Mavericks Sign Jason Kidd As Their Next Head Coach

Over the past couple of weeks, the Dallas Mavericks have been looking to make some big decisions when it comes to their head coach and their front office. With Rick Carlisle stepping down, the Mavs needed a head coach that would work well with their superstar Luka Doncic. Not to mention, they also needed a general manager who can actually give Doncic some solid pieces to work with. If there is one thing that was obvious about the Mavs in the playoffs, it’s that they had no depth.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Mavericks found their guys today as they hired Jason Kidd to become the next head coach of the team. Meanwhile, the Mavericks took a large risk by hiring Nike executive Nico Harrison as their general manager.

There were reports that Luka wanted Kidd as the next head coach although there was no guarantee that such a thing would happen. However, throughout the hiring process, Kidd seemed to be the only name that would be mentioned amongst the Mavericks, which makes this hiring unsurprising. 

It remains to be seen how well the Mavericks will do under Kidd’s leadership although at this point, a playoff series win would certainly be a great start.

Jason Kidd

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Derek Chauvin Motion For New Trial Denied; Will Be Sentenced Today

Just a few hours before former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was set to be sentenced for the murder of George Floyd, Judge Peter Cahill rejected a motion filed by Chauvin’s team to throw out the guilty verdict and instate a new trial. Judge Cahill also stated he will not hold a hearing for jury misconduct, as claimed by Chauvin’s team. The former police officer will be sentenced today at 2:30 PM ET for charges of second-degree manslaughter, second-degree murder, and third degree murder. 

Chauvin was convicted in April for the killing of father and Minneapolis resident George Floyd. Chauvin, a veteran Minneapolis cop, killed Floyd after he had reportedly used a counterfeit $20 bill at a local restaurant. A video of Chauvin pressing down on Floyd’s neck while the victim screamed “I can’t breathe” went viral and spurred nationwide protests in the Summer of last year. On this, Judge Cahill said last month: “The prolonged use of this technique was particularly egregious in that George Floyd made it clear he was unable to breathe and expressed the view that he was dying as a result of the officers’ restraint,” Cahill wrote last month.

derek chauvin motion denied

Minnesota Department of Corrections via Getty Images

The murder, which is widely thought to be racially motivated, has prompted calls to reform and reevaluate police behavior. 

Under Minnesota statutes, because Chauvin was charged with three crimes for one incident he will only be sentenced for the most severe of the charges- second-degree murder. Second-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 40 years, though experts say that is very unlikely for Chauvin’s case. A more probable sentence would be 30 years, according to experts, though Chauvin’s team has requested only probation. 

The Floyd family attorney stated that the family was “anxious and tense” about the sentencing.

Are you going to be tuning in to the sentencing? Let us know and check out the announcement below:

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DJ Clark Kent Reveals Jay-Z Had To Be Persuaded To Make “Reasonable Doubt”

Today, June 25, 2021, marks the 25th anniversary of one of the most highly revered Hip-Hop albums of all time — Reasonable Doubt. Arriving long before Jay-Z minted his status as one of the most popular rappers of all time, Hov’s classic debut album debuted at #26 on the Billboard 200 and was greeted with critical acclaim, but commercially, it paled in comparison to the success of the chart-topping albums that Hov is known to brag about. To this day, it’s almost unbelievable that the album has only been certified platinum after 25 years.

Regardless, Reasonable Doubt has gone on to age well and be remembered as a bonafide classic, and in honor of its landmark anniversary, DJ Clark Kent — who was an integral part of the album’s creation process — has hit Apple Music’s to give never-before-heard insights about Jay-Z’s debut album for the Essential Album: Reasonable Doubt special. 

Jay-Z appears in a portrait taken at the Roc-A-Fella Records offices on June, 10, 1996 in New York City.

One of the most mind-blowing reveals from DJ Clark Kent’s Apple Music appearance is the fact that Clark Kent had to plead with Jay-Z to even make Reasonable Doubt. Apparently, it was so difficult to persuade Hov that the legendary DJ and producer had to enlist the help of Briant “Bee-High” Biggs. Here’s everything that DJ Clark Kent had to say about convincing Jay-Z to record Reasonable Doubt:

“It took like a month to get him to come to New York. It was a lot of persuading. And then when he got here, it was more persuading to get him to come to the studio. Bee-High was another one who truly was like, “This guy has to do this.” I mean, of course, I make music, so it moved in that direction, but Bee-High was one who was like, “Man, cut the s***, get to rapping.” So if I had any real assist, the real assist would be Bee-High. His cousin was just like, “Yo, what the f***, Bee?” It was a serious time. So to me, all the thank you I ever really need or needed was he kept going and he was proving everything that I said, he proved it right. You know what I’m saying? I could step away and go, “You see, he proved what I was saying right.” And that’s the best part of everything about it. I wasn’t bugging, and something amazing came from my crazy thoughts. Imagine telling somebody who’s got a million dollars, “Bro, you should stop doing that thing that got you the million dollars. And let’s go over here and do this where there’s no promise of it. But I just believe in your talent so much that you’ll be fine.”

