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Skip Bayless is one of the harshest critics in all of sports media and whenever he gets on Undisputed, you can be sure he’s going to say something a bit controversial. Just like many of our readers, Bayless was watching UFC 264 on Saturday night as Conor McGregor took on Dustin Poirier in what should have been a trilogy fight for the ages. Instead, we got a one-round doctor stoppage caused by McGregor’s ankle snapping in half.

It was a pretty gruesome scene and for many, it was the ushering in of a new era in which McGregor just simply isn’t the guy he used to be. Bayless is one of the people who agrees with this assessment, and today, he noted that had the fight gone on past the first round, he still believes McGregor would have lost, and that he would have lost badly.

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“I would’ve given Conor McGregor less than 0% of winning that fight if it had continued. That doctor’s stoppage took Conor off the hook a little, it saved him from more disgrace because he was about to get shredded,” Bayless said before adding “I have loved me some Conor McGregor. He is as entertaining an athlete as I have ever seen in any sport. But Saturday night was the beginning of the end, if not the end.”

McGregor got out of surgery yesterday and now, he has a long recovery ahead. For now, it seems like he is still determined to continue on with his career, although as Bayless explained, it might be hard for him to get past this one.

Stay tuned for more news from the MMA world, as we will be sure to keep you informed.

On July 6th, 50 Cent turned forty-six years old, only a few years out from truly living up to his namesake. Given that one of his most iconic musical moments arrives at the beginning of “In Da Club,” in which he famously chants “go shawty, it’s your birthday,” it goes without saying that Fif understands the significance of the milestone.

As such, the rapper-turned-television-mogul made sure to celebrate in style, taking the trip down to party in Boston over the weekend. Yesterday, Fif took to Instagram to share a video recap of the lavish event, scored by the aforementioned “In Da Club.”

 Leon Bennett/Getty Images

With the event going down at The Grand, the clip showcases a jam-packed venue fueled by #lecheminduroi fuelled revelry. It also appears as if Fif took the stage at one point during the night, though it’s unclear what songs he performed; perhaps the beloved deep cut “When It Rains It Pours” earned a position on the spotlight, unlikely though it may be.

Either way, Fif appears to have had a grand old time, as did those in attendance — a testament to his status as one of hip-hop’s best entertainers. “Boston B-day party was lit,” he writes, keeping it simple on his Instagram page.  We’d like to once again show Fif some birthday love, and one can only imagine what stops he’ll pull out when he actually turns 50. Check out the recap of his Boston-based birthday bash below.

Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence teamed up in 1999 for the buddy-comedy film Life, but it looks like they may be seeing a whole lot more of each other in the future because their respective children have fallen in love.

This weekend, Jasmin Lawrence, Martin’s daughter, posted a photo of herself and Eric Murphy, Eddie’s son, as she wished him a happy birthday. The world found out through her post that she’s actually dating Eric.

“Happy birthday, my love! I’m so incredibly blessed to know you, to love you, and to have you by my side,” she wrote. “Cheers to many more blessings, laughs, and beautiful memories! I love you so much!!”

It’s unclear how long the two have been together, but Eric posted pictures with Jasmin last month. “Head over heels in LOVE with YOU,” he wrote in his caption, calling her his “other half.”

These two appear to have a beautiful bond and a love that they’ll cherish for years to come. Their family reunions will definitely be pretty star-studded, with two comedy legends telling jokes all night long for the happy couple. 

What do you think of Eddie Murphy’s son dating Martin Lawrence’s daughter? Do you think they’ve found their matches?

Detroit’s own NASAAN has been grinding for a minute now, and it certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed. Having recently come through to deliver his new single “Busy,” an up-tempo drop that features an appearance from Swayvay, many have been keen on seeing a full-length album from the son of D12’s Proof. 

Evidently, it would appear that fans of the rising lyricist are set to receive exactly that. NASAAN took to Twitter to confirm that he and Yung Roc are dropping a project on July 23rd, though he opted to keep quiet further details. He did, however, drop another bombshell around the same time. Sharing an eye emoji — his signature insignia — and a backward “E”, NASAAN confirmed that he and Eminem have a collaboration on the way at last.

“Id release this bitch right now if it was my say so tho,” he laughs, making it clear that there’s no discernible timetable for the track’s arrival. “No CAP.” He did, however, opt for a bit of generosity, sharing a snippet of the upcoming track on his Instagram page. Off the bat, many immediately speculated that Em handled production, and arrangement that features a few of his favorite instruments. Over the uptempo banger, NASAAN sets an impressive pace with a dexterous flow, and it will certainly be interesting to hear how it all comes together in the full version.

Check out NASAAN’s messages and snippet below, and sound off if you’re excited to see the rising Detroit emcee connecting with Eminem on wax for the first time. 

One of the fresher faces on the scene, nineteen-year-old recording artist Dro Kenji is a name that you’ll be hearing a lot of for years to come. Much like how Juice WRLD stepped onto the scene with raw emotion in his sound, Internet Money production, and colorful visuals from the Lyrical Lemonade team, Dro Kenji has taken a similar approach to his own breakthrough. 

Signing to Internet Money Records and working closely with producers including Nick Mira, Taz Taylor, Cxdy, and more, Dro Kenji’s rock-rap leanings and heartbreak-fueled lyrics have resonated with the masses. Two of his songs, “SAVE ME” and “Kill Cupid,” have surpassed three million streams on Spotify, and his latest hit record “SUPERSTAR” is nearing that same mark. Kenji’s music is catchy, fun, and also, uplifting. What makes it even more special is that the artist seemingly freestyles the majority of his flows and melodies. “I find that it comes out more fresh when I freestyle with the melodies and shit,” says Kenji.

