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Jack Dorsey Allegedly Prohibits Any Mention Of Jay-Z At His Tech Company

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It seems like the complex business relationship between Twitter founder Jack Dorsey and Jay-Z still needs to smooth out some rough edges. Moreover, according to a Fortune report, the former and his management teams “sternly warned” their employees at Dorsey’s tech company Block to not make reference to the East Coast rap legend. Jay is one of nine Block board members, and anonymous employees reportedly alleged that no reason emerged as to why they couldn’t mention the reclusive billionaire in any of the company’s various communication channels, such as Slack and email. Also, the report points to Block’s many recent layoffs as a contributing factor to workplace dissent.

For those unaware, Block acquired a major stake in Jay-Z’s TIDAL streaming platform back in 2021, which many saw as a financial finesse. In addition, TIDAL themselves reportedly laid off dozens of employees from an already small staff last week, and the conversation is that Block acquisitions like Cashapp and Square will face similar processes soon. The report also alleges that various of Jack Dorsey’s employees brought Hov up in connection to the Diddy scandal before this ban.

Read More: 50 Cent Has Hilarious Response When Asked About Ghostwriting For Diddy With JAY-Z

Jack Dorsey Allegedly Bans His Employees From Talking About Jay-Z

Of course, Jay-Z doesn’t actually have anything to do with Diddy’s federal case, as any and all connections are merely speculative allegations. As such, it’s curious why Jack Dorsey would allegedly choose to do this. Maybe he is trying to support the “Song Cry” MC by quelling salacious criticism against him, or he instead doesn’t want people to point to Jay to fix problems they might be having with Dorsey? There are a couple of possible options, but nothing that gets us closer to the truth. Perhaps the tech tycoon will address this at some other point down the line.

Elsewhere, Jack Dorsey’s thoughts on hip-hop extend far beyond his alleged censorship of Jay-Z’s name in the office. He also ruffled feathers earlier this year for picking a side in the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef, causing a whole lot of OVO Stans to suddenly praise Elon Musk’s Twitter without ever really caring about it. Jokes aside, fans have their criticisms of these moves, so we’ll see if they ever get an explanation.

Read More: Young Thug Awkwardly Met Twitter Founder Jack Dorsey Once

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Cardi B Realizes Many Of Her Fan Pages Are Brazilian As X Ban Takes Effect

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Cardi B realized that many of her fan pages were run by users in Brazil after the country banned access to X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday morning. “Wait a lot of my fan pages are Brazilian!!! Come back hold up!!” she remarked in the post. In response, fans shared plenty of jokes while mourning the loss of her fan pages.

“They really ran this app y’all! It won’t be the same!” one user wrote back. Another suggested: “Just ask them to access twitter using browser/web and use VPN. I believe the ban only covers the app.” Others joked about her long-awaited sophomore album. “You should announce the album for them before they leave,” one user remarked.

Read More: Cardi B Compares Atlantic Records To A “Correctional Facility”

Cardi B Steps Out In New York City

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 01: Cardi B is seen wearing a Marc Jacobs sheer ruffled outfit, yellow leggings outside the Marc Jacobs show on July 01, 2024, in New York City. (Photo by Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images)

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes made the decision to ban X as the company refused to name a legal representative in Brazil after a lengthy feud over misinformation on the platform. “Elon Musk showed his total disrespect for Brazilian sovereignty and, in particular, for the judiciary, setting himself up as a true supranational entity and immune to the laws of each country,” de Moraes wrote in his decision on Friday.

Cardi B Reacts To Brazil’s X Ban

X responded to the move in a statement on the site. “Soon, we expect Judge Alexandre de Moraes will order X to be shut down in Brazil – simply because we would not comply with his illegal orders to censor his political opponents,” the post said. “The fundamental issue at stake here is that Judge de Moraes demands we break Brazil’s own laws. We simply won’t do that.” Check out Cardi’s take on the matter below. Be on the lookout for further updates on Cardi B on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Cardi B Explains Her Controversial Joke About Atlantic Records Being A Prison

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Kanye West Reportedly Banned From Performing In Brazil

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Kanye West has reportedly been formally banned from performing in Brazil. Sources who spoke with the US Sun said that West had been “firmly denied” a request to perform in Rio. West had expressed a desire to recreate the Rolling Stones’ infamous free concert in 2006, which saw 1.5 million people attend the Copacabana Beach concert. The reason for West’s ban is his string of controversial behavior, both his anti-Semitic rants and his behavior in Italy with Bianca Censori.

