Footage of Dipset Capo Jim Jones involved in a bloody brawl in a South Florida airport has been making its rounds on the internet but Jones says that his part in the altercation was strictly self defense≥
The footage, which was obtained by TMZ, shows Jones and two other men involved in a serious fight on the escalator at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, but it has not been confirmed as to what actually sparked the meleé.
In the video, it appears that Jones tries to throw one of his assailants down the escalator, but the Jones and One of the men tumble to the bottom of the escalator until the other man tries to help his friend by throwing a couple of ineffective punches at Jones.
Police eventually arrive on the scene, finding one of Jim’s assailants leaking blood from his head, while Jim yells, “It’s two of them against me.” Police finally calm down the situation and it’s unclear if either of the men were arrested for the brawl.
TMZ reached out to Jones, to which he responded, “I was minding my business and defended myself. They got what they were looking for.’
On May 5th, 1998 Rawkus Records released the first installment of the Lyricist Lounge albums titled Lyricist Lounge, Volume One, which showcased New York. It was a double-disc compilation that featured De La Soul, Mos Def, Q-Tip, Tash of Tha Alkaholiks, Punch & Words, O.C, Ras Kass, Black Thought, Common, Pharoahe Monch, Saul Williams, Kool Keith, Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek, Bahamadia, Rah Digga, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Jurassic 5, KRS-One, Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine, Last Emperor, and Company Flow.
This CD is one of those that you don’t get often. It had incredible and intensely clever wordplay, and was great for the culture because of the positive support it showed for hip hop. Back then everyone thought hip-hop was rap music and rap music was gangsta. It made people think twice before making an assumption like that. Any hip-hop purist who enjoys freestyles and great rhymes that make you think then this is the album for you.
Nothing beats a classic rap record, and a few MCs were dropping them on the regular quite like the legendary ’90s rap duo Gang Starr. The group, consisting of Guru holding things down on the mic and DJ Premier handling the head-bumping production, dropped six albums in their career before calling it quits in 2003.
While a reunion album was reportedly planned, Guru passed away on April 19, 2010, before the project could be completed or properly executed. While the Hip-Hop community definitely took a blow due to the loss, the work they created while recording influenced the genre in ways that we still see today. One LP that specifically represents Gang Starr’s influential legacy is their third album Daily Operation, which celebrates its 32nd anniversary today.
Chrysalis Records
Comprised of jazz-tinged samples and lyrics that illustrated life in the streets of New York City during the early ’90s, Daily Operation saw Gang Starr striding smoothly towards the legendary status that we now place the group in today. The project is East Coast-inspired through and through, from recording the LP entirely at the dearly missed D&D Studios on West 37th Street in Midtown Manhattan all the way to lamenting about Brooklyn on the opening track “The Place We Dwell.” Other standout cuts include “I’m The Man,” featuring the solely credited cameos by Group Home member Lil Dap and Jeru the Damaja, “B.Y.S.” — cleverly abbreviated for “Bust Yo’ Shit” — and the lead single “Ex Girl to Next Girl” that gave us one of the most 90s-looking music videos ever created.
The key to Gang Starr is that, while none of their albums ever crossed Top 5 status on the Billboard 200 — their highest placement happened in 1998 when Moment of Truth hit #6 — sales were never the thing that represented their effect on the game; the music always came first and foremost. Daily Operation received all sorts of critical acclaim nonetheless, and we even included it on our “100 Best Rap Albums” list for The Source’s 100th issue (January 1998). So, while it only reached #65 on the Billboard 200 and faired slightly better on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at #14, those numbers mean nothing when compared to the slick verses, smooth-yet-rugged instrumentals, and thought-provoking bars that still makes this album a certified classic almost three decades after its original release.
Metro Boomin has shared a new event called the ‘BBL Drizzy Beat Giveaway’ after he caught a stray in another recent Drake diss, entitled ‘Family Matters.’
Kendrick Lamar has proven that he’s not giving Drake a minute’s peace with his latest diss, ‘Not Like Us,’ that accuses the Toronto rapper of serious things.
