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Rick Ross Recalls Almost Signing With Shaquille O’Neal

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Rick Ross recently revealed that he nearly signed with Shaquille O’Neal when the NBA star launched T.W.IsM. records back in the 1990s. Speaking with Complex during an interview alongside Meek Mill, Ross discussed his relationship with Shaq. The comments come as Ross and Meek prepare for the release of their collaborative project, Too Good To Be True.

“Many years ago, I met with Shaq when he was launching his T.W.IsM. records. We met in Atlanta somewhere, we met in a restaurant. We was in the restaurant then we in the back, in the kitchen. I spit a few bars for him. He gave me his contact. We stayed in touch over a little while but you know how it go.” From there, Ross joked about how far he’s come since then: “Sh*t, I might sign him. Why not?”

Read More: Rick Ross & Meek Mill Discuss The “GOAT” Conspiracy, Reveal Drake Collab Coming

Rick Ross & Meek Mill Visit SiriusXM

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 28: (L-R) Meek Mill and Rick Ross visit SiriusXM Studios on September 28, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

Ross and Meek plan to drop Too Good To Be True on November 10. Timbaland recently revealed that he’s heard the project while speaking with 99JAMZ radio station in Miami. He described it as a “masterpiece.” “Ross giving you that Big Meech Ross,” Timbaland expressed. “And that’s all we want. We don’t want Ross to sound like Uzi Vert. That album says a lot to me because Meek is being Meek, whether you like it or not. It’s not dated, it sounds current, it sounds fresh, and it sounds like a classic. And you could tell the space they in. I don’t even need to talk to him and ask what space he in, you can hear it through the music.”

Rick Ross Recalls Meeting With Shaq

 
 
 
 
 
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The two dropped the first single from the project, “SHAQ & KOBE,” back in September. Be on the lookout for further details on Ross and Meek’s Too Good To Be True on HotNewHipHop before the project drops on Friday.

Read More: Rick Ross Hints At An MMG Reunion On Upcoming Project With Meek Mill

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Rick Ross & Meek Mill Discuss The “GOAT” Conspiracy, Reveal Drake Collab Coming

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Rick Ross and Meek Mill recently sat down with Complex to discuss many things, including conspiracies. Specifically, the two rap icons discussed what the “GOAT” conspiracy was. “I signed up for TikTok…I’ve being going down a rabbit hole every night before I go to sleep. I can’t tell you if its Nikola Telsa…How the Pyramids were built…The Alaskan ice wall…I’m all over the place y’all,” Meek began. “The aliens…the Greys…I’m on a journey at nighttime.” However, Ross hit him with an old classic in response. “The GOAT conspiracy theory…Everybody been on my DMs the last two months about being on Star Isle. So it’s the Illuminati.” The pair then joked about both being in the Illuminati.

Now everyone knows about the Illuminati but what f-ck is Meek on about? By “Nikola Telsa”, he’s like referring to free energy suppression. This is a theory that Telsa invented a source of free perpetual energy that was then suppressed by Thomas Edison and the US government. Meanwhile, many people believe that the Pyramids were built by aliens or a forgotten mega-civilization that lived at the end of the age of the last ice age. Finally, “Alaskan ice wall” is a sub-conspiracy of the Flat Earth that states that the flat earth is ringed by a giant, impassable wall of ice.

Read More: Meek Mill Responds To Diss From Rapper Dee-1 Against Him, Rick Ross & Jim Jones

Ross And Meek Collabing With Drake

Elsewhere in the feature, the pair were asked about the “GOAT Drake Feature”, which prompted a reveal from Meek. “Meek Milly and Rosé, we f-cking with the boy heavily. Listen out for it on some of the new sh-t that’s coming out very soon, you hear?” Meek revealed. “You better believe it,” Ross chimed in. Of course, both men have a long history of collabing with Drizzy. Ross’ last collab with Drak was 2021’s “You Only Live Twice”. Meanwhile, Meek’s last track with the Six God was 2019’s “Going Bad”.

The track will likely appear on Ross and Meek’s joint album which they announced back in September. Too Good To Be True will be released “ASAP” according to the pair. Furthermore, they already teased fans with the album’s sound by dropping the single “Shaq & Kobe”. Additionally, they then released a remix of the track featuring Damian Lillard and Shaq himself.

Read More: Rick Ross Hints At An MMG Reunion On Upcoming Project With Meek Mill

Ross And Meek Swap Conspiracies: Watch

What do you think of Ross and Meek’s choices? Let us know in the comments.

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Soulja Boy Threatens Complex Media With Defamation Lawsuit

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Soulja Boy has threatened to sue Complex after taking issue with the media outlet claiming that “nearly everything” the rapper owns is fake. Soulja was named in the headline of an article about celebrities reportedly caught wearing fake designer labels. “Fuck Complex and fuck Complex Music. Y’all gon post on your page talking about Soulja Boy some shit I don’t know — everything he own is fake or some shit. I’m suing y’all n-ggas [for] defamation of character, bro. I went on Complex and bought shit for y’all. How the fuck is y’all on your platform trying to discredit me. But it’s all good. It ain’t nothing but a hater whoever run that page is a muthafuckin’ hater. But you gonna get the whole Complex sued for playing with my name, n-gga.

Furthermore, Soulja continued. “I ain’t bought nothing fake in my whole life. Fuck you talking about, n-gga? Even in that picture y’all showed I was wearing a $10,000 Gucci bandana, a $40,000 Superman chain. What is y’all talking about? $50,000 right there. Complex you some hoes. Y’all do that to Black people. Notice how they didn’t have one white person on there. Somebody screen talking about, ‘Everything Soulja Boy got is fake.’ Who the fuck run this page? Who wrote that? What type of shit is you on?”

Read More: Soulja Boy Lets Lil Yachty Know He Was The First Rapper To Stream On Twitch

Soulja Boy’s Ex Seeks Alternate Streams Of Revenue To Pay Settlement

However, Soulja might not want to speak too loudly about his drip being legit. The rapper’s ex, Kayla Meyers, recently filed a petition seeking new revenue streams from Soulja Boy as she seeks the fulfillment of a $500,000 settlement she won against the rapper in 2020. Soulja Boy was never criminally charged on counts of assault and kidnapping. However, a