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We’re halfway through 2021 and it’s safe to say that it’s been a solid year for music already. Some of the top players in the game have shared new bodies of work while new artists emerge to claim their time in the spotlight. As we ring in June, many people are reflecting on some of the best releases of the year so far, as well as acknowledging some of the hard-working MCs that are grinding and keeping their pens sharp.

 Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images/Getty Images

Yesterday, Brian B.Dot Miller rattled Twitter when he shared his list of “top 10 best rappers of 2021 (so far).” Miller based the list on skill, performance and presence. Lil Baby sits atop of the list with J. Cole and Lil Wayne holding the number 2 and 3 spots respectively. Then came the double dose of Griselda with Conway and Benny The Butcher edge out Drake to round out the top 5.

Apparently, not everyone was fond of the list but instead of airing their grievances towards B.Dot, they took it out on some of the artists included. Benny The Butcher took to Twitter where he revealed that he was personally facing backlash for the list that B.Dot created. “That @bdotTM list be makin rappers mad at me like it’s my list,” tweeted Benny The Butcher. 

Benny has rightfully earned his position on that list. Following a prolific run in 2020, he returned with The Plugs I Met 2with Harry Fraud at the top of the year and recently followed it up with another new compilation album, Trust The Sopranos with 38 Spesh. Plus, Benny has pretty much been bodying every guest verse this year.

Check out B.Dot’s list below. 

May was a huge month for the sneaker world as we saw numerous dope shoes make their way to the market. A lot of these models were hyped up which led to some quick sell-outs amongst various resellers around the world. From Air Jordan’s to Nike Basketball to Adidas Yeezy kicks, there was a lot to choose from and regardless of what your tastes are, there was probably something for you to sink your teeth into.

Luckily, if you missed out on any of these releases, eBay is certainly the solution for you. For instance, they have an Authenticity Guarantee that allows all of you sneakerheads to breathe easier knowing that your shoes have been thoroughly inspected. These authenticity checks are done in conjunction with Sneaker Con who is a leader in the sneaker industry. Not to mention, if you’re a seller looking to offload some of your stock from the past month, eBay also proves to be a prime solution as there are no seller fees for shoes over $100 USD.

To celebrate the past month, let’s take a look at some of the best releases of the month.

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Undefeated x Nike Kobe 5 “Hall of Fame”

Image via Nike

With Kobe Bryant being inducted into the Hall of Fame, it only made sense that Nike would look to honor him with a brand new shoe. Undefeated has always been known for their Kobe collaborations and with the Hall Of Fame model, they absolutely knocked it out of the park. With its gold upper and purple highlights, these are shoes fit for a king, and if you’re a Lakers fan, you can’t help but fawn over these. These colors perfectly represent Kobe’s championship-winning time with the Lakers, and it’s no shock that these sold out instantaneously. If you’re looking to grab pairs from eBay, you can do so right now in the $350-$500 range.

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Air Jordan 1 High OG “Shadow 2.0”

Image via Nike

One of the best colorways of the Air Jordan 1 High OG is the”Shadow” model. This is a shoe that has gotten a ton of retros over the years and fans have been clamoring for new versions of it. Well, this past month, Jumpman came through for everyone as they delivered what has been dubbed as the “Shadow 2.0.” As you can see, the big difference here is the layout of the black and grey colors. The toe box, side panels, laces, and tongue are all black, while the overlays and Nike swoosh are grey. It is a simple yet effective colorway that will definitely turn some heads regardless of your outfit. For now, prices are ranging from $230 to $290 over at eBay.

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Concepts x Nike Kyrie 7 “Horus”

Image via Nike

Kyrie Irving has been a big fan of working with Concepts over the years and it is easy to see why. The Boston sneaker boutique was a big supporter of his while he was with the Celtics and to this day, Kyrie continues to enjoy their aesthetics on his shoes. His latest signature shoe is the Nike Kyrie 7 and this past month, Concepts came out with this gorgeous teal “Horus” colorway which is filled with Egyptian imagery and iconography. Kyrie has become fascinated with these images over the years and when blended into a teal, orange, and gold colorway, the motif comes together quite perfectly. This was yet another popular collab and on eBay, these are currently selling for an average of $190 USD.

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Air Jordan 7 “PSG”

Image via Nike

Paris Saint-Germain is one of the best teams in European soccer and over the last few years, they have been coming through with a plethora of Jumpman collaborations. Soccer fans have been huge fans of these shoes and as a result, Jordan Brand keeps on making more. The latest was an Air Jordan 7 which incorporates PSG’s iconic white, red, and blue colors. PSG branding is found throughout the shoe and it mostly keeps the same vibe as the other PSG x Jordan Brand shoes. If you’re a fan of the early 90s aesthetics brought forth by the Air Jordan 7, then this shoe is an absolute must-cop. Most pairs are currently going for about $250 USD on eBay.