Gunna season could soon be upon us! On Monday, April 15, 2024, Gunna announced an upcoming album titled One Of Wun. The upcoming album will be the YSL rapper’s fifth, coming less than a year after he released a Gift & a Curse.Gunna announced his next LP via a post on his Instagram page. He shared the album’s cover art, a painting by Calvin Clausell Jr. The painting showed Gunna’s face covered in a blue and white floral scarf. Gunna revealed this morning that his upcoming album drops on May 10th as he dropped “Whats App (Wassam).” The album will likely
Gunna’s fans were given an idea of what to expect from One Of Wun as he had already released two singles. In February, he released “Bittersweet,” while “Prada Dem,” featuring Offset, dropped in March. Gunna will also begin his The Bittersweet Tour in May. As the anticipation for Gunna’s One of Wun album heightens, here is what we want from his upcoming project.
Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Drake are arguably the three biggest active rappers at the moment. The rap industry has been heated in the last two months since Kendrick dissed Drake and J. Cole inFuture and Metro Boomin’s “Like That” from their We Don’t Trust You album. Since Kendrick’s diss, so much has gone down, with Drake also hitting back. However, Gunna found himself in the midst of all the drama after Kendrick named him in “Euphoria,” his latest diss song directed at Drake. In “Euphoria,” Kendrick rapped, “We ain’t gotta get personal, this a friendly fade, you should keep it that way/ I know some shit about n***as that make Gunna Wunna look like a saint.”
Kendrick’s bars reminded many of the widespread belief that Gunna snitched on Young Thug in the YSL RICO case. However, Kendrick hints that Drake is a bigger snitch or has done worse things than people think Gunna did. Gunna seemingly responded to Kendrick’s lyrics by tweeting, “Mannnn WASSAM ?!!” However, with an album on the way, Gunna can do more than tweet in response to Kendrick’s lyrics. He should take advantage of the sudden interest Kendrick’s bars will cause people to have on him to promote his album.
Gunna’s One of Wun Should Clarify The Snitching Issue
Kendrick Lamar’s reference to Gunna in “euphoria” shows that many in the hip-hop community still consider Gunna a snitch. Following his unexpected release from prison after a plea deal in December 2022, there were widespread rumors that Gunna cooperated with authorities when he accepted an Alford Plea. Though his lawyers argued otherwise, many still felt as though Gunna betrayed Thug. Gunna released his fourth studio album, A Gift & a Curse, six months after his release. In the album, Gunna responded to those calling him a snitch and called for Young Thug’s release.
In “Cash S**t,” he rapped, “You n****as broke, energy low I don’t really care though/ Out the barrel, man, free my bro Jeffro/ Back to business, it’s way more dinero.” Meanwhile, in “I Was Just Thinking,” he rapped about how he cried in his cell while thinking of Young Thug. He rapped, “Only I done cried ’cause this feelin’ for my bro (King Slime)/ And you know my mind, you done watched that n***a grow (watched that n***a grow)/ Know you hearin’ the lies that your lil’ brother might fold (Gunna Wunna)/ Yeah, I had copped out, but don’t let ’em say I told.”
Although Gunna addressed the snitching claims and expressed his love for Young Thug in his last album, he did so in a few lyrics from his songs. In One Of Wun, Gunna should take his time to explain what really happened with his plea deal and finally put the snitch accusations to rest. A verse dedicated to clearing himself of any snitching allegations will be beneficial to the “Fukumean” crooner and earn him more trust within the hip-hop community.
Response To 21 Savage
21 Savage released his third studio album, American Dream, on Jan. 12, 2024. In “Letter To My Brudda,” 21 Savage seemingly referenced Gunna in the lyrics, dissing him for snitching on Young Thug. In the song’s opening verse, 21 Savage rapped, “Once you cross that line, it ain’t no trying to fix it/ You want me to forgive you, let’s be realistic.” He also rapped, “I can’t kick it with your kind like I tore my meniscus/ How you go from co-defendant to a f***ing witness?”
21 Savage also appeared to criticize Gunna’s disloyalty to Young Thug despite how the latter helped him before their arrests. 21 Savage rapped, “They’ll stand on couches with you, but won’t stand on business/ Woah, I watched everybody turn on my brother like he ain’t have them out here flying jets and f*****g b*****s/ This sh*t ridiculous.” At this point, Gunna needs to deliver an adequate response to his former affiliate.
