafted from premium leather, the uppers feature white perforated toes with vibrant red overlays. A black Nike Swoosh stretches across the sides, delivering a sharp contrast to the bright red accents.

The slip-on design is supported by an inner liner for a snug fit, while “Jordan Golf” branding on the insoles and tongue highlights its functional focus. Additionally, a white midsole paired with a red rubber outsole provides traction for the golf course. The “Chicago” colorway adds undeniable flair, combining nostalgia with practicality. Perfect for sneaker enthusiasts and golfers alike, this release merges heritage with modern innovation. Set to drop soon, the Air Jordan 1 Mule Golf in “Chicago” is expected to retail for $110. With its versatile design and iconic colors, this mule is a fresh addition to the Air Jordan lineage.

Read More: Official Look At The Nike Air Diamond Turf “Atlanta”

“Chicago” Air Jordan 1 Mule Golf 

Air Jordan 1 Mule Golf 
Image via Nike

The sneakers feature a red rubber sole with some extra traction for the course. The shoes also feature a white midsole. The uppers of the shoes are constructed from white leather, with red leather overlays. A black leather Swoosh is found on the sides. Also, Jordan Golf branding is found on the tongue. Overall, this pair features a clean, iconic color scheme.

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Sneaker Bar Detroit reports that the Air Jordan 1 Mule Golf “Chicago” will be released on January 17th, 2025. Also, the retail price of the sneakers will be $110 when they are released.

Chicago
Image via Nike
Air Jordan 1 Mule Golf 
Image via Nike

Read More: Air Jordan 5 “Earth” Drops Later This January

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