newhiphopnews

The Nicki Minaj hiatus is over and fans are ready. The singer was one of few artists to dominate over the weekend after her 2009 mixtape Beam Me Up Scotty hit DSPs. Her new track “Seeing Green” with Drake and Lil Wayne caused a ruckus, and now Nicki has taken to Instagram to reflect on some of her past choices that could have sent her life path in an entirely different direction.

In a post-and-delete move, the rapper shared a photo of her mugshot from a 2003 arrest. “It took me years to b able to look at things like this,” wrote Minaj.

Matt Winkelmeyer / Staff / Getty Images

“Criminal possession of a weapon with intent to use. I did use it tho. This is so inspiring now looking back,” she added. “The girl was leaking blood and spent days in the hospital. The word on the street was that I was gonna b deported. I was so scared. Lol. I was ‘on the run’. I rlly thought I was in a ghetto movie. I hid my car and went to stay wit my Aunt in Brooklyn chile. Bwahahaaaaa. #Growth.”

She ended her message by plugging the release of Beam Me Up Scotty. Fans couldn’t help but note that Coi Leray also shared her mugshot as well, and after the singer tweeted that she was interested in Nicki jumping on a “No More Parties” remix, the conspiracy theorists believe it’s all connected. 

Check out the posts below.

Lil Baby is the hottest rapper in the game right now. Whether you like his music or not, he’s risen to the top of the music industry as one of the most successful artists in the game. He has platinum plaques, and Grammy nods to his name while fans continue to eat up whatever he drops off for them.

JC Olivera/Getty Images

It should come as no surprise that he was among the artist tapped for the upcoming Space Jam flick. The Lebron James-starring sequel to the 1996 sports comedy is expected to drop next summer but Elliott Wilson took to Instagram and Twitter today where he unveiled the cover art for the first single off of the OST. “WE WIN” is an unexpected collaboration between the current prince of trap music and the king of gospel, Kirk Franklin. Who would’ve expected it? Wilson did not offer any other information on the song including a release date. However, it seems more than promising that it’ll be dropping in the near future.

Space Jam: A New Legacy will not only have high expectations for its execution as a film but the soundtrack as well. The 1996 Space Jam OST — now 6x platinum — includes contributions from Seal, R. Kelly, Coolio, Biz Markie, Jay-Z, and of course, the monstrous posse cut, “Hit ‘Em High” ft. B-Real, Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, Coolio, and Method Man. 

Check out the cover art for the song below. 

On the evening of the Kentucky Derby weeks ago, Vibes Restaurant and Ultra Lounge employee Kasmira Nashs lost her life. Jack Harlow was at the location making an appearance in his hometown when chaos ensued and Nash was shot and killed inside of the venue. It was later shared that Harlow’s longtime friend and DJ Ronnie O’Bannon, stage name Ronnie Luciano, was arrested in connection with the crime. Police named O’Bannon as the shooter, and days ago, WDRB reported that his lawyer asserts Nash attacked his client multiple times.

Attorney Rob Eggert reportedly stated in court documents that  “there seems considerable evidence at this point that Mr. O’Bannon was attacked not once, but twice at Vibes Club by the deceased in this case.”

O’Bannon’s team has contended that the DJ was only retaliating in self-defense and asked the judge to release O’Bannon or, at the very least, allow him to await trial while on house arrest. Eggert added that O’Bannon isn’t a flight risk, doesn’t have much of a criminal history, and because he turned himself in, he can be trusted.

“He has supported himself and DJs not only for Jack Harlow, but for other artists,” Eggert wrote. “Mr. O’Bannon is not a flight risk.” It was noted by WDRB that O’Bannon has also been named as a person of interest in a separate fatal shooting that occurred at a different nightclub in Louisville, Kentucky back in August 2020.

Kathy Davis, Nash’s mother, said that she has no anger toward Jack Harlow for the incident. The rapper has previously stated that he has been in contact with Nash’s family. “I do not accuse (Harlow) or feel like it was entirely on him, because he’s an entertainer,” Davis said. “He was there to do a job, but I feel like the security and the owner of the club should have been more diligent in protecting and making sure it was secure.”

O’Bannon has already entered his not guilty plea.

