Benzino says that Michael Jackson once thanked him for dissing Eminem amid his long-standing feud with the Detroit rapper. Benzino reflected on getting a phone call from Jackson at the time during a recent appearance on The Gauds Show. He explained that the King of Pop was upset with Eminem for poking fun at him with the music video for “Just Lose It.”
“Let me tell you, Michael Jackson called me,” Benzino revealed to hosts Ray Daniels and Tamira Smith. “I knew Mike. I met Mike through Teddy [Riley]. He called me and he thanked me. Because when Eminem dissed him with the fire situation, in the [‘Just Lose It’] video, Mike called — and I remember his assistant put him on the phone — and I sat there and listened to him. And he thanked me.”
Benzino At A Screening In 2022
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – MAY 04: Benzino attends the Atlanta private screening of “Mixed Girl” at Silverspot Cinema on May 04, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
From there, Benzino continued: “He started talking about Tommy Mottola. And it was one of the greatest moments of my life. And I’m not saying it because all white people are bad. We’re not saying that. Not all of them are devils. But Mike was referring to the situation in the music industry, and he was just going on a rant. But I’ll never forget that. I was at a point in my life that I didn’t have to answer to nobody. Everything I said was true. I said that Black people got Hip Hop and we got white people to finally buy into it. And now, they wanna give white people something that they can buy into. When Eminem came out, he just got different treatment than every other Black rapper. And I just didn’t appreciate that.”
Benzino’s beef with Eminem flared up again in 2022 when the legendary rapper was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Benzino’s daughter, Coi Leray, congratulated Eminem, prompting a public spat between the two of them.
Benzino Recalls The Phone Call From Michael Jackson
Spencer Dinwiddie has been beefing with his former Wizards teammate Kyle Kuzma in recent days. Things kicked off when Kuzma dropped a poorly-received joke about Lauri Markkanen’s impending Finnish military service. Dinwiddie inserted himself into the situation with a blistering interview on FanDuel. Kuzma responded with a Twitter thread comparing the two players. Additionally, this was all going on as Dinwiddie prepared for the NBA playoffs.
Dinwiddie has since put the ball back in Kuzma’s court after once again responding to his former teammate. “Some people are blessed to be in situations. We don’t get mad at Rick Fox for winning a championship with Kobe and Shaq. Some people are blessed, but we can’t act like Rick Fox led them to a championship.” Dinwiddie said, referring to Kuzma’s role in the Lakers’ 2020 championship. Maybe it wasn’t the best choice of words from Dinwiddie, as Rick Fox is now in on the drama. And safe to say, he wasn’t happy with Dinwiddie dragging his name.
Fox, the three-time Lakers champion, joined the fray after Dinwiddie compared Kuzma to him. “Hello @SDinwiddie_25 #NiceToMeetYou Thanks for the introduction @ClutchPointsApp~ this is a photo of the 3 Captains that @PhilJackson11chose to lead his @Lakers Teams to Back2Back2Back Championships ~Who is @RickFox? I AM #TheOther #TheEnforcer KEYS #DefenseWinsChampionships” read Fox’s tweet late Thursday night.
Dinwiddie’s comparison was poorly chosen. No one claims that Rick Fox was the force behind the Lakers’ three-peat. However, Fox was a vital defensive piece who helped turn the Lakers into the team that won three straight. As Fox himself noted, he was named as a team captain during their championship years. Fox’s impact doesn’t across in his stats because he played strong perimeter defense. That was where Fox locked things down, forcing opponents to make players and preventing drives into the paint. Furthermore, beyond his point being misplaced, Dinwiddie attacked a beloved former Laker and social media was quick to rise to Fox’s defense. It’s unclear where the beef goes from here. However, it’s safe to say that it’s now a three-way affair.
Last week, Complex released its “Hip Hop Media Power Ranking” list of the most influential voices in hip hop media. Former rapper and now-successful podcast host Joe Budden topped the list for The Joe Budden Podcast. Following the list, there was a back-and-forth between Budden and his former co-hosts, Rory Farrell and Mal Clay, who now host the New Rory & Mal podcast.
From 2016 to 2021, Budden, alongside Rory and Mal, grew The Joe Budden Podcast into one of the most successful hip hop platforms. However, they split in 2021 because Joe allegedly stole money from Rory and Mal. The initial breakup was highly publicized. Though both parties have been successful, there have since been heated exchanges between the two podcasts. Here is a breakdown of Joe Budden’s beef with Rory and Mal.