As the rapper continues to gain attention with well-calculated marketing rollouts, in-your-face visuals, and relatable singles, his spark will remain lit for years as Dro Kenji could become one of the most in-demand artists of the next generation. Look out for more from this exciting talent in the coming months.

You can learn more about Kenji through his latest feature with HotNewHipHop’s Rise & Grind, answering ten basic questions before jumping into a more personalized Q&A session, below.

Stay tuned for a new installment of Rise & Grind every Monday.

Image provided by the artist

Stomping Grounds:

I’m from Summerville, South Carolina. Summerville is quiet, it’s country. Not a hell of a lot going on. It’s a little town really.

I moved to L.A. in August or September of 2020. One of those months. I probably prefer L.A. There’s way more to do here, especially as an artist.

I’m the only artist out of Summerville. I mean, I’m not the only artist, but I’m the only bigger one right now.

Zodiac Sign:

I’m a Capricorn. Capricorns are generally ambitious, relentless, and disciplined. I’m not gonna disagree with any of those things for me. I don’t really know all of the traits.

Top 5 DOA:

Erykah Badu, PartyNextDoor, Trippie Redd, Juice WRLD, and XXXTentacion.

Biggest Accomplishment:

I saw on Spotify that my project is number nine, which is fucking crazy. 

Studio Habits & Essentials:

I don’t have any weird studio habits. I feel like I’m not one of them n***as and I’m never gonna be one of them n***as. I like making music, so I just need a little bit of weed and I’m straight.

I just like getting high as fuck and going crazy, just vibing. For me, levels of energy and vibes are really important to me while making music. If there’s negative energy, I don’t want it around me while trying to do positive shit.

“SUPERSTAR”:

I don’t even remember when I made “SUPERSTAR”. “SUPERSTAR” is basically about using love as a scapegoat. Have you ever had someone act like they loved you, but they didn’t, type shit? It’s about how toxic relationships can be spun into drug use and cause deeper problems. A very personal experience.

It’s a situation that happened to me, but I know somebody else has been through it too.

I freestyled this song, I freestyle my songs. I find that it comes out more fresh when I freestyle with the melodies and shit.

First Bars: 

I do have my first song on SoundCloud. I don’t remember it though. I started making music in tenth grade. At first, I was making trash songs. But, I wasn’t putting out trash songs for long. I progressed fairly quickly.

First Show:

Rolling Loud in February, shit was so lit. I’m going to Rolling Loud in July. Then, I got Lyrical Lemonade.

I read the live-stream comments after the concert. I had my sunglasses on while performing and I’m really, really blind. I didn’t have my contacts in, but I did read them afterwards and they was going crazy. I saw before I hit the stage they were going stupid in the comments.

I’m looking forward to catching people’s energy in real life because it’s gonna be so fire, I can get my shows so lit. That [virtual] shit was already lit and I was by myself.

Clocking Out:

I watch “Chucky” a lot, all of the “Child’s Play” movies. I don’t really watch TV. 

I’m not even into horror movies, just Chucky. I don’t fuck with scary movies like that. I don’t fuck with paranormal movies with demons and shit because that’s a negative energy I don’t wanna expose myself to. I stick with the fake ass killer movies like Chucky, Jason, and Michael Myers type shit. 

Up Next:

Festivals, performances, music videos, tryna turn out more songs and another project. Next project is gonna be something special. It’s gonna be crazy.

Image provided by the artist

HNHH: How would you describe your style and sound?

Dro Kenji: Uplifting, no cap. In my music, what I try to do is take certain subjects that aren’t positive and form a happier release of energy. I want people to think the song is sad but it’s not really sad.

What was your favorite subject in school?

I’ve always disliked school since I was young. Up until fourth grade, the only subject that I could tolerate was math because that shit was easy as fuck until a certain point. Once that first algebra class hit, I started failing.

You work a lot with the Internet Money crew, how did you guys get connected?

My manager John, who wasn’t even my manager at the time, DM’ed me and said to send him some songs. So I sent him some songs and he didn’t hit me back for a month. When he did hit me back, he said “Yo fly out” and hooked me up with them. He was literally a stranger.

Were there any other offers coming around that time?

Everything music-related before I got to L.A. was strictly me recording in my room after school. My shit did a little bit of numbers, but nothing bigger than that. I was getting no offers, so when that n***a hit me, I didn’t think anything of it. I didn’t understand who he was in the first place.

You have a sound that really fits their production, so it’s cool to see you grow with them. You’ve named XXXTentacion as your favorite artist in previous interviews, what exactly is it about the DIY SoundCloud sound that inspires you? 

Just seeing how big that shit got, seeing how many people [XXXTentacion] touched and affected based on some out-of-the-bedroom type shit. N***as was really just making sounds out of snowball mics. My n***a, the snowball mics, the circle shits. Like what the fuck, that’s so fire. They just built it out of nowhere and took it in so many directions, that’s what inspired me.

What does the Fuck Your Feelings title mean to you?

Fuck Your Feelings is basically saying, just do you and be yourself, don’t worry about what anyone else thinks type shit. Fuck their feelings. A lot of people thought I was saying “fuck everybody,” but it’s not like that.

At the end of the day, what do you want your legacy as an artist to be?

I want to be known as a person who only wishes to help. That’s how I feel and how I live, I just want to help. That’s the best way I can explain it.

What would you like to accomplish in the next five years as an artist?

As an artist, I want to touch more people emotionally. I want to help people more, mentally and emotionally.

READ LAST WEEK’S INTERVIEW WITH YUNGEEN ACE HERE.