[via]

An unfortunate scenario took place outside of the Trap Music Museum in Atlanta this weekend. According to Fox 5 News, four people were injured in a shooting outside of the museum on Travis Street. Police said they responded to the shooting around 3:40 a.m. where they found three men who suffered gunshot wounds. The three victims were taken to a nearby hospital while a fourth victim, a woman, was reportedly shot and taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.

Clint Rauscher, a Uber driver who was picking someone up nearby, caught the shooting on his dashcam. “I heard some pops in the distance in the front and then I see everyone is running towards me. A couple of young girls dove behind a car and beside a car,” Clint Rauscher said. “I wasn’t concerned too much getting shot I was more concerned about the people in front of me that were running away from it that they might get shot.”

Police said that the four victims were heading to their vehicles when the perpetrators driving in a Dodge Charger began shooting. Police are investigating for a motive behind the shooting.

The Trap Music Museum in Atlanta is a hub that pays tribute to the deep history of the South’s contributions to hip-hop culture. Founded by T.I., it includes interactive exhibits as well as an escape room.

[Via]

It’s looking like Polo G is officially kicking off his rollout. Not only did the chart-topping rapper recently confirm that his upcoming album Hall Of Fame was one hundred percent finished, but he’s also come through to announce the next single, which appears to feature a guest appearance from the legendary Lil Wayne.

Taking to Twitter to break the news, Polo confirmed that “Gang Gang” will be landing this coming Friday, May 21st, complete with a music video. In addition to sharing a few behind-the-scenes pictures from the shoot, Polo also put forth a picture of himself linked up with Weezy, who is only recently coming off a standout performance on the YMCMB reunion “Seeing Green.” We can only hope that Wayne will continue where he left off on that one, as many fans concluded that he absolutely snapped as he did during his classic mixtape run.

 Jim Bennett/Getty Images

“So Used to Dem Grey Clouds I might fuck around drop the top Inna rain,” captions Polo, alongside the announcement. A likely glimpse into some of the lyrics to come, and it should be interesting to see whether Polo and Weezy opt to go melodic with it or capture that classic emcee spirit. After all, it wasn’t long ago that Polo was marveling at JAY-Z’s recent “Sorry Not Sorry” bars, so perhaps we’ll see him looking to follow suit. 

Either way, the wait isn’t too much longer, and “Gang Gang” may very well provide a deeper look into what Hall Of Fame might ultimately sound like. Be sure to sound off if you’re excited to see Lil Wayne and Polo G connecting as collaborators, and stay tuned for the full track and video to land on Friday, May 21st. For more on Polo G’s impact on the hip-hop game, check out our recent analysis Does Polo G’s “RAPSTAR” Video Mark A Paradigm Shift In Hip-Hop Culture?

In recent years, Killer Mike has been steadily putting out quality music alongside his trusted creative collaborator El-P. Together, the rappers make up Run The Jewels — easily one of hip-hop’s most consistent duos, arguably ever. Yet prior to releasing their debut album in 2013, Killer Mike had amassed a respectable discography on the solo tip, boasting five studio albums to his name between the years of 2003 and 2012.

While Monster gets credit for starting Mike’s journey and R.A.P Music is celebrated for uniting him with El-P for the first time, his fourth studio album Pl3dge tends to fly under the radar. Originally released ten years ago to this day, the album features guest appearances from T.I, Jeezy, Twista, Gucci Mane, Big Boi, and more. With El Producto yet to cross his path, production was largely handled by Smiff N Cash and Sweatbox Productions, as well as No I.D, The Beat Bullies, Tha Bizness, Raz, DJ Speedy, and Flying Lotus. 

 David A. Smith/Getty Images

After it was brought to his attention that Pl3dge was celebrating its ten-year anniversary, Killer Mike hit Instagram to share a few words about the milestone. “It’s been 10 yrs,” he marvels. “Wow. #Happy420 more to come! Better every time too! Still growing! Still improving!” 

In truth, Killer Mike’s discography is one that probably deserves revisitation, and perhaps it’s the perfect time to dive back into Pl3dge and spend a bit of time unpacking some of the ATL emcee’s thoughts and preferred themes. Should you be among those who kept this project on steady rotation, be sure to hit the comments and share your own favorite tracks. Where do you think Pledge stands in Killer Mike’s solo catalog?