Rising Tension Between Friends
Fans first noticed the tension between members of The Joe Budden Podcast in 2020. Joe and Rory would occasionally talk about fighting one another, as well as fighting Mal. During a 2020 skit to help launch The Joe Budden Podcast Network, Rory slipped in a joke about “seeing the accountant.” While not understood by fans at the time, that remark can be considered as an early sign of their bubbling feud.
The Initial Break
The Episode 424 of The Joe Budden Podcast in March 2021 marked the first episode without Rory and Mal. Joe told the two to “take a few pods off.” The reasons behind this were unknown. Budden’s friends, Ice and Ish, assumed what were thought to be temporary positions as co-hosts alongside Parks and Savon.
The Joe Budden Podcast Falls Apart
The stress between Joe Budden and Rory and Mal reached a breaking point during their final episodes on the podcast. During the two episodes, they tried to carry on as usual but conflicted on whether or not they owed each other respect as friends. Rory and Mal sided with each other, while Parks stuck by Joe. At this point, the reasons behind their tension were still unclear. The following episode after Rory and Mal’s final appearances was the infamous Episode 437. In this podcast, Joe can be seen talking to an empty room, expressing his anger towards Rory and Mal, and officially firing them from the show.
Aftermath Post-Breakup
Following their departure from The Joe Budden Podcast, Rory and Mal released a response video addressing Joe’s remarks about them in Episode 437. They reveal the reason behind their argument is that Joe allegedly stole money from them and would not show them to see the books. Joe argued that he made Rory and Mal’s success, and they should be grateful for him.
On the other hand, Rory and Mal claimed that he would not be where he is without them. The pair launched New Rory & Mal in June 2021 and signed a deal with SiriusXM’s Stitcher platform soon after. Simultaneously, Joe rebrands The Joe Budden Podcast with Parks, Ice, and Ish as his co-hosts. As two separate entities, both podcasts have continued to exchange subliminal jabs at one another.
Rory and Mal’s podcast launch and tour announcement videos included sneak disses toward Joe, referring to his remarks about them, his shady business practices, and his tour cancellation. Mal and Joe would diss each other when asked about the falling out in their independent podcasts and interviews. During an interview, Mal said he’d “shake the room before [he’d] shake [Joe’s] hand” if he saw him.
Beef Reignited
Following these subliminal disses, the beef between Joe Budden and Mal has been reignited a few times. In October 2022, Joe spoke directly about Rory and Mal in a JBP episode titled “Accountability In The Culture.” Rory and Mal fired back at him a few days later with an episode titled “Accountability In The Culture, Part II.” Mal goes off, saying that it “pains [Joe]” to see them thriving, and tells Budden to show them the accounting once and for all.
The most recent exchanges between Budden, Rory, and Mal happened afterthe latter two reacted to Joe’s placement on Complex’s list during a Patreon episode, calling him “the cat burglar.” Following that episode, Joe disses Rory and Mal directly despite addressing them by name. He talked about how they put in a low effort in their podcasting. He also said they should not speak about him since they didn’t even make Complex’s list, dubbing them the “Bare Minimum Boys.” Rory then directly tells Joe to stop talking about him and move on during their response, aptly titled “Bare Minimum Boys.” Despite that, Joe continued to poke fun at Rory and Mal.
Where Both Podcasts Stand
Overall, the Rory and Mal era of The Joe Budden Podcast was a special time in podcasting. Though both parties are successful today, that era was them at their best. The Joe Budden Podcast remains in the top three global music podcast charts. Earlier this year, the JBP added new members, Trevor “QueenzFlip” Robinson and Melyssa Ford, bringing a new lively energy to the podcast. Joe also started Humans, an interview show about people with unique experiences. Rory & Mal successfully toured North America last year, including a sold-out show in London. They have a very loyal fanbase and have conducted a variety of interviews.
Woah Vicky’s gone through a whole transformation since she initially emerged but she’s still annoying as ever. The viral star catapulted into the limelight through her odd antics, which eventually captured the attention of the hip-hop community. It didn’t take long for her to fade away. However, she appears to be back in the headlines, specifically due to her take on artists like Lil Nas X and Lil Uzi vert, who she believes need Jesus now more than ever.