Two of Gunna’s most recent collaborations have seen him explore the fast-growing Afrobeats genre. He collaborated with Victor Thompson on the remix of his hit tune, “THIS YEAR (Blessings).” Gunna also joined Nigerian producer Sarz and singer Asake for the song “Happiness.” Those songs represented Gunna’s first foray into Afrobeats, and it is expected that he will explore the genre even further in One of Wun. We should expect Gunna to feature more artists from the genre. For instance, collaborating with major Afrobeats stars like Burna Boy, Wizkid, or Davido could see Gunna’s stock rise in the African musical space, giving him another market to explore.
More Features, Please
In A Gift & a Curse, Gunna didn’t feature any artist, choosing to go solo in the 15-track project. However, we expect him to have more features in One of Wun. We are certain of at least one feature as he already released the single, “Prade Dem,” featuring Offset. Hopefully, this indicates that the hip-hop community has become a bit more forgiving toward Gunna and we could expect more collaborative efforts in the future.
Drake has allegedly responded to Metro Boomin making a “diss beat” titled “BBL Drizzy” that he challenged fans to rap over for a free beat. We say “allegedly” because it’s unclear where DJ Akademiks got this Instagram comment screenshot from, as at press time there’s not a post about this on Metro’s IG. Regardless, he allegedly wrote “You just cheffed a beat about my a**?” and some folks in the comments section down below have pointed out how he chose to respond to this before addressing the predator accusations or anything else that wasn’t his alleged daughter. As such, don’t hinge on the veracity of this response, but whether or not it exists doesn’t change his silence.
It doesn’t change Kendrick Lamar’s silence either. Drake accused him of domestic violence against his partner, and with these serious allegations in mind, folks want accountability to see who’s really telling the truth. But at this point, especially after the release of “Not Like Us,” it’s more about the narrative and the chess game right now. Maybe that’s an unfortunate consequence of rap beef, but Kendrick suggested that there is still more in the tank. Depending on Drizzy’s response, they might either have to keep going back and forth until they run out of bluffs, diversions, and excuses… or try to end it all in one final blow.
Of course, tapping out is also an option, although a pretty unlikely one considering how this has all developed so far. As fans debate who’s winning right now, neither Kendrick Lamar nor Drake are showing any signs of slowing down, mostly because this has happened so fast that we haven’t even had time to see them. The turnaround time on these back and forths has ranged from three weeks to 30 minutes, and we can’t forget that if there’s actually a nuclear option in either MC’s arsenal. But the pressure is definitely on right now, more so than it was just a couple of days ago.
Meanwhile, Metro Boomin deserves all the respect in the world, but it’s fair to say that he’s not the main event or target right now. If Drake really responded to this before almost anything else, it’s really not a good indication of prioritization. As folks dig up more alleged receipts on his questionable behavior, it won’t be easy to change the public narrative. But it’s the 6ix God against Mr. Morale: they’ve done more astonishing things than this.
Jalen Green has been at the center of plenty of controversy in recent months, ever since making things official with 39-year-old Draya Michele. The high-profile pair continue to raise eyebrows for their age-gap relationship. Draya is nearly two decades older than the Houston Rockets player and has a son roughly the same age. The backlash was only compounded in March when the couple announced that they’re expecting a child together.
It appears, however, that Green’s child with Draya might not be his first. During a recent chat with TMZ, sources alleged that the young athlete welcomed a baby girl in February. The child’s mother is rumored to be Myah Iakopo, a 23-year-old college student.
The sources claim that the two of them were never in a serious relationship, but Green has vowed to be involved in his alleged daughter Peace Moira’s life and to support her financially. This raises a lot of questions about where he stands with Draya. Reportedly, however, she’s well aware of the alleged little one. While the sources admit that the mothers have yet to speak to one another, they insist that there’s no tension. Luckily, they say that Iakopo isn’t concerned with what Green does so long as he continues to be a reliable co-parent.
