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Questlove is a legend in the game, having experienced a long and fruitful career holding it down as the drummer of The Roots. And being that he’s been active for decades now, it’s no wonder he’s built up an impressive repertoire of tales and anecdotes ranging from his time in the game.

We’ve already heard him break down why emcees were straight-up terrified of getting on a track with Black Thought, and now, Quest has offered further wisdom during a substantial conversation with Mark Ronson on THE FADER Uncovered. While there’s much to unpack, one of the interesting moments arrives when Ronson inquires about The Tipping Point, prompting Quest to reflect on MCA Records “implosion” and the unlikely role Dr. Dre played in saving The Roots from the culling.

“So as promised, MCA imploded,” explains Quest, at approximately the fifty-three-minute mark. “We were without an island. The way that I heard the story went down was Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine had a breakfast meeting. Jimmy basically let Dre control the MCA guillotine. Okay, who do we save? Who don’t we save? I remember, eight of us got saved: Mary, Common. I remember our name being last on that list. So, it was like, “Phew.” The way that the email came to us is like that high school musical, you look to see if you made the part.”

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“Because that was a question like, “Okay, so where do all the MCA acts go?” And then around February, we heard a rumor that they’re going to have a meeting to decide the future of who they’re going to save and who they’re not going to save. It was like, “Did I make it? Did I make it?” Yeah, they’ll have an official statement in March. And then come March, they said, the following acts will be transferring to Geffen-Interscope. We were last. I was like, “Phew!” And then I asked around. I was like, “What happened?” That’s when I found out that Dre knew and liked us. Wait, Dre insisted that they save The Roots? Wow.”

Having been hand-picked by Dre, The Roots were given the chance to transfer from MCA to Geffen-Interscope. Unfortunately, Jimmy Iovine did not appear to be the biggest fan of their music, with Quest implying that he wasn’t sure what to do with them. He did, however, appreciate “Don’t Say Nuthin,” which ultimately led the band to pursue a new — and not necessarily inspired– direction. “That’s the first and the last time I’ll ever create an album specifically for someone’s taste,” reflects Quest. “I’m not trying to say that Tipping Point’s my redheaded stepchild.”

Check out the full conversation with Ronson below, courtesy of The FADER. 

Will Smith appears to have kicked off a trend among Hollywood’s middle-aged men. After admitting that he was in the worst shape of his life following a year of the pandemic, the actor posted a shirtless photo and started his weight loss journey with millions of followers holding him accountable. What followed was a string of male actors and celebrities posting their own quarantine body photos, revealing that they’re on board with the Gemini Man star. 

Spotting Will’s post on social media, Dr. Dre appears to have been inspired to get back in shape himself, showing off his current physique on Instagram. The 56-year-old rapper/producer lifted up his shirt in the gym and said, “This is my COVID body. I’m about to start getting my shit together. Going in with @willsmith. Let’s Go!!!!”

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While Dre might not think he’s in great shape, he looks way better than the majority of men his age. He’s still got a defined stomach with muscular arms but with him saying he’s getting back to his fitness regimen, it looks like he’ll only continue to get buffer over the next few months. It’s nice to see that Will Smith has made it a trend for guys like Dre to focus on their health. Especially after his health scare this year, it definitely isn’t a bad idea for him to get back on his grind. 

Check out his latest picture below and let us know what you think. 

It seems like the Barbz may have been successful in provoking Nicki Minaj’s musical return. After the powerful fanbase was able to skyrocket fan-favorite Queen album cut “LLC” to the top of the charts, it almost seems like Minaj was rewarding them for all their hard work by announcing her return. 

She sent social media into a frenzy Monday (May 10) when she hinted that she has something in store for fans coming later this week, sharing two risqué photos on the platform to make the announcement. The caption of the post read “F R I D A Y” accompanied by a finger-crossing emoji. In addition to the announcement, Nicki may have also just mended her relationship with Rihanna. 

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As Nicki fans and social media alike rejoiced at the possibility of new music from the hitmaker, people noticed that Rihanna was once again following the Young Money veteran. She followed the Fenty CEO back, placing the superstars back into a mutual after years of not following each other and prompting fans to believe a possible collaboration between the two could arrive. 

The two were alleged to have stopped following each other after Nicki’s beef with Remy Ma. The presumed beef went on for years, which people speculate was the reason Rih unfollowed Nicki.

Whatever the reason for the brief bump in the road in their relationship, fans are ecstatic either way about the potential of them being back on. Some speculate that this could mean there’s new music on the horizon from the duo. The two have collaborated numerous times for each other’s projects, but considering Rihanna’s extended musical hiatus, it surely isn’t worth getting your hopes up over. 

