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Pooh Shiesty has quickly become one of the most promising young rappers to emerge out of Memphis, one of the hottest rap cities in 2021. The New 1017 representative has had the game on lock with his debut mixtape Shiesty Season and it looks like he’s applying pressure for the rest of the year too, announcing a new collaboration that may come as a surprise to his fans.

Taking to Twitter, Pooh Shiesty started teasing his next release, hinting that it could feature none other than O’Block’s very own, the late King Von.

“Shiesty x Von bout that time,” tweeted Pooh Shiesty this weekend. The post garnered a lot of attention, with people commenting their thoughts under it. For the most part, people are seemingly confused about the nature of this collaboration, wondering if Von would have worked with Pooh if he were still alive. Others are simply excited for this song to see the light of day.

Following the release of the Only The Family compilation album Loyal Bros, which featured multiple posthumous King Von verses, there has been a renewed spark in people asking for more Von drops. During a recent interview with VladTV, Von’s former manager Track revealed that the rapper still has about 300 unreleased songs in his drive. It seems as though one of them has gone to Pooh Shiesty.

Are you excited for Pooh Shiesty x King Von? We’ll keep you posted with more information as it becomes available.

Montrezl Harrell has been a solid pick-up for the Los Angeles Lakers so far this season. With Anthony Davis and LeBron James out of the lineup with injuries, guys like Harrell are expected to pick up the play and help keep the team competitive down the stretch. While this may be the case, it seems like it hasn’t stopped players like Harrell from being subjected to various rumors surrounding the trade deadline.

According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Charlotte Hornets have actually reached out about potentially acquiring Harrell. As Fischer explains, the Lakers have entertained the offer and are willing to do anything at the deadline, if they feel it benefits the team. Of course, with multiple injuries on the roster, the Lakers might be better suited towards keeping the team together, as is.

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“Charlotte has also called the Lakers about Montrezl Harrell, Los Angeles’ bruising center, sources said, and the reigning champions appear willing to entertain offers,” Fischer wrote.

This week is going to be an exciting one for the NBA as the trade deadline officially goes down on Thursday, March 25th. You can expect there to be a lot of movement throughout this period, so be sure to keep it locked to HNHH as we promise to bring you all of the most relevant information.

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Rise & Grind is a new editorial series, meant to introduce and dissect new, buzzing, or underground artists.

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Duke Deuce is the latest rap star to have emerged from the Quality Control factory. In the last half-decade, Coach K and P have built an intense track record filled with artists they’ve assisted in becoming superstars, including the Migos, Lil Yachty, Lil Baby, City Girls, and more. With Memphis experiencing an uprising in upcoming rap talent, Duke Deuce is one of the most exciting emerging artists making noise and shifting the landscape of the game. His take on crunk, which hasn’t been touched in years, is refreshing and tells you much of what you need to know about the 28-year-old rapper.

“Crunk Ain’t Dead” is where most people will recognize Duke’s name from. The song is his most popular record to date, garnering all kinds of attention and even prompting Lil Jon, Juicy J, and Project Pat to take notice and hop on the remix. Duke has also added collaborations with Offset, Young Dolph, A$AP Ferg, Mulatto, and more to his resume. 

With energy for days and an infectious ad-lib that will have you screaming “What the fuuuuuu*k” around the house, Duke Deuce is offering a different type of flavor that we haven’t witnessed in years. 

With his latest project Duke Nukem available now on all digital streaming platforms, Duke Deuce caught up with us for the latest edition of Rise & Grind, answering ten basic questions before jumping into a more detailed Q&A session, which you can read below.

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

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Photo by Cam Kirk

Stomping Grounds:

I’m from Memphis. Black Haven to be exact.

It was pretty much like any other sh*t neighborhood. It was rough. It was cool though. It was cool, it was fun. 

DJ Paul and Gangsta Boo are from the Haven. There’s also a producer named Drummer Boy, he’s from the Haven too.

Zodiac Sign:

I’m a Taurus. 

When I’m chilling, I identify with the general Taurus traits. Facts. I actually go to sleep with rain sounds and all that. 

I’m not big on zodiacs. Sometimes it hits, sometimes it doesn’t.

Top 5 DOA:

Man… Lil Wayne, Lord Infamous, Project Pat, Bankroll Fresh, and Young Thug.

Biggest Accomplishment:

Man… My biggest accomplishment. When I had my daughter– and this is before she could talk– she was just about a couple of months old and I used to promise her that I was going to make it rapping and now I’m here. I live in a three story house and I’m a full time father and rapper.

She’s five now. Her name is Ocean.