While the thought of Jay-Z dragging his feet when creating arguably one of the best bodies of work of his career is kind of hard to internalize, DJ Clark Kent also reveals another major secret about Reasonable Doubt. According to Kent, an extremely rare Hov song came just shy of making the cut due to technical issues, and astoundingly, it has not released or resurfaced to this day. 

“There was only one thing that didn’t happen on the album,” DJ Clark Kent reveals. “There was a song that was supposed to be on an album that we couldn’t find the dap for when it was time to master, so it just didn’t make the album. It was called “Tell Me How It Feels.” It would have been perfect on the album. It’s funny because I was listening to the song recently, thinking to myself, ‘It’s probably only like five people who’s ever heard this song. And it was the five people who were right there.'”

Kent also reveals that a woman who went by the stage name of Black Widow appeared on the song. Apparently, Black Widow was actually set to appear on “Ain’t No N*gga” too, but Clark Kent said that the song became what it is because he stepped in and said, “Get my cousin Fox.”

With all of these huge reveals from DJ Clark Kent, what are you most surprised about? Marinate over these crazy insights by celebrating the 25th anniversary of Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt and listening to it below.

Young Buck Fires Back At 50 Cent After Latest “Gay” Jab With New Track

It’s certainly an interesting point in history for longtime fans of G-Unit. While the collective never formally disbanded, the only remaining members are 50 Cent and Tony Yayo. Since Young Buck’s most recent departure from the group in 2018, he and 50 have had longstanding tension with each other

Fif has been harassing Buck for years now for allegedly having relationships with transgender women, mocking him on social media. Most recently, earlier this week he took another jab at his former groupmate about his rumored sexuality. In response, Young Buck dropped off track titled “Public Opinion,” firing back at 50 Cent.

“F-ck the world when these n-ggas talk about me, I just went and got a bad when they talked about me,” he raps on the track. “I didn’t even get mad, I just let them all be/Gangsta, can’t you see that I’m a muthafuckin’ G/I’m in a place you never will see/I’ll never let these p-ssy n-ggas kill me.”

In addition to dropping the single, the Nashville-born rapper also announced his forthcoming EP 40 Days and 40 Nights. The project is scheduled for a July 2nd release and is currently available for preorder. “PreORDER NOW,” he wrote on Instagram. “To Hear My Story #PublicOpinion #40DaysAnd40Nights EP AVAILABLE JULY 2.”

As for his beef with 50 Cent, the comments in question that sparked Buck’s response revolved around allegations of relations with a transgender woman. “SMH why he didn’t just say he was gay,” 50 Cent wrote. “There is nothing wrong with it Buck. But you can’t be putting your hands on no women because she keep catching you.”

Listen to “Public Opinion” and let us know what you think down in the comments. 

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Air Jordan 5 “Oreo” Rumored Release Date Revealed

Last year in 2020, sneakerheads got to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Air Jordan 5 which is the Jumpman shoe that kicked off the 1990s. It’s a sneaker that will always be remembered by basketball fans and while it may not be the most popular Jordan model, there is no denying that it helped set the tone for trends in the 90s. After releasing a whole plethora of new colorways last year, Jordan Brand has been keeping up the momentum with various retros.

According to @zsneakerheadz, the next Air Jordan 5 to get its very own retro is the “Oreo” offering which can be found below. This particular colorway is known for having black on the upper all while the midsole is a mixture of white and black, which is what gives you the “Oreo” nickname. Based on the information in the post below, it seems like this shoe will get its own unique packaging, which should prove to be of use to collectors.

As for the release date, these are rumored to be dropping on August 25th for $190 USD. This release date has yet to be confirmed by Jordan Brand, so keep it locked to HNHH as we will be sure to bring you all of the latest updates. In the meantime, let us know what you think of these, in the comments below.

Machine Gun Kelly To Star As Troubled Musician In “Good News”

It looks like MGK is taking his talents to the big screen again. According to Deadline and other outlets, MGK, whose real name is Colson Baker, has been casted in an upcoming music drama film titled Good News.

Written and directed by Tim Sutton, the Rivulet Media production will tell the story of a talented but troubled musician in the final days of his life. While the story is a work of fiction, the movie “takes its inspiration from the arcs of such contemporary artists as Mac Miller, Lil Peep, Pop Smoke and Juice Wrld,” Deadline reports.

