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At long last, the time has come. Isaiah Rashad is dropping his brand new album, his first since The Sun’s Tirade released in 2016. Though it has certainly been a wild ride, with some fans genuinely wondering as to whether the project would ever see the light of day, it would appear that a rollout is officially underway. Possibly as soon as tomorrow, in fact, as Rashad is rumored to be delivering the lead single of the upcoming album The House Is Burning.

In tandem with the big kick-off, which was originally teased by Rashad’s label TDE at the beginning of May, The FADER covered Rashad with an extensive and informative profile penned by Jeff Weiss. Confirming that the album is currently scheduled for a June release, Weiss notes a potential thematic throughline, citing several of Rashad’s musings on mortality. A telling section arrives when Weiss asks Rashad if he thinks often about death, to which the rapper replies: I used to, but not so much anymore. I’m kinda okay with it, as long as it don’t hurt.”

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Musically, Weiss notes that the project evokes similarities to Dilla’s work, revealing that the album’s opening track is titled “Darkseid.” It’s also confirmed that Kenny Beats, who Rashad fondly credits as his “rap coach,” is contributing two beats to the project. As the piece reveals, Rashad compiled the final tracklist from a vault of sixty tracks, noting that many of his personal favorites were ultimately cut from the “up-tempo” project. 

Given the scope of the cover story, there’s certainly much to unpack throughout — in fact, it’s a truly compelling and brilliantly penned read, one worth checking in full for any fan of hip-hop journalism. Do so right here via The FADER, and be sure to keep a watchful eye to see if Rashad’s heavily-rumored new single indeed drops tonight at midnight.

G Herbo might be considering a plea deal in his ongoing fraud case after he was charged for allegedly lying to the FBI and Secret Service about his relationship with one of his co-defendants. The rapper told the feds that he had not previously worked with alleged ringleader Antonio Strong, which was proven to be false during their investigation. The charge was added to his existing case.

As we previously reported, G Herbo was indicted on new charges this week for lying to the FBI. He claimed that he had no relationship with Strong, but it was revealed that he has been close to his co-defendant since 2016, lending him money on multiple occasions. He also received private jet charters, exotic car rentals, and more from Strong. 

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According to legal documents obtained by All Hip Hop, G Herbo may already be discussing a possible plea deal. “The parties have engaged in preliminary plea negotiations, but it is premature to determine whether this case will be resolved with guilty plea(s),” said attorney Andrew E. Lelling in the paperwork. 

A decision is expected to have been made regarding a possible plea deal before August 2021. 

We will keep you updated as more information is released regarding G Herbo’s charges.

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A sculpture from Ancient Rome mysteriously arrived at the largest port in the United States in Los Angeles, back in June of 2016. Upon inspection, it was found that the statue, which was imported alongside 40 other items and valued at over $745,000, did not contain proper documentation. What’s more, the importer listed on the container was none other than Kim Kardashian.

The statue was reportedly a “classical Peplophoros style (early to mid-Roman Empire), which represents a copy of an original Greek sculpture,” according to an Italian archaeologist. Its distinct appearance makes it easily recognizable as an important artifact, standing out compared to the antiques and decorations said to also be in the container, according to the port’s data. After concerned customs officials alerted authorities about their suspicions, the statue was taken into federal possession in 2016, CNN reported. Officials then began to trace the statue’s origins from the alleged Kardashian importer, all the way back to Italy, running into many dead ends.

Axel Vervoordt – Hannes Magerstaedt/Getty Images

The only other clue was Axel Vervoordt, a famous art dealer who was listed as one of the shippers alongside Kardashian. The two worked together in the past when he decorated Kim and Kanye’s colossal California home. A photograph taken in 2011 shows the statue being displayed for sale at Vervoordt’s booth at the renowned European Art Fair. His representative told CNN, 

“There is no evidence that this piece was illegally imported from Italy. Our client, as well as our gallery and the gallery from whom we’ve bought the piece, have always acted in good faith when dealing with the work.”

Last Friday, official court documents were filed on the matter, closing an incident that began over five years ago. 

According to the official court filing obtained by CNN, a part of Italy’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage requested “that all efforts be made for the return of the defendant statue to Italy in accordance with the bilateral agreement between Italy and the United States” stating nothing about legal consequences for the partners in crime at this time. And, without direct evidence of how the artifact was illegally imported, no further action can be taken in the case.

Kardashian’s representative claims the statue was purchased wrongfully under her name because “this is the first that she has learned of its existence”in a public statement. “We believe that it may have been purchased using her name without authorization and because it was never received (and) she was unaware of the transaction,” the representative said.

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