However, West doesn’t need to leave the US to put on controversial concerts. A number of fans have complained about West’s Rolling Loud concert. West and Ty Dolla $ign simply walked around a specially constructed stage as pre-released music played. A number of people have argued that this was a misrepresentation of the advertised concert. Furthermore, Rolling Loud has refused to confirm or deny reports that West and Ty were paid $10 million for the concert, which was abruptly added to the concert lineup last month.

Read More: Kanye West Blasts Kai Cenat In Instagram DMS Over His Free VULTURES Merch

Kid Cudi Seemingly Drops Response To Kanye West’s “20 Years Of Music” Claim

Meanwhile, Kid Cudi has seemingly responded to West’s claim that he was responsible for the “last 20 years of music”. Cudi’s response was the hand-over-mouth emoji and a screenshot from his own Wikipedia article, which cites him as an inspiration for West’s 808s & Heartbreaks.

This comes after West’s bold claim that he was solely responsible for the last 20 years of music. “I invented every style of music of the past 20 years. I created the genre. Weeknd’s genre. Trav, Drake, everybody. I’mma go ahead and say with all love, Future and Thug also because the auto-tune album, 808s. Everybody thinks about Trav, Weeknd, and Drake but no one thinks about Future and Thug also. The auto-tune album. Now everyone, they added whatever it was to it. But here’s a new genre. It’s called making your own money genre. This music is called, like, take that middle man out.” West told Big Boy.

Read More: Kid Cudi Becomes F1 Superfan After Meeting Lewis Hamilton

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Kanye West Briefly Unbanned On Twitter, FBI Might Probe His Presidential Campaign

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One of the most persistent aspects of Kanye West’s past few years was his ban on Twitter for controversial statements. However, it seems that Elon Musk’s “X” rebrand also came with some user changes and reinstatements. Moreover, the platform unbanned the Chicago artist’s account, though it’s unclear if he will use it at all. Of course, it shouldn’t be too surprising to see Ye rant and ramble about whatever pops into his head again. Still, recent reports of a potential FBI probe into his presidential campaign might compel him to hold his tongue. Also, it looks like Twitter re-suspended his account, so that didn’t last long.

Furthermore, Radar Online reportedly spoke to Kanye West’s 2024 campaign committee treasurer Devin White and attorney Bruce Fein. During their talk, they alleged that the Federal Bureau of Investigation might look into Milo Yiannopoulos, the Yeezy mogul’s on-and-off-again campaign manager. The right-wing pundit is a U.S. resident alien on O-1 visa status, and this forbids him from formally working on a campaign.

Read More: Kanye West And Adidas Are Still Battling In Court

Kanye West’s (Brief) Unbanning On Twitter

“Commission regulations prohibit foreign nationals from directing, dictating, controlling, or directly or indirectly participating in the decision-making process of any person (such as a corporation, labor organization, political committee, or political organization) with regard to any election-related activities,” the Federal Electoral Commission states. “This prohibition includes advances of personal funds, contributions or donations made to political party committees and organizations, state or local party committees for the purchase or construction of an office building funds under 11 CFR 300.35, and contributions or disbursements to make electioneering communications. Foreign nationals are also prohibited from, directly or indirectly, donating to an inaugural committee; and it is a violation of federal law to knowingly accept such donations from a foreign national.” What’s more is that this could spell out deep trouble for Kanye West, which Fein and White claim to have warned him of.