Studio Habits & Essentials:

I always got to have me a bottle of Martell Cognac. Don’t play with it.  That’s my favorite bottle right there. I gotta have that. I like to have my gang there too because for some reason, when I’m recording, I like to be able to look out the window, or just look around me and just pick out everybody’s vibe. I like to see if people are f*cking with it or not. My gang be so crunk and it turns me up.

Honestly, the majority of the time, there’s like three extra people in the studio with me. Unless everyone is in town, then there would be almost twenty of us.

“Crunk Ain’t Dead”:

I was checking for beats and I was going to do it to the hot Memphis songs that people knew around the city and I was gonna just take everybody’s beat and just kill ’em all in a row, like Lil Wayne used to do. That was one of them, “If You Ain’t From My Hood” beat. It’s one of my favorite beats in the world. For some reason though, I went crazy on that beat the most. I needed to drop some music. At the time I felt like it had been a while, so I just wanted to drop something. I said ‘f*ck it, I’m finna drop this just to give them something quick’. That’s the reason it’s only got one verse on it. It was really just meant to be a freestyle. It just turned into something big for me. It’s crazy. 

I wasn’t surprised about the way people gravitated to it, I wasn’t at all because I knew how it made us feel. I knew how it made me feel. When I was recording that song, I promise you, bro, I had chills when I recorded that song. I was just getting hype with the mic. Man, I was ready to lose it there. All that energy came from people just sleeping on me, I feel like I had a point to prove. I was mad, you feel me? I was not playing.

First Bars: 

There are songs way older than the one I’m finna mention, but I can’t remember those bars. “Stand By” was the first song I shot a video to ever. That song was actually crunk as well. I remember those bars a little bit. 

I think the hook was like, “G’s in the club on standby/Bunch of bad b*tches on standby/Pistol in the club on standby/Duke Deuce, that’s a n***a you can’t stand by/Racks in my pocket on standby/Keep a pocket rocket on standby/Keep some rubbers with me on standby/Keep them bottles with me on standby.” As you can see, I still keep that bottle with me on standby.

I had to get a feel for the studio at first. I grew up to this, I ain’t new to this. When I came in, I already had my mind made up. I knew where I was going with everything. It just took time for me to develop. I was always kinda turnt. 

First Show:

I started off doing open mics. I can’t quite remember the first one. I wish I could. It was in Memphis for sure. I did a lot of open mics, trying to get my name out.

The response was always crazy. My first time performing “Standby”, the crowd went crazy and the crowd doesn’t usually go crazy in those types of settings. It was a small setting but there were a lot of people on this night for some reason. I guess they liked the way I started off, I walked on the floor real calm like I wasn’t finna do nothing. I let my song build up and as soon as the beat dropped, I was crunk. The whole crowd just went crazy. It was crazy. It felt good.

Clocking Out:

At the moment. I’m really into “Snowfall.” That’s one of my favorite joints. I also like to play “Call Of Duty: Warzone.”

Up Next:

Pressure. I’m on they ass. Foot on their neck. Pedal to the metal, I’m on they ass, I’m not stopping. I was already working on new music, while I was working on the Nukem joint. I got my own marijuana strain about to hit the streets. I’m on they ass. I’m not playing. Let’s get it.

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Photo by Trey S.

HNHH: Your father is Duke Nitty– he’s produced some classic Memphis records. Did he always bring you to the studio when you were growing up?

Duke Deuce: Yeah always. I wasn’t doing any music though, but I was just always around. 

Did you always know you wanted to be a rapper though?

Not really, I didn’t know at first. I didn’t know until after I got out of high school. That’s when I wanted to start rapping. I used to produce and make my own beats and sh*t, but then, sh*t, I just wanted to rap.

You said you’ve got your own weed strain in the works. How did that come about? 

My magic team. Mainly my boy Snipes, my manager. Snipes ended up talking to this lady named Cece and she said she was trying to reach out to me for the longest time. I guess I’ve been missing her messages because I get a lot of messages on Instagram and I don’t see that sh*t half the time. She finally linked up with Snipes. So we finna be– my sh*t finna be through Rick Ross, the real Ricky Ross. No disrespect. Shoutout to Rick Ross too.

That’s a big deal. Freeway Ricky Ross?

Yeah, Freeway Ricky Ross.

How does your strain make you feel? Have you tried it yet?

I haven’t. Actually, we haven’t even finished the process yet. We got to go pick out the flower and all that. 

When is that happening? When should it be out by?

If it’s going to be my strain, then it’s got to get you up and going, it’s gonna have to get you crunk. I want something that’s gonna make you feel good. Make you feel happy and enjoy your day. We’re picking out the flower soon. I’ll know when it’ll be out then.