Vicky recently appeared on the We In Miami podcast when the host brought up the two artists. The viral star claimed both artists “need Jesus” while alleging that they both “sold their souls.” However, she later dived into a supposed anecdote about Lil Nas X that proves he’s pushing an agenda. “I got a few friends that went to school with him and they said he was never gay,” she claimed. “So I know for a fact that what he’s doing, it’s ‘cause like they told him, ‘Like, you gotta do this now.’” When the host asked her if she thinks Lil Nas X lied about his sexuality, she agreed. “Ain’t nobody really gay, in Jesus name, Amen,” Vicky said.
Woah Vicky continued to claim that Lil Nas X lied to propel his rap career. She explained that he successfully pushed an agenda that would take him to the top of the charts. However, she also said that the rest of the music industry is “demonic.” Ultimately, Lil Nas X chimed in on the matter with a nod to Dave Chappelle. “Who gives af what Ja Rule thinks at a time like this,” he wrote. So far, Vicky hasn’t responded back to him.
Both Lil Uzi Vert and Lil Nas X have used Satanic imagery in the past. Lil Nas X performed a lap dance on the Devil at the BET Awards during a show-stopping rendition of “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).” Most recently, Lil Uzi Vert found himself in hot water when he said he rapped, “I make a City Girl believe in Satan” at Rolling Loud. Uzi later explained that he wasn’t actually being serious when he mentioned the devil but rather, intended to convey the message that his girlfriend would do whatever he asks her to do.
Wack 100 found himself in another controversy. This time, it’s surrounding Fat Joe’s long-standing issues with Big Pun’s widow, Liza Rios. During a recent Instagram video post, the West Coast executive detailed that he worked things out with Rios to help her family. However, he seemingly called out Fat Joe over allegations that he withheld Pun’s royalties from the late rapper’s family. In 2016, Joe and Rios settled their suit for an undisclosed amount, though some industry experts said Pun was owed closer to $2 million.
Wack took to Instagram where he clarified the things that he said during the call, including his stance with Fat Joe. “I never had a conversation with Fat Joe about Big Pun or business with Big Pun,” he said to begin with. However, Wack said that his most recent interaction with Joe was pleasant. “Last time I seen Fat Joe, we was at Prime 112, 25 deep, and he covered the whole bill. That’s Game’s friend. He been my friend,” he said in an attempt to clarify their suspected issues.
Wack explained that he wasn’t entirely knowledgeable about the issues between Fat Joe and Liza Rios before meeting with her. “Big Pun’s wife came to see me, Liza. Told me she was looking for a situation that would be healthy for her,” he said. “Big Pun, I feel like is part of the culture, like, that’s Big Pun. His story needs to be told. What I did do is line up a situation that was healthy for her,” he added. Wack said that he reached out to his team to push a series on Big Pun, which he said is now on the way.
Ultimately, Wack 100 didn’t want anyone, including Fat Joe, to think there were any actual issues. He said that he and Fat Joe have never had a conversation surrounding Big Pun in the past. “As far as I’m concerned, he wanna see Pun win and his family win. The Fat Joe I know,” he said. “Let’s kill that narrative. Fat Joe’s a friend of mine… Let’s kill the narrative that Wack stood up to Fat Joe,” he said. Check out the full clip above.
In 2023, people are still talking about the “Oscar Slap”. Over a year has passed since Will Smith slapped Chris Rock live on stage at the Oscars. However, that has not stopped everyone from sharing their opinion about the incident, responses to it, the deeper meaning of the slap. Every single angle that could be possibly conceived of has been covered. Last month, Marlon Wayans even announced he was producing a documentary on the slap.
Many celebrities have shared their thoughts on the incident. People like Serena Williams and Sheree Zampino have advocated for Smith’s apology. Chris Rock’s brother says Will Smith never reached out. With an incident that public, everyone is going to have something to say about it. However, while some views are considered insightful, others are seen as people inserting themselves into the situation.
In a recent interview, Orlando Brown shared his thoughts on the slap, specifically Chris Rock’s response to it. “I don’t mind Chris milking it, but a’ight, you milked it,” Brown argued. When the interviewer responded by saying that Rock “waited a while” to respond, Brown dropped his biggest claim. “He was waiting for the right check.” Brown went on to explain that in his eyes, Rock should have simply reached out to Smith and had a conversation about the incident. He also took issue with Rock’s comments about Smith’s “selective outrage”, which he saw as unnecessary and again, milking the issue for profit.