“He’s a foreign national,” Fein told the outlet. “You cannot take any services from a foreign national. It’s a criminal violation, not civil- a criminal violation! It’s a felony, it’s not a minor offense. This is not an obscure provision in the election law.” Meanwhile, White added: “We believe it would be virtually impossible at this point for [Kanye] not to be aware of that unless he is somewhere where he is incapacitated.” For more news and the latest updates on Kanye West, stay logged into HNHH.

Read More: Kanye West Might Be Working On New Music, Rooga Claims

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Kanye West Unbanned On Twitter, FBI Might Probe His Presidential Campaign

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One of the most persistent and unchanging aspects of Kanye West’s past few years was his ban on Twitter for controversial statements. However, it seems that Elon Musk’s “X” rebrand also came with some user changes and reinstatements. Moreover, the platform unbanned the Chicago artist’s account, though it’s unclear if he will use it at all. Of course, it shouldn’t be too surprising to see Ye rant and ramble about whatever pops into his head again. Still, recent reports of a potential FBI probe into his presidential campaign might compel him to hold his tongue.

Furthermore, Radar Online reportedly spoke to Kanye West’s 2024 campaign committee treasurer Devin White and attorney Bruce Fein. During their talk, they alleged that the Federal Bureau of Investigation might look into Milo Yiannopoulos, the Yeezy mogul’s on-and-off-again campaign manager. The right-wing pundit is a U.S. resident alien on O-1 visa status, and this forbids him from formally working on a campaign.

Read More: Kanye West And Adidas Are Still Battling In Court

Kanye West’s Twitter Ban Lifted

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by DJ Akademiks (@akademiks)

“Commission regulations prohibit foreign nationals from directing, dictating, controlling, or directly or indirectly participating in the decision-making process of any person (such as a corporation, labor organization, political committee, or political organization) with regard to any election-related activities,” the Federal Electoral Commission states. “This prohibition includes advances of personal funds, contributions or donations made to political party committees and organizations, state or local party committees for the purchase or construction of an office building funds under 11 CFR 300.35, and contributions or disbursements to make electioneering communications. Foreign nationals are also prohibited from, directly or indirectly, donating to an inaugural committee; and it is a violation of federal law to knowingly accept such donations from a foreign national.” What’s more is that this could spell out deep trouble for Kanye West, which Fein and White claim to have warned him of.

“He’s a foreign national,” Fein told the outlet. “You cannot take any services from a foreign national. It’s a criminal violation, not civil- a criminal violation! It’s a felony, it’s not a minor offense. This is not an obscure provision in the election law.” Meanwhile, White added: “We believe it would be virtually impossible at this point for [Kanye] not to be aware of that unless he is somewhere where he is incapacitated.” For more news and the latest updates on Kanye West, stay logged into HNHH.

Read More: Kanye West Might Be Working On New Music, Rooga Claims

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RAP Act Reintroduced In Congress, Aims To Ban Use Of Lyrics As Court Evidence

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The Restoring Artistic Protection (RAP) Act was a bill introduced in the U.S. Congress in July of last year. Just when we thought it was going nowhere, two congressmen reintroduced the bill and brought it back to national attention. Moreover, the bill aims to protect artists whose lyrics are wrongfully used to determine their verdict in a court case. Democrats Hank Johnson and Jamaal Bowman also participated in a livestream hosted by the Recording Academy with various First Amendment advocates fighting for free speech. Furthermore, these included the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC), SAG-AFTRA, the Black Music Collective, and others.

Of course, the most present example of lyrics as evidence is currently the RICO trial of Young Thug and YSL as a whole. Prosecutors used various lyrics to paint the crew as a criminal gang, which Gunna supported through statements when he took his Alford plea. Since 2020, over 500 criminal cases involved prosecutors using an artist’s lyrics against them as evidence. With this in mind, the RAP Act would add a presumption to the Federal Rules of Evidence that would limit the ability to present said artistic expression against them in court.

