Ari Melber

Lil Durk Responds To Donald Trump’s Comments On Violence In Chicago: “There’s Violence Everywhere”

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Lil Durk downplayed Donald Trump’s concerns about gun violence in Chicago while speaking with Ari Melber for a recent interview on MSNBC. The former president had remarked “What’s going on in Chicago? I said the other day: ‘What the hell is going on?’” during a recent speech. When asked about the comments, Durk explained that there’s “violence everywhere.”

“I really don’t pay it no mind, ’cause there’s violence everywhere,” Durk stated. “Every city had their moment with the [murder] rates. If you look up right now who got the [highest murder rate] right now, I betcha it ain’t Chicago. That’s why I really don’t comment on it, because every city will have its day [with the murder rates].”

Read More: Lil Durk Sends Cryptic Message To Drake Via His Instagram Story

Lil Durk Performs In Chicago

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JANUARY 20: Rapper Lil Durk performs during Future and Friends “One Big Party Tour” at United Center on January 20, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.(Prince Williams/Wireimage)

Elsewhere in the interview, Durk discussed his relationship with Drake and the Toronto rapper shouting him out on Young Thug’s song, “Oh U Went.” Drake rapped: “She probably let both of us hit/The way that she smirkin’ at Durk/She gettin’ cake off the picture she take/I say, ‘Girl, if it work then it work’/F**k a wedding dress, I’m tryna merk it and skrrt.” In response, Durk joked that he hoped it was a reference to a true story, although he wasn’t certain. “I’ll feel more confident and more happy with myself.” Durk also remarked that an “owl” comes to mind when thinking of Drake during a rapid-fire round of questions about his fellow hip-hop artists. He also discussed J. Cole, Lil Baby, and more. Check out his full discussion with Ari Melber on MSNBC’s YouTube page below.

Lil Durk Discusses Chicago Gun Violence

Trump’s comments on Chicago come as he prepares to take on Joe Biden in the upcoming 2024 Presidential Election. Be on the lookout for further updates on Lil Durk as well as Donald Trump on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Lil Durk Reacts To Drake Mentioning Him On Young Thug’s “Oh U Went”

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Lil Durk Reacts To Drake Mentioning Him On Young Thug’s “Oh U Went”

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Lil Durk recently shared his reaction to Drake referencing him during his appearance on Young Thug’s “Oh U Went.” On the song, Drake rapped: “She probably let both of us hit/The way that she smirkin’ at Durk/She gettin’ cake off the picture she take/I say, ‘Girl, if it work then it work’/F**k a wedding dress, I’m tryna merk it and skrrt,” he raps on the song. Speaking with Ari Melber, Durk joked about whether the story was true or not.

After bringing up the lyrics, Melber asked Durk if the woman did “smirk” at him, to which he replied, “I hope so.” He then joked: “I’ll feel more confident and more happy with myself.” As for whether the story was true, Durk remarked that Drake lives in “Drake’s World,” while adding, “If he said it, he seen it.”

Read More: Lil Durk Sends Cryptic Message To Drake Via His Instagram Story

Lil Durk Attends Rick Ross & Meek Mill’s Album Release

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 10: Lil Durk attends Rick Ross And Meek Mill’s Album Release Party at Harbor New York City on November 10, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

Later in the interview, Durk discussed more serious topics such as gun violence in his hometown of Chicago. In doing so, he responded to Donald Trump’s recent comments on the state of the city. “I really don’t pay it no mind, ’cause there’s violence everywhere,” Durk stated. “Every city had their moment with the [murder] rates. If you look up right now who got the [highest murder rate] right now, I betcha it ain’t Chicago. That’s why I really don’t comment on it, because every city will have its day [with the murder rates].” Check out Durk’s full interview with Melber below.

Lil Durk Speaks With Ari Melber

Durk also gave a series of one-word descriptions of other rappers such as J. Cole, Drake, and more during a rapid-fire round. Be on the lookout for further updates on Lil Durk and Drake on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Lil Durk Walks Out With Drake At LA “It’s All A Blur” Show

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The post Lil Durk Reacts To Drake Mentioning Him On Young Thug’s “Oh U Went” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

50 Cent Trades Shots With Former Russian Official Over Ari Melber Interviews: “Putin Didn’t Like That Sh*t”

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50 Cent mastered the art of trolling, on and off wax. The “Many Men” rapper’s engaged in some of the most legendary feuds in hip-hop history. Songs like “How To Rob” gained responses from Jay-Z, Ghostface Killah, and many other prolific rap artists before Fif even had a debut album on the shelves. Ultimately, he understands how to leverage controversy to his own advantage, whether it’s selling albums or promoting his latest television shows. Chamillionaire even said that Fif tried to start issues with him to benefit his own career.

This week, Fif sat down for an extensive interview on The Beat With Ari Melber following his newly signed deal with Fox.  The interview did incredible numbers, becoming the second most viewed interview on The Beat with 4.4M. The only interview ahead of Fif’s is Ari’s sit-down with the ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Andrei Kozyrev. Though Fif didn’t diss any of his rap peers in the interview, his appearance on The Beat has apparently stirred up some drama between the G-Unit head honcho and the former Kremlin official. 

Former Kremlin Official Trades Barbs With 50 Cent 

“Who is this guy that beat me,” 50 Cent wrote along with the viewership stats of The Beat. “There is no way he’s cooler than me.” Apparently, Kozyrev had similar thoughts toward 50 Cent. Ari Melber shared a screenshot of an alleged tweet from the former Kremlin’s Twitter account, reading, “Today many people ask me who’s 50 Cent?” Melber was baffled that Kozyrev would even respond to 50 Cent, who didn’t miss the opportunity to troll back. “How are you feeling I’m happy you’re still alive, Putin didn’t like that  shit you said be careful now!” Fif responded.

