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If you’re a fan of albums like Pinata, Bandana, and the Grammy-nominated Alfredo, then you’ll be incredibly excited to know that both Madlib and The Alchemist will be contributing to Freddie Gibbs’ next solo album. The rapper appeared on the cover of MixMag where he discussed his forthcoming project which is reportedly titled SSS, though it’s unclear what that stands for… yet.

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The Alchemist and Madlib have proven to bring the best out of Freddie Gibbs but he’s expanding beyond those two producers for “another album of the year,” as he’d describe it. The elite group of producers that he’s enlisted for the project include Working On Dying, and Hit-Boy, as well as Mike Will Made It and Metro Boomin who he previously suggested was interested in working with him. “It’s another album of the year. I’m about to go and work with Pharrell next week. Madlib, Working On Dying, The Alchemist, Sevn Thomas, Hit-Boy, I just talked to [Mike Will Made It]. It’s gonna be the best produced album that I ever made,” he said.

Though nearing the age of 40, Gibbs insisted that his next album will continue to prove that he’s one of the best rappers to exist. “When rappers get to 30, some get bored, some aren’t inspired anymore,” he explained, adding that SSS will dive deeper into his compelling storytelling skills while reflecting on his unique position in the rap game.

Freddie Gibbs recently released his latest single, “Big Boss Rabbit” which he said was inspired by his loss to Nas at the Grammys. However, he admitted that it could’ve been worse in his recent cover story as he reflected on the results of the now-infamous 2013 Grammys Rap Album of the Year category winner. “If you’re gonna lose to somebody, you’re gonna want to lose to Nas,” he said. “Nas is a hall of fame MC. If anything it just shows how great I am to lose to such an MC. I could’ve lost to Macklemore or something.”

Are you excited for SSS?

On April 6th, 2021, following three new sexual assault allegations from as many women, T.I. and Tiny’s lawyer Steve Sadow has officially issued a statement on behalf of his clients.  

“The Harrises are still waiting for the accusers to reveal themselves publicly,” Sadow explained, speaking with Billboard. “By continuing to hide behind anonymous allegations, the unnamed accusers effectively render themselves not credible and unworthy of belief. We say: Let the light shine on their identities so we can go about disproving these scurrilous accusations.”

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Though the three women have opted to remain anonymous, Page Six reports that they have enlisted attorney Tyrone A. Blackburn, who has been representing several of the women leveling accusations against the Harrises. The same report cites a statement from Blackburn’s spokesperson, in which a 20-year-old woman claims the couple “pulled out a pill and forced her to swallow it” at a Miami nightclub in 2010. The woman claims that she was later taken to a hotel in South Beach, forced to “take a powdered substance from [T.I’s] finger,” and forcibly undressed by Tiny. 

“[Tiny] undressed her and proceeded to engage in sexual intercourse,” continues the statement. “She said her body was numb, the room was slowing down, and she could not consent.” This follows a report from several days ago, where two women came forward to accuse T.I. and Tiny of rape and sex trafficking. 

Despite the mounting number of accusations, many of which share similarities, T.I. and Tiny have continued to categorically deny their involvement. While no charges have been officially pressed as of yet, Blackburn’s spokesperson claims that the lawyer is “speaking with investigators from multiple jurisdictions to pursue criminal charges.” Stay tuned for further updates as this developing story unfolds.

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Malik Beasley and Larsa Pippen have split after four short months since they were first photographed together. 

According to an inside Page Six source, Larsa has been focused on healing from a calf injury and expanding her businesses. The controversial pair apparently still spent Valentine’s Day together, and remain in contact, but are no longer a couple according to the same insider. 

In December 2020, Beasley first popped up in Miami with Larsa, looking extremely cozy, thus revealing their romantic entanglement. However, Beasley’s estranged wife, Montana Yao, later came forward and admitted she was shocked to see the photos online and had no knowledge of the “budding romance” between the two, insinuating a cheating scandal was unfolding before the public eye– although it was later reported Beasley was separated from Yao at the time.

Still, fans of the Minnesota Timberwolves player managed to find comments he left on Larsa’s photos back in October 2020, clearly pursuing the influencer for some time, indicating that their relationship may have gone further back than the pair initially let on. 

Montana Yao also claimed on several occasions that Beasley was unfaithful to her, leading Larsa to be publicly shamed for being a “homewrecker.” 

It’s been a whirlwind of situation. 

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With only one album to her name, Cardi B has managed to elevate herself into one of hip-hop’s most commercially viable superstars; in fact, lead Invasion Of Privacy single “Bodak Yellow” was recently certified diamond, with “I Like It” not exactly far behind. Given how much replay value Cardi’s debut continues to have, many have been patiently waiting for news on her anticipated sophomore project. Today, XXL has shared an extensive cover story with Cardi, shedding a light on her upcoming body of work.

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“I feel like at this point, it’s like a timeline that I created,” she reflects, speaking on how the COVID-19 pandemic upheaved her release plans. “Because last year, I was like, I gotta put out my album this year. But, then I just stopped working on my album out of nowhere because I feel like the whole COVID thing discouraged me to put out my album. Because I want to put out an album, and I want to tour…I want to meet up with people. I want to have a conversation. It’s a better vibe. I love album release parties. I would love an album release party in New York. I could have one in Atlanta, but I want one also at home. And I want to see people.”