Are you looking forward to what Nicki has in store for Friday?

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Soulja Boy finally made his long-awaited comeback into the mainstream with his viral hit “She Make It Clap.” As the song continues to gain traction across streaming platforms, new allegations against him have surfaced. In a civil lawsuit filed today in Los Angeles Superior Court, former girlfriend of DeAndre Cortez “Soulja Boy” Way claims that he subjected her to sexual and physical abuse, threatened to take her life, and engage in other forms of domestic violence during their time together.

Filed as “Jane Doe,” the plaintiff alleges in one complaint that Way’s physical abuse was so aggressive that she miscarried his child and sustained permanent damage to her reproductive organs. In another altercation, the anonymous victim claims after she told Way of plans to visit her family, he reacted aggressively and punched her so hard that his own security intervened to prevent more serious harm.

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She continued to allege that throughout the course of the relationship, sex was often nonconsensual and coerced through threats of violence. If she refused his sexual advances, she claims he would resort to physical abuse to force her to comply. The plaintiff explains that even the most minor of “offenses” enraged Way to violence, highlighting how she could not bring up his infidelity without being harmed. At one point, he allegedly shared footage of himself holding a gun and threatening her life. 

Besides physical abuse, the plaintiff and her young child were subjected to witnessing Way’s infidelity and were evicted from his home when she expressed concern. “Our client is fortunate she was able to escape Way’s reign of terror and domestic abuse,” explained her lawyer Neama Rahmani, president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, one of the law firms representing the”Jane Doe.” 

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She continued, “Still, she struggles to rebuild her life as she deals with the stress, fear and humiliation she continues to suffer from the years she remained Way’s emotional and mental captive. She worries about her daughter’s security and safety and about her ability to re-establish her career. How many women’s lives will Way ravage before he is held accountable? We plan for it to end here.”

Soulja Boy has previously faced allegations of abuse from different women, including one last year where he was alleged to viciously attack another woman in a lawsuit. We’ll keep you updated with subsequent developments in the case. 

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Curren$y is easily one of the most prolific artists in the game, keeping a steady stream of releases coming throughout a given year. Most recently, Spitta linked up with Harry Fraud for The OutRunners before dropping off his latest studio album The Collection Agency. While that might have been enough for a less active emcee, Spitta has never been one for downtime — though he does appreciate the art of relaxation more than most. 

Now, it would appear that Curre$y has opted to set the stage for what may very well be his next move, taking to Instagram to tease a reunion with the legendary Alchemist. No stranger to Alc’s production, Curren$y originally connected with him for Covert Coup in 2011, a project that quickly became a fan favorite — despite the fact that it’s completely unavailable on streaming platforms. Years later, they reconnected on FETTI, an underrated 2018 collaboration project with Freddie Gibbs.

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While it hasn’t been technically confirmed that a new album from the pair is on the way, it’s been certainly implied that a successor to Covert Coup is on the horizon. “The cake has already been baked,” writes Spitta, alongside an image of himself and Alc posted up. Of course, it’s entirely possible that the post is a simple red herring, but let’s be honest — artists know exactly what they’re doing, and Spitta’s words heavily imply that a project has already been completed. 

Check out the reunion between Curren$y and Alchemist below, and sound off if you’re excited to see the Covert Coup duo back at it once again. 

Coi Leray is having a huge year for her career, inching closer to the release of her debut studio album. After years of being overlooked, the Boston-born rapper has found her niche, going off with a few different songs in 2021. “No More Parties” has officially been certified platinum and her other singles, including “Bout Me” and “Big Purr” with Pooh Shiesty, have also been making noise. 

As she celebrates her recent success, Coi Leray is ringing in her twenty-fourth birthday today. A bunch of her celebrity friends, including Kodak Black, Yung Miami, and others have already gotten a head start on helping the rising star party up on her big day. As she often does these days, Coi started off the day by showing some skin on her socials, posting a Dior-clad gallery on Instagram.

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Rocking a hoodie with nothing but a peach-colored thong on the bottom, Coi Leray caught the attention of hundreds of thousands of people who double-tapped the picture. She wished herself a happy birthday in the caption, encouraging a bunch of others, including Foushée, Lil Keed, and others, to join in.

She has yet to share an official birthday video to TikTok but given how active she’s been over there, you’ve got to know that’s coming soon.

Check out some of Coi’s recent pictures below. Happy birthday!