RAP Act Returns To Congress

WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 27: U.S. Representative Jamaal Bowman and U.S. Representative Hank Johnson speak during Grammys On The Hill: Advocacy Day on April 27, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

To elaborate, Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, who co-founded BMAC and acts as its chair, gave low-profile examples of this bill’s necessity. One of these is the case of Derek Foster, who the court convicted in 1991 and who used a rap verse in his notebook against him, even though the notebook did not relate as evidence to his charges. Another case he mentioned was that of Jonair Tyreece Moore. Prosecutors gained permission to show 20 minutes of rap videos, which the court found irrelevant to his charges. Moreover, the prosecution intended to “show his knowledge of drug distribution and his motive for engaging in it.”

Of course, many believe that this is a lost cause already. However, if more prominent figures in hip-hop and beyond support it, a continuous fight for these rights until they see recognition could follow. Until then, courts may continue to subvert and warp artistic expression in lieu of hard evidence to land innocent artists in prison. Regardless of your take, come back to HNHH for the latest on the RAP Act and other news in the hip-hop world.

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Montana Lawmakers Vote To Ban TikTok From The State

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Lawmakers in Montana have voted to ban the use of TikTok in the state. The legislation will now make its way to the desk of Gov. Greg Gianforte. The bill would prevent app stores from offering downloads for the platform. It would also make Montana the first U.S. state to ban the app.

“The governor will carefully consider any bill the legislature sends to his desk,” said Brooke Stroyke, a spokesperson for Gianforte. In the past, the Governor has banned TikTok from state government devices.

Gov. Greg Gianforte At A MAGA Rally

BELGRADE, MT – NOVEMBER 03: Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-MT) joins President Donald Trump at a “Make America Great Again” rally at the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport on November 3, 2018 in Belgrade, Montana. (Photo by William Campbell/Corbis via Getty Images)

The bill will face serious legal opposition should it pass. Brooke Oberwetter, a spokesperson for TikTok, responded in a statement labeling the act “government overreach.” “The bill’s champions have admitted that they have no feasible plan for operationalizing this attempt to censor American voices and that the bill’s constitutionality will be decided by the courts,” they said. “We will continue to fight for TikTok users and creators in Montana whose livelihoods and First Amendment rights are threatened by this egregious government overreach.”

In recent years, U.S. politicians have expressed concerns that the Chinese government could potentially gain access to TikTok user data. They could use this for intelligence or propaganda campaigns. As of now, there is no evidence that the Chinese government has gained access to this information. However, FBI Director Christopher Wray has argued to Congress that “we’re not sure that we would see many of the outward signs of it happening if it was happening.”

NetChoice, a technology industry group, has argued that banning TikTok could set a dangerous precedent. “This move from the Montana legislature sets a dangerous precedent that the government can try to ban any business it doesn’t like without clear evidence of wrongdoing,” said Carl Szabo, NetChoice’s vice president and general counsel. “The US Constitution clearly forbids lawmakers from passing laws to criminalize a specific individual or business. Gov. Greg Gianforte should veto this clearly unconstitutional law.”

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Donald Trump Tries To Ban Access Hollywood Tape From Rape Trial

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Former president Donald Trump and his legal team tried to ban his infamous Access Hollywood tape from his rape trial. For those who don’t remember, Trump bragged about “doing whatever you want” and grabbing women “by the p***y.” Moreover, his attorneys Alina Habba and Michale Madaio requested a ban of the tape based on court papers obtained Thursday (February 16). Furthermore, they called it “irrelevant and highly prejudicial,” and that it “might unjustly be used to suggest to jurors that Trump had a propensity for sexual assault and therefore must have raped Carroll.” Also, they want references to it blocked alongside the tape itself, which surfaced when he first ran for President.

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 31: Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for a New Years event at his Mar-a-Lago home on December 31, 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump continues to run for a second term as the President of the United States. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Not only are these requests questionably obfuscating trial, but the clip formed part of people’s perception of him years ago. As such, it’s hard to imagine a judge or jury ignore his words, however banned. “I’m automatically attracted to beautiful [women],” Trump told Access Hollywood host Billy Bush in 2005. “I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the p***y. You can do anything.”