However, Rock waiting for a paid opportunity to speak out was the main crux of Brown’s argument. Rock was reportedly paid $40 million to produce a Netflix stand-up title Selective Outrage. While it was widely expected that Rock would address the slap in the special, Netflix reportedly edited out jokes about Smith. However, some content remained and the special got its name from comments Rock made about Smith. Selective Outrage was Rock’s first major public comment about the incident and if reports are true, he was paid handsomely to make them. However, Brown’s comments show that we are far from done with talking about what occurred at the 2022 Oscars.
Jake Paul has made a name for himself with his larger-than-life personality. Getting his start on YouTube, Paul was loved by his fans and loathed by his man detractors. However, he is now better known for his boxing career. While many debates have occurred about his skill and choice of opponent, Paul appears to be genuinely serious about pursuing a career as a fighter. He currently holds a 6-1 professional record.
However, not every confrontation with his fellow boxers has been in the ring. Paul has a long history of beef with Floyd Mayweather. They have been rivals since at least 2021, when the two were scheduled to face off. During a promotion event, Paul stole Mayweather’s hat. However, Mayweather’s camp claims that things run deeper than that. Things came to a head last month when Mayweather reportedly confronted Paul in Miami following an NBA game. Both sides gave conflicting accounts of the incident, with Paul claiming Mayweather “ambushed” him while Mayweather’s jeweler said Paul “ran like a rabbit” upon merely seeing Mayweather’s crew.
New Video Shows New Angle Of Paul-Mayweather Incident
He said, he said seemed to be where the story ended with the Miami incident. That is until TMZ released new footage they had obtained of the incident. In the footage, obtained from a police source, Paul can be seen being escorted back into Miami’s Kaseya Center by police. That came as a result of swift police intervention as the two entourages encountered one another on the concourse. In Paul can be heard telling the officer escorting that “they were trying to jump me”. Paul and his crew are also heard stating that they believed Mayweather to have around “50” people in his group. It is unclear how many people were with Mayweather, as the footage also shows other guests leaving the arena following the game. Paul eventually left the Kaseya Center without further incident.
It’s unclear who the footage vindicates more. If anything, the footage speaks to the rapid response of the present police officers to curtail the incident before it became anything more serious. While both parties are seen squaring up and exchanging terse words, it does not definitely prove Paul’s claim that he was “ambushed” by Mayweather. However, it does show that Mayweather had the numbers advantage in the confrontation, even if 50 seems like an exaggeration. Neither party has responded to the footage’s release. Furthermore, it is unclear where the beef goes from here. Could this be the spark that finally gets these two stars into the ring?
The long-standing feud between Joe Budden and his former co-hosts Rory and Mal doesn’t have an end in sight. After Complex ranked the former Everyday Struggle host as the leading voice in hip-hop media, his former co-hosts chimed in on the matter. Rory and Mal called Budden a “cat burglar,” citing alleged salary discrepancies during their time on The Joe Budden Podcast. However, they’ve now taken their issues with Budden up a level as they debuted a new line of merch.
This week, Rory and Mal debuted a brand new t-shirt as part of their merch line that trolls the ex-Slaughterhouse rapper. The new shirt includes n phrase “Bare Minimum Boys,” playing off of the iconic Billionaire Boys Club design. The design references comments made by Budden on his podcast when he addressed Rory and Mal’s criticism. “Instead of critiquing people’s placement on this list, we need more critiquing on why you’re not on it,” he said. “Stop doing the bare minimum and expecting that to yield results. You n***as are the bare minimum boys.”
In the latest episode of the Rory & Mal podcast, Rory explained how he’s kept Budden’s name out of his mouth since he was fired. “Outside of maybe two or three jokes since we put our response video out two years ago, I have not said a fucking word. Matter of fact, if anything I’ve been objective and complimentary in a lot of places. And if you look at that clip, I even said you deserved to be on that fucking list,” he explained. Not only did he say he was talking about Budden but he also pointed out that his name is bleeped out anytime its mentioned on The Joe Budden Podcast.