Let’s talk about the new project Duke Nukem. What’s your favorite song on there?

“BACK 2 BACK” and “ARMY”.

No cap, I really love the intro track. It gets me so hyped.

For sure. I love the intro too, sh*t.

You collaborated with Offset, Young Dolph, Mulatto, A$AP Ferg, and a lot of other big names for the album. Who were you most excited to work with this time around?

Sh*t, all of them really. I don’t know, I just appreciate it. I just appreciate being able to link up with other artists, for real. All of them.

How did you end up signing your deal with Quality Control? Did Coach K and P reach out to you?

Offset ended up reaching out to me. I dropped a song called “Whole Lotta” in 2018. It went crazy, the video went small-time viral. Offset ended up hitting me up on Instagram and that was it. I flew to LA for the first time. Sh*t was crazy. 

Are you close to Offset?

Yeah, we close, I just talked to him last night.

Dope. How have Coach K and P helped you develop as an artist?

Mainly they were just telling me to keep going. P loves to say, ‘keep hustling’. That’s his sh*t. I feel like that’s all I needed, a push. Just for people to tell me to keep going and stay on they ass. It’s gonna happen. You feel me? I got everything else. 

Memphis is going crazy right now. What are your thoughts on the state of Memphis rap in 2021?

I’m just proud, I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. I always knew Memphis needed way more love than it got, because Memphis has the leading sound for a lot of sh*t that been going on. A lot of sh*t done came from our city, but we don’t get the flowers that we deserve. We finally starting to get that recognition. I’m proud. 

Who’s next up out of Memphis that we might not know about?

My boy, Lil A. Lil A is going crazy. He working, he just building his sh*t up right now. He finna go crazy. 

What made you start doing your signature “What the f*ck?” ad-lib?

One day, I was staying at my mom’s and I was starting to take that rap sh*t seriously. I was like, I need to come out with an ad-lib or something to put an extra stamp on my sh*t. This is around the time I was making the song “Stand By” that I was telling you about. It was crunk and it just ended up being what I went with. So, what the f*ck? I don’t know, I just came up with it. 

Were you always into the crunk scene coming up?

Yeah, for sure.

Duke, is there anything I haven’t asked you about that you want to touch on before we close out?

Duke Nukem just hit number 3 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, man. For real, man. I’m happy, I’m excited, this is a big accomplishment for me. Came a long way, bruh.

READ LAST WEEK’S INTERVIEW WITH YUNG BABY TATE HERE. 

Deshaun Watson was the subject of numerous sexual assault lawsuits last week and now, two more have surfaced which brings the total to nine. Attorney Tony Buzbee claims there are currently 22 women who have made complaints about Watson’s behavior, and the latest woman to file a lawsuit has issued some pretty hefty allegations.

In a report from TMZ, one of the women claims she was assigned a massage to Watson back in June of 2020. While at the massage, Watson got extremely inappropriate and began to grope her. Eventually, she slapped him and the massage ended soon after, with Watson paying her one-third of what she was owed.

The woman then claims that the quarterback sought her out for a second massage. As she explains, the woman didn’t recognize his name on social media, as the first massage was booked through her manager. As a result, she accepted the request and when she saw him, she confronted him about his previous actions. In her story, she notes that Watson continued to be sexually aggressive the second time around and even tried to force her to perform oral sex which left her scared for her life. 

Many of the stories against Watson are similar in nature, and thus far, the quarterback has denied all wrongdoing. Buzbee claims the stories have been properly vetted and that he will be bringing forth some evidence soon.

This is a story that continues to develop, so stay tuned as we will be sure to keep you updated.

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For the last year, humans around the world have been keeping their distance from one another, wearing masks to cover their faces and doing their part to stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed all of our lives and, with vaccine distribution ramping up across the globe, it feels like things may finally be going back to “normal” soon. 

It’s been pretty difficult to stay away from our friends, families, and loved ones for so long but, because of very clear health concerns, we’ve reluctantly stayed inside for the last twelve months. New York rapper Joey Bada$$ is sick of the imposed curfews, quarantines, and more, complaining on Twitter that social distancing is “inhumane”.

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“This new world has ZERO to do with anyone’s safety and everything to do with control and compliance,” said Joey Bada$$ on Monday morning, seemingly echoing the Great Reset theory in his tweets. “It’s sad how much this pandemic has enabled people to treat each other. Social distancing is inhumane. This society is governed by FEAR and it’s so sad that you blind folk can’t see pass what the external forces provide for you. I don’t watch the news because I know nothing’s new. I’m done arguing with anyone. I know most people won’t agree with me because most people are dull-minded and reliant. I have no energy for you folk. The difference between me and y’all is I’m governed by self. Good day.”