She also acknowledges that releasing singles suggests that the album is imminent, a message she isn’t always ready to send — especially when she has yet to commit to an official release date. Still, it does stand to reason that both “WAP” and “UP” will end up appearing on the forthcoming project, whenever it does drop. 

When asked about the sound of her new musical direction, Cardi suggests that she feels caught between worlds at times. “I’m not even gonna lie, it’s a little bit challenging because it’s like, I’m young and I like trap,” she admits. “When I started rapping, if you listen to my mixtape, I like drill. My thing was always like, drill. I like drill Chicago music a lot. So that was my thing. I’m more of a trap, new era-type of rapper.”

Check out the full interview with Cardi B over at XXL right here. Exactly one year removed from the three-year anniversary of Invasion Of Privacy, are you excited to see new music from Cardi B? 

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Rod Wave seems to be everyone’s favorite artist right now. His dedicated fanbase has been riding with him even before the release of his first mixtape and he’s accumulated a significant amount of supporters across the world ever since. Last week, the rapper dropped off his latest body of work, SoulFly which earned him his first #1 album on the Billboard 200.

The 19-song project also earned him 14 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 including three that are in the top 40. “Tombstone,” “Street Runners,” and “Richer” ft. Polo G sits on the chart at #11, #16, and #22, respectively. “Tombstone,” specifically, became one of the most highly anticipated records on the project. One fan even went ahead and tattooed lyrics from the songs on them before it was even released. Along with the three songs on the top 40, Rod Wave also secured “SoulFly” at #55, “Gone Till November” at #61, “Don’t Forget” at #63,” and “Blame It On You” at #65. 

The rapper’s latest body of work topped the charts with 135K units sold which were 15K under his projected sales. Nonetheless, most artists struggle to do 80K in a week. 

Check out the tracks and their positions on the Billboard Hot 100 below. 

#11, Tombstone
#16, Street Runner
#22, Richer ft.Polo G
#55, SoulFly
#61, Gone Till November
#63, Don’t Forget
#65, Blame It On You
#71, All I Got
#85, Pills & Billz
#88, How The Game Go
#89, OMDB
#94, What’s Love??
#96, Shock Da World
#98, Sneaky Links

In a matter of a few hours, Paul Pierce fumbled the bag in a major way. The Boston Celtics legend lost his job as an ESPN analyst, getting fired from the sports network after his Instagram Live went viral over the weekend. The 43-year-old retired basketball star went live from his house, getting twerked on by a handful of exotic dancers as he even made reference to his drunken shenanigans possibly being enough to get him fired.

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“I’m Paul Pierce, f*ck ESPN, n***a, sh*t,” said the legend during his live stream. “They’re gonna try to fire me, baby. I don’t give a f*ck. Look at this ass, baby. Looking like two Celtics championship trophies. Shake that sh*t.”

The NBA analyst was speaking to one of the bikini-clad women in his house, but his viral remarks were heard around the world. Kyle Kuzma called Pierce a “sicko”, Tory Lanez said he was trying to mimic his own behavior, and now 50 Cent is weighing in, laughing at his firing from ESPN with his own post on Instagram.

“Paul don’t give a f*ck, He said they gonna fire me LOL,” wrote Fiddy as his caption, sharing one of the much-discussed videos from Pierce’s live stream.

What do you think about Paul Pierce’s firing? You can’t say he didn’t predict it…

These days, public figures must be on high alert as to remain sensitive, as many celebrities in the hip-hop landscape are currently learning. Not long after YG found his My Krazy Life single “Meet The Flockers” was scrubbed from YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music (and subsequently reinstated as a censored version), fellow west coast rapper slash cannabis entrepreneur Xzibit also found one of his business endeavors under scrutiny. 

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According to a report from TMZ, Xzibit’s Napalm Cannabis brand was recently pulled from the Los Angeles-based Higher Path dispensary over its controversial name, which holds the same name as a devastating chemical weapon previously used in the Vietnam War. In addition to Napalm itself serving as problematic to some consumers, one of the products — “The Grenade” — also drew ire over its violent implications.

Xzibit himself shared a video responding to the situation, during which he calls attention to his vast recording catalog. “The word Napalm is definitely synonymous with war and being used as a weapon,” he explains. “If you know anything about me and my body of work, you know I got albums called Weapons Of Mass Destruction and Man Vs Machine.” He proceeds to pull up his seventh studio album Napalm, released in 2012. “This is where the branding of Napalm came from. As you can see, that’s the font we use, that’s the flame we use. It came from this album.”

“But that’s neither here nor there,” says X. “It’s by no means affiliated or nodding to the devastation in its past. I think the creative license I use for Napalm is purely based out of my body of work as an artist. My intention here is to let everyone know that as a black man, I understand discrimination and hated. I understand what that does to communities, and I’m not tone deaf to that.”

“Just to clarify the position we have at Napalm Cannabis,” he continues. “We by no means acknowledge, justify, or feels as though we are promoting violence toward the Asian community. We stand with the Asian community. We stand firmly in the belief that our intentions, directives, and initiatives are positive for the cannabis community, and for the enrichment of the community around us. We plan to do many things for our community at large.”

At this moment, it is uncertain as to whether or not Xzibit will pursue alternative names for Napalm Cannabis. Check out his video message addressing the controversy below.

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