“I told you the last time I saw you, ‘Leave me alone.’ And I have not said a fucking word. I’ve been nothing but kind, polite [and] anytime someone brings you up publicly, I don’t say bad words. Stop talking about it.” he added. We’ll keep you posted if Joe Budden responds. For now, take a look at Rory & Mal’s new merch and let us know if it’s a cop or not in the comment section below.
Consequence recently reflected on his beef with Q-Tip during an interview with VladTV. He explained that he felt the legendary A Tribe Called Quest rapper betrayed him by signing with Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music back in the day. Cons had just left the label on infamously bad terms.
“I didn’t get any records for Cons TV,” Cons said, referring to his shelved sophomore album, “And maybe not even a year later, ironically, Q-Tip was a G.O.O.D. Music artist and saying that there was going to be a Cruel Winter, which never came out. That was the shadiest shit ever. It was! I mean, he and I resolved it, but it was shady as fuck. And from the person who said, ‘Industry rule No. 4080: record company people are shady,’ and you did that to your cousin? A n***a who would’ve done anything for you?”
Consequence With Kanye West
NEW YORK – AUGUST 30: Recording artists Kanye West (L) and Consequence attends the 6th Annual BMI Urban Awards at the Roseland Ballroom August 30, 2006 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images)
From there, he explained that he was about to become a father at the time and needed support from his family. “He knew I was having a baby at the time ’cause this is when Caiden was being born. I was furious, yo. I was fu-ri-ous,” he added. “I was more mad about that than with The Ummah [Q-Tip’s production team with J Dilla and Ali Shaheed Muhammad] not coming out because this is my block. I put in the work for this block to be a block; it wasn’t a block when I got here. Even to this day, that’s why you see me take the positioning that I take. I’m a person who can forgive, but I will acknowledge what has occurred. I’m not the secret-keeper and I’m not sweeping nothing under the rug — those are two things I am not doing as a grown man.”
Consequence has since made amends with both Kanye West and Q-Tip. In a statement released back in 2011, Cons explained that he and Q-Tip sat down and discussed things at length. “After a very intense & extensive meeting, Q-Tip & myself have resolved our public & private issues,” he said. “With so many manufactured ‘beefs’ in Hip Hop, this situation was very real and shows that their can be resolution through humility & dialogue.”
Earlier this year, FBG Duck’s mom shocked the late rapper’s fans with the announcement of her OnlyFans page. We don’t have any updates on that at this time. However, she did return to social media earlier this week to provide some insight on the status of her son’s murder investigation. As you may recall, the rising artist was shopping in Chicago’s Gold Coast district in August 2020 when he was shot and killed. Witnesses at the scene report that two cars pulled up. Four men then emerged and began firing at him before fleeing the scene. Duck survived the trip to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, though he was later pronounced dead due to his injuries.
As XXL notes, five men were arrested in connection with the “Slide” hitmaker’s murder back in October 2021. Charles “C Murda” Liggins, Kenneth “Kenny” Roberson, Tacarlos “Los” Offerd, Christopher “C-Thang” Thomas, and Marcus “Muwop” Smart are their names. Upon being taken into custody, they were charged with murder in aid of racketeering and federal firearm violations and assaults in aid of racketeering. In addition to their crimes, all the men are allegedly members of Chi-town’s O-Block street gang. In her latest update, Duck’s mom claims that she knows who revealed her boy’s location to his ops, resulting in his untimely death.
FBG Duck’s Mom Updates Fans on Her Son’s Murder Investigation
FBG Duck’s Mother Reveals Teezy (THF46) Was Responsible For Dropping Her Sons Location Which Led To His Death. pic.twitter.com/H9VMKMQZlV
“They just told me I could tell y’all,” she informed viewers in a recent social media post. “His name is Ralph Turpin, also known as Teezy, THF Teezy. He was the one that saw my baby downtown from across the street. He told them motherf*ckers knowing they had a $100K bounty on my son’s head.” After battling through a moment of obvious emotion, Duck’s mom shrugged and said, “That’s what it is.”
For his part, Turpin is facing one count of committing murder in aid of racketeering, as well as one count of conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering. He remains in custody at this time and is expected to be back in court on April 23 for his next hearing. Check out FBG Duck’s mother‘s update above, and tap back in later for more hip-hop news.
33-Year-Old Ralph Turpin Charged
Ralph Turpin, 33, who is also known as “Tall” or “Teezy,” was charged with committing a murder in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office. Also charged in FBG Duck’s death are: Charles…
(@nojumper)