Kozyrev expressed his appreciation toward Fif’s well-wishes. Afterward, he admitted that his son is actually a big fan of his, as well. “Thank you sir! Your support would also mean a lot to Ukraine And by the way, my son is a big fan of yours,” read the tweet from Kozyrev’s page. Check out the back-and-forth between 50 Cent and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Andrei Kozyrev above.

50 Cent Outlines New Broadcast Deal With Fox

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50 Cent’s making major plays in television. Though he’s hinted at a return to music since the beginning of the year, he recently announced a deal with Fox that would presumably eat up much of his time. Perhaps, he’ll still be working on new music during this time. However, over the years, he’s transformed into one of the biggest moguls in television. Between Power and BMF alone, Fif’s resume is quite extensive. The deal with Fox will open the gates for even more content from G-Unit Film and Television.

The move to Fox comes after his departure from Starz, the home to his most successful shows to date. The non-exclusive agreement will find Fif delivering scripted dramas, live action comedies, and animated series to Fox. “He is the rare multi-hyphenate with a deft hand at storytelling, no matter the format or medium, and we’re looking forward to developing new and exciting series for Fox with him and his team,”  Fox Entertainment president Michael Thorn said. Fif will undoubtedly come through with some excellent programming for Fox moving forward.

50 Cent Shares Details Surrounding Fox Deal

During his recent interview with Ari Melber on The Beat, Fif explained that his upcoming deal with Fox benefits him far more than his efforts with Starz. The non-exclusive aspect of the contract allows Fif to work with anyone. “This deal allows me to work with everyone,” he said, in contrast to his deal with Starz. Though he currently has 24 shows across 10 different networks, he explained that Fox will be his primary focus moving forward. “I’ll show them things first,” he added.

We’re excited to see what Fif has in store in the coming future. Currently, he’s plotting on the upcoming season of Power Book II: Ghost, which is set to debut next month. However, the success of BMF has inspired him to approach the series similarly to Power. He recently revealed that he’ll be delivering three different spin-offs in the BMF universe, though he hasn’t confirmed when we’ll see those debut. Check out the clip above and let us know your thoughts on 50 Cent’s deal.

Ari Melber Uses Jay-Z’s ‘God Did’ Verse To Break Down The War On Drugs And LeBron James Approves

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MSNBC correspondent Ari Melber is a huge fan of hip-hop who loves quoting rappers like Nicki Minaj and using hip-hop songs to make poignant political commentary. In his latest segment, though, he takes it a step farther, pulling quotes from Jay-Z’s triumphant “God Did” verse to break down the US government’s ongoing — and some would say failed — War On Drugs, which has mostly just led to increased incarceration rates for Black Americans, billions of tax dollars dumped into increasingly militarized police forces, and little measurable reduction in drug use in the US.

Melber references numerous lines from the verse, including one in which Jay calls US laws “draconian,” and another that mentions a 1996 60 Minutes interview between Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan and Mike Wallace. Melber breaks down these lines and others as he draws parallels to the drug war and points out how the prohibition of alcohol was reversed, allowing numerous former criminals to become legitimate businessmen with huge returns on their investments.

This leads to a note that while so-called “street drugs” continue to be criminalized and associated with minorities, the biggest drug dealers are, in fact, the pharmaceutical companies that legally manufacture ultra-addictive drugs like Oxycontin and Fentanyl despite being caught unethically using their power and reach to pressure doctors to overprescribe them.

One of the four billionaires that Jay claims responsibility for mentoring in the song, LeBron James, agreed that more people should check it out, sharing the report on Twitter. “Listen!” he implored his followers. “Then listen again to make sure you got the point. HOV DID!!!! And so did the reporter! 🐐 TALK.” His post prompted two replies, one from Melber, who quoted Jay’s line from “God Did” mentioning LeBron, and Jay-Z himself, who made a rare Twitter appearance to cosign James’ tweet with another quote from the verse.

The report is fascinating and enlightening through and through, and you should really check it out, which you can do up top.

MSNBC Host Ari Melber Quotes Biggie To Encourage People To Get Vaccinated

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If there’s one thing MSNBC host Ari Melber is going to do, it’s force an awkward hip-hop quote in reference to complicated current events and political issues. Whether that’s a good thing or not is up to the viewer, but at least he’s trying to keep things relevant. His latest attempt came this afternoon during a segment on COVID-19 vaccine reluctance, into which Melber injected a quote taken from The Notorious B.I.G.’s 1997 Life After Death track “What’s Beef?”:

Beef is when your moms ain’t safe up in the streets
Beef is when I see you
Guaranteed to be in ICU

Melber clarifies that while COVID-19 isn’t exactly the same as having a street feud with the 6’2″, 395-pound, Brooklyn-bred rapper, it could conceivably go about as sideways. His point, of course, is that emergency rooms and intensive care units across the country are being overwhelmed with new cases of the vaccine — and that 99% of those cases are people who have not been vaccinated.

https://twitter.com/TheBeatWithAri/status/14284351382207897640

Melber’s quotes have been wide-ranging and deep; in recent months, he’s mined material from the likes of 21 Savage and Nicki Minaj, and while there are definitely plenty of rap fans who could seemingly do without his quotes, the fact that they nearly always go viral ensures that the important information and context he provides receive much-needed exposure.

Check out some of those responses below.

https://twitter.com/Shaka_Amandla/status/142804962729991373