These aren’t the first mumblings of Green fathering children outside of Draya’s either. In March, he was accused of impregnating a model and a dancer within the past year. As far as fans know, all of these claims are unconfirmed, though Iakopo did share a photo of baby Peace on Instagram in February. What do you think of sources alleging that Jalen Green welcomed a child in February? What about them adding that the child’s mother has no beef with the soon-to-be mother of his other child, Draya Michele? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
The predator and sex trafficking claims against Drake, now ignited by Kendrick Lamar’s diss tracks, are all unverified and speculative at this point. With little response to this on Drizzy’s part and some social media sleuthing, though, many fans are concluding (again, speculatively) that this is all at least not a very good look. Moreover, one of the reasons why is the Toronto icon’s alleged relationship with model Bella Harris, whom he met when she was 16 and bought out an entire restaurant for dinner for when she was 18. The TikTok clip below details these allegations a bit more specifically, and as you might see in the post’s comments section, you will see that this isn’t the only accusation of this in his life and career.
However, in that comments section, you will also find many pointing out that Harris already reportedly denied that she and Drake ever dated. Other folks claimed that she had more pictures with him that she deleted, and some think that this is all too creepy and suggestive regardless of whether those heftier claims are true. No matter whose side you’re on, as DJ Akademiks and Joe Budden recently proved, everyone acknowledges that there’s an immense amount of pressure on the 6ix God. The same is true for Kendrick Lamar, whom Drizzy hit with domestic violence claims, but he seems to be keeping the pressure on his opponent before hopefully addressing that.
Overall, this whole beef got really nasty when “Family Matters” and “meet the grahams” dropped… all for us to learn with “Not Like Us” that that it’s all part of the narrative. That’s not to diminish either artist: it’s to suggest that what we thought were nuclear bombs might have just been artillery fire, at least in Kendrick Lamar’s case. We still don’t know whether Drake has pushed or will push a red button. But once this rap beef goes away, all the allegations remain if there isn’t anything significant to debunk them.
Meanwhile, even Metro Boomin is getting in on the success of “Not Like Us” (albeit in a sidelined homophobic manner), dropping a new “diss beat” for folks to rap over. Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been playing dirty this week, but the culture and community at large hasn’t lost sight of the “rap beef’ element of this. Is that a valid angle to assume amid these claims? Again, rap beef is one thing, but they both have a lot to lose if either’s dirt on the other is even close to what they allege.
The hip-hop world is reacting wildly and quickly to Kendrick Lamar’s latest Drake diss, the Mustard-produced West Coast banger “Not Like Us.” While the jury’s still out on who officially won, the Toronto superstar sure has a lot of pressure and things to answer for, as does his Compton counterpart. No one will forget or avoid predator, domestic violence, deadbeat, or false paternity allegations forever. With this context in mind, Everyday Struggle saw a reunion recently, as DJ Akademiks invited Joe Budden to speak over the phone during his stream and discuss this new song. Their thoughts may surprise you, but the overall verdict is an impressed one.
“Does that matter, though?” DJ Akademiks asked Joe Budden about the claims that Kendrick Lamar and Drake have launched at each other. Budden proposed that both being right about “tea” and speaking on it openly and confidently are important metrics to judge this by. Ak added that Kendrick was able to match Drake on the “club record” front, and both commentators had high praise for each MC’s tactics and playmaking. The streamer asked if this was a specific advantage for the West Coast, and the podcaster thinks that’s a valid claim that helps Mr. Morale’s case on the cultural front.
Then, DJ Akademiks and Joe Budden discussed whether even responding to Kendrick Lamar’s predator allegations would be a good move for Drake. They conceded that K.Dot has an advantage in that regard, especially since Drizzy said that he would take a vacation. “The best thing for Drake to do is find an out,” Budden remarked, but “going on vacation” would be admitting defeat and puts Kendrick in a position to bomb him as much as he wants. Still, they also acknowledged that the OVO mogul is too big of an artist with too big of a fanbase to really fall off completely.
Ak Reacts To Kendrick Lamar’s New Drake Diss’ Cover Art
Also, DJ Akademiks and Joe Budden theorized as to whether Drake emptied his full clip, but thought that maybe targeting the other rappers on the sidelines in this feud indicates otherwise. Budden even said that he’s happy with how this beef is now and would be satisfied if it’s over, which surprised Ak. With both MCs garnering more takes from the culture and their fanbases, it’s still not a lost battle. But the dynamics for this war and the angles these artists are playing from seem different with every round, so we’ll see what happens.