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Adidas Yeezy Basketball QNTM “Flash Orange”

Image via Adidas

Last but not certainly not least, is the Adidas Yeezy Basketball QNTM in the “Flash Orange” colorway. One of Kanye West’s best designs so far has been his basketball shoe which teeters on a high-top lifestyle offering. There have been various colorways of the model to make it to the market although none have been as flashy as this new orange offering. From the orange streeks throughout the upper to the beige highlights, this is definitely a great basketball shoe for the summer. Not to mention, the Boost midsole makes things that much more comfortable, especially as you run up and down the court. Pairs are currently going on eBay for $300 to $350 USD.

Lets us know your favorite releases of the month, in the comments below.

Kamau Bobb, the chief of diversity at mega company Google, has the internet clamoring over a blog post attributed to him discussing Israel’s place in the Middle East. The blog post, which Bobb reportedly made while a research associate at Georgia Tech in 2007, strongly condemns the Israeli government for their actions against other Middle Eastern nations, while applying it broadly to all Jewish people, which he categorizes as an “increasing insensitivity to the suffering (of) others.”

“If I were a Jew,” as Bobb named the blog post, finds itself generalizing members of the Jewish religion consistently, and Jewish leaders are concerned how such language went under the radar of Bobb’s employer, Google.

“If I were a Jew I would be concerned about my insatiable appetite for war and killing in defense of mysel,” becomes one of the most incendiary and charged moments of the blog post– directly deducing an entire religion of people into one harmful stereotype. Other standout quotes from the post include “Self defense is undoubtedly an instinct, but I would be afraid of my increasing insensitivity to the suffering (of) others. My greatest torment would be that I’ve misinterpreted the identity offered by my history and transposed spiritual and human compassion with self righteous impunity,” which asks Jewish people to use their experience during the Holocaust to evaluate their foreign policy.

Bobb faced sharp criticism from Jewish and Pro-Israel users. Author Michael Dickson blasted the blog post as anti-semitic and hypocritical and called for Bobb’s resignation from his post. The Jewish Simon Wiesenthal Center raised similar concerns about the post and questioned why Google would hire Bobb for a position as important as Diversity Chief. StopAntisemitism.com joined in on the discourse by referring to Bobb as a “bigot” who must be fired immediately. Just today, Meghan McCain, co-host of The View and daughter of late senator John McCain, condemned the statements while filming the show. 

Google has not provided any response or apology so far, and the blog has since been hidden from plain view on Bobb’s site (although you can still view it ‘hidden’ here), but keep yourself posted as a statement should be coming sometime soon.

Do you think Kamau Bobb will be removed from his position?

Check out the tweets below.

[via]

It would appear that JAY-Z has taken quite the liking to Benny The Butcher, a widely regarded frontrunner in the “best current lyricist” category. It’s not entirely surprising, given Benny’s lyrical content and hustler’s ambition mirroring Hov’s own, especially during the Reasonable Doubt era. Not to mention the fact that The Butcher is signed to Roc Nation, thus keeping him firmly in JAY-Z’s camp.

As such, fans have concluded that a collaboration is all but inevitable. The only question is — whose album will house the first duet between The Butcher and JAY-Z after an earlier attempt fell through? Rumors of a new Hov project, his first since 2017’s 4:44, have begun to build up momentum. It’s certainly worth noting that JAY has been more active on the musical front these days, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him capitalize before the end of the year. As for the Butcher, he’s already dropped off one album with The Plugs I Met 2, but Tana Talk 4 remains on the horizon. 

Kevin Winter/PW18/Getty Images 

As for whether or not the pair have been cooking up new music, it’s certainly possible given the frequency of their meetings. In fact, Benny recently came through to share a picture of their latest meet-up, as snapped by photographer A Tribe Called Hip-Hop. “Hope these rooftop meetings never turn into jail visits,” captions Benny, teasing a few bars. “It only put a smile on my face when the scale tippin.”

Kevin Winter/PW18/Getty Images

Check out the picture below, and sound off if you’d like to see JAY-Z and Benny The Butcher hitting the booth. 

DaniLeigh has been laying pretty low on social media ever since she lit platforms ablaze with her controversial “Yellow Bone” snippet. Explaining her hiatus, she chalked it up to all the negativity she’s been facing on the platform since the song. “Social media became hella negative,” she explained. “I used to be the happy curly-haired girl that was always dancing and smiling.” 

While laying low on social media herself, she’s managed to get people talking in another way. Viral footage of the “Easy” artist back in March had users speculating that she was carrying DaBaby’s child. She once again sparked rumors of a pregnancy by rocking a very rounded tummy. Although she’s yet to confirm the news, she again had folks buzzing after sending out a tweet speculated be about the bun in her oven. 

Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Universal Music Group

“Fall asleeeep bruh,” penned the 26-year-old Miami artist on Twitter seemingly aimed at no one. Considering she’s been sporting a rounded tummy in most of her recent public outings, many instantly assumed it was directed at her incoming bundle of joy. 

“She happy asf to show that belly,” said someone in the comments of earlier footage of the artist walking around with her protruding stomach. “She definitely wanted that belly seen,” suggested another. 

Neither Dani nor DaBaby have confirmed whether or not she is actually carrying the rapper’s baby. What are your thoughts?