The Oscar-nominated rapper recently also called out DisneyWorld for allegedly kicking out his autistic cousin, posting a video of him berating three park employees that he shamed for restricting his cousin for removing his mask. 

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Do you agree with Joey’s take on COVID-19 restrictions?

It’s fair to say that Conway The Machine’s upcoming Shady Records album God Don’t Make Mistakes is one of the year’s most anticipated releases. Though little is known about the Griselda project, with collaborators and producers remaining unconfirmed, many have been curious to see how The Machine approaches his first major-label solo release.

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From the sound of it, Conway has been steadily cooking up in the studio, inviting Mal and Rory of the Joe Budden Podcast to a recent session and previewing some unreleased music, presumably stemming from God Don’t Make Mistakes. Two snippets surfaced following the link-up, with the first highlighting a typically grimy banger that sounds like something Daringer or Beat Butcha cooked up.

The second, which is significantly longer, finds Conway switching up the style and delivering his own take on a track for the ladies. Over an uptempo, groovy, and oddly uplifting instrumental, Machine delivers an effortless flow as he spits game with old-school charisma. “Sweet like candy, a love I can’t escape from but you my little secret though,” he raps. “Well, not a secret but keep shit low / I’m the man in my city, big Chief, I’m Mahomes / woah, who you know getting change like that / what other young n**a getting change like that?”

Check out the two snippets now, and sound off if you like what you hear so far. Though it’s not confirmed as to whether or not these tracks actually hail from God Don’t Make Mistakes, many speculate that the project will be the rapper’s next release. Do you think it has potential to be his best album yet?

Victor Oladipo was sent to the Houston Rockets earlier this season as it was clear that he no longer wanted to play for the Indiana Pacers. What’s interesting, however, is that his preferred destination was always the Miami Heat, and with James Harden no longer in Houston, it was becoming obvious that Oladipo’s time in H-Town wouldn’t last very long.

Now, the Rockets are on a 20-game losing streak and still aren’t last place in the Western Conference. Regardless, Oladipo is on the market and according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Rockets are asking for a high price that includes draft picks, and some solid young talent.

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Per Charania:

“The Rockets’ asking price for Victor Oladipo in an individual deal is believed to be a quality first-round pick or a good young player, although teams around the league wonder about whether Houston settles for second-round compensation, sources said. Miami, New York, and Detroit have been among the teams to show interest in the two-time All-Star, per sources.”

The Miami Heat are in the running for Oladipo although the New York Knicks seem to be interested as well. With the deadline just three days away, it looks like Oladipo will most likely be on the move. With this in mind, keep it locked to HNHH as we will bring you all of the latest updates.

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Detroit has always been one of the most exciting and authentic cities in terms of hip-hop’s long history and in the last few years, we’ve seen a real spark from the Motor City. Behind that buzz have been several artists but, arguably, Icewear Vezzo remains the heartbeat of the D. The rapper has always put on for his city, working with tons of local artists and putting them on, using his platform to elevate others. 

With the way Detroit has been moving, we needed to have Icewear Vezzo and famed Detroit-based producer Helluva on the latest episode of BagFuel with hosts E$$O and Hynaken to speak about what changed in the last few years, among other topics. 

Recognized as one of the rappers that has united Detroit, Icewear Vezzo isn’t quick to take credit for that much. Instead, he happily shares the credit with guys like Peezy, Tee Grizzley, and others from the city. When E$$O asked Vezz about what changed in the way Detroit rappers approach the music business, the rapper gave a telling response.

“N***as looked up. N***as was having 20 million views, 5 million views, 2 million views, but the money wasn’t aligning. I know for me, at one point I told myself, my name is bigger than my account and that don’t make sense to me,” said Icewear Vezzo. “It don’t make sense. I’m rapping my ass off. When you get a buzz in Detroit, I’m gonna tell you what comes with it. Kentucky comes with it. Minnesota comes with it. Oakland comes with it. All of Ohio comes with it. Pittsburgh comes with it. And a little bit of LA. That’s too many different states who’s f*cking with me and booking me for shows and know what I’m doing. I’m getting too many views– I don’t understand why my finances ain’t together. When I did that, I told you to learn the business.”

Elsewhere in the podcast episode, Icewear Vezzo speaks about the significance of BMF to Detroit, explaining that he was already in tune with the movement but that, when BMF broke, it was more intimate and motivational because Big Meech and his crew were from his hometown. “We already seen what came with good structure,” he said.

Watch the full episode of BagFuel with Icewear Vezzo and Helluva above and let us know who you’d like to see on the next episode with E$$O and Hynaken.