Furthermore, the former Commander in Chief’s legal team also sought to block testimonies from two women who accused Trump of sexual misconduct. Moreover, 26 women accused him over the years, and he denied any and all claims. For this specific case, whose civil suit begins in April, writer E. Jean Carroll said Trump assaulted her in a department store in the mid-’90s. While Trump said she was lying and not his “type,” he mistook her for his ex-wife Marla Maples during an October deposition.

Meanwhile, ex-wife Ivana Trump reportedly said in a 1990 divorce deposition that Trump assaulted her the year prior. However, she later claimed that she accused him, but not in the “literal or criminal sense.” Even considering that, 26 stories risk being ignored in trial, and the court’s decision on these tape bans could make or break Trump’s accountability. Come back to HNHH for the latest news on Donald Trump and whether his trial will look at the full picture.

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Donald Trump’s Facebook Reinstatement Faces Pressure From Democrats

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Democrats are reportedly increasing pressure on Meta to keep Donald Trump off of Facebook. The news comes as the company is deciding whether to reinstate the former President’s account.

Facebook originally suspended Trump’s account after the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol. The platform could welcome him back as early as next month.

US President Donald Trump speaks during a retreat with Republican lawmakers at Camp David in Thurmont, Maryland, January 6, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / SAUL LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Democratic lawmakers fear Trump’s return to the platform would threaten public safety by the spread of misinformation.

Kayla Gogarty, deputy research director of Media Matters for America, says that his presence would increase “extremism” and “problematic content.”

“On Facebook, he has a very large reach,” Gogarty told Insider. “Based on his current patterns, we’re seeing him amplify extremism, problematic content that has been linked to real world violence.”

Gogarty continued: “So if Meta allows him back on, it’s essentially giving Trump a green light to push election misinformation again, dangerous rhetoric and extremism to millions of users who would not otherwise have access to it.”

While he’s been inactive on Facebook, Trump has migrated his presence to Truth Social. As for whether his behavior online has changed, Media Matters reports that nearly half of Trump’s posts and reposts in the week following the 2022 midterm elections pushed election fraud conspiracies.

“His activity on Truth Social speaks to his potential activity if he’s allowed back on some of these more mainstream platforms, like Facebook,” Gogarty further said.

Trump’s potential Facebook reinstatement comes after Elon Musk allowed him back on Twitter. In doing so, Musk conducted a poll among users on the platform. Despite this, Trump has opted to stay on Truth Social.

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6ix9ine Receives Luxury Apartment Ban After Security Gets Careless With Assault Weapons

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For 6ix9ine, life never seems to be easy. The New Yorker is no stranger to trouble. From feuding with other rappers to going ghost on his own legal team without paying them, he always seems to be in the middle of some drama. Now, he’s in hot water once again – this time for allowing his guards to get careless with their assault weapons during his stay at a Miami condo.

As TMZ reports, the “GOOBA” artist is receiving a ban from a boujee apartment complex down south. While in Florida, he typically crashes with Nelk Boys member SteveWillDoIt at his SLS Lux Property residence. After seeing how his entourage acts, however, the building’s association promptly shut that down.

Tekashi 6ix9ine attends Made In America – Day 2 on September 1, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/WireImage)

A letter obtained by the outlet states that 6ix9ine came for a visit at the end of October. With him was a collection of bodyguards, who were openly carrying assault weapons with them.

Furthermore, one of the security staffers is said to have “casually left his assault weapon on his bag.” Afterward, he “walked away from it briefly to talk with others.” Understandably so, this is cause for major concern.

The documents additionally note that the condo board is “aware of the bounty placed on 6ix9ine’s life in exchange for information regarding others and [his own] provocative antics” following his prison stint.

At the end of the day, the association feels as though having the 26-year-old in the vicinity creates a “dangerous situation for its residents, guests, employees, and staff members.”

TMZ has clarified that it’s unclear if unsafe things were occurring during 6ix9ine’s stays. However, they did obtain a video of someone with a gun waiting for the controversial celebrity outside.

In happier news, Tekashi caused a serious stir online earlier this month. Surprisingly, photos of him proposing in Dubai appeared online. Read more about that here, and check back later for more hip-hop news updates.

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