Rich Fury/ Getty Images

“Colson Baker is that rare talent who is ascending at an incredible pace both in film and music,” Rivulet Media’s President Rob Paris said to Deadline. “He is exactly the kind of artist that Rivulet Media is looking to partner with and we couldn’t be more excited to support him on both fronts, especially with Tim Sutton’s powerful screenplay and vision, which are custom tailored to Colson’s formidable skills.”

It won’t be the first time Baker has portrayed a musician on-screen. The rapper played Tommy Lee in Netflix’s Mötley Crüe biopic, The Dirt, in 2019. He has also appeared in Nerve, Big Time Adolescence and thriller Bird Box.

A release date for Good News has yet to be announced, but they begin shooting July 8th in Los Angeles. We’ll keep you posted.

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Hawks Reportedly Annoyed With Giannis Antetokounmpo

On Wednesday night, the Atlanta Hawks surprised basketball fans yet again as they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Hawks’ improbable run has been the stuff of legend and they have a realistic shot of winning the title if they keep getting all-time-great performances from the likes of Trae Young.

While they may be up 1-0 in the series, it appears as though the Hawks are a bit upset about something. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, that something is Giannis Antetokounmpo’s free throw routine. This has been a problem throughout the playoffs and on occasion, Giannis has been called for taking too long to shoot. Now, the Hawks are claiming that Giannis is consistently taking longer than 10 seconds to get his shots off.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Elsa/Getty Images

“Because sources say the Atlanta Hawks are not happy that the league is continuing to look the other way on the matter in the Eastern Conference finals,” Amick explained. “In the Hawks’ Game 1 116-113 win over the Bucks on Wednesday, Antetokounmpo — by the Hawks’ internal count — ranged between 11.5 seconds and 13.3 seconds on his eight attempts but wasn’t whistled once.”

While these infractions aren’t the biggest deal in the world, the rules are the rules and there are various players who just want to see Giannis get held accountable. In Game 2, it will be interesting to see if the refs decide to do anything.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Elsa/Getty Images

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Blackalicious Rapper Gift Of Gab Has Died At 50 After A Long Battle With Kidney Failure

Rap veteran Timothy J. Parker, better known as Gift Of Gab of the Bay Area rap duo Blackalicious, has died at the age of 50, according to his label and crew, Quannum Projects in a press release.

Gab, perhaps still best known for the tongue-twisting Blackalicious single “Alphabet Aerobics” and the duo’s Blazing Arrow standout “Feel That Way,” was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2014. He underwent successful surgery in January of last year on the last night of the most recent Blackalicious tour. Despite working hard to recover, he passed away last week on Friday, June 18. He is survived by two brothers, one sister, and many nieces and nephews.

Gab’s manager Brian Ross said in a statement, “He was one of the most positive human beings I have ever known and always looking toward the future. He was endlessly brimming with new ideas, philosophical perspectives, and thoughts about the future. He was always ready to learn, grow and engage in a deep conversation about things he was less familiar with. A simple conversation with him about nearly anything could take you places you would never have expected.”

DJ Xcel, the other half of Blackalicious, wrote, “Our brother was an MCs’ MC who dedicated his life to his craft. One of the greatest to ever do it. He’s the most prolific person I’ve ever known. He was all about pushing the boundaries of his art form in the most authentic way possible. He truly believed in the healing power of music. He viewed himself as a vessel used by a higher power whose purpose was to give positive contributions to humanity through Rhyme.”

Quannum is planning future releases for “years to come” as Gab left behind nearly 100 tracks for upcoming and planned Blackalicious releases. Meanwhile, the hip-hop world will mourn the physical loss of one of its brightest, most dextrous, and most inspiring presences. Thanks for everything, Gab.

Russ Promises To ‘Satisfy’ A Lover On A Tongue-In-Cheek Ballad

Indie rap stalwart Russ’s new single “Satisfy” sounds like it should be a love song, with its tender guitar chords and downtempo crooning. In reality, though, it’s more of a sex anthem, featuring explicit lyrics right out of an adult video description. The contrast more amusingly cheeky than it is sensuous, but with Russ, the distinction between the two moods has always been more of a suggestion than a hard line in the sand. The video accompanying the single throws soft lighting across the outspoken artist as he performs in what looks like a cave.

Russ’s raunchy descriptions of his sexual activities may read more like a sext than a hit single, but as he’s been on an emotional roll lately, his shift into slightly porn-y subject matter might come as a welcome turn. Prior New Music Friday releases have included much more serious material like the hopeful “Lucky,” the romantic duet “Private” with Rexx Life Raj, and the melancholy “Bankrupt,” so it’s nice to hear him nodding to the more — ahem — enjoyable aspects of relationships. Still, another boastful track like “Ugly” with Lil Baby or “Status” probably wouldn’t go amiss in future weeks. With Russ, all possibilities are on the table, a testament to his versatility and willingness to push himself.

Watch Russ’s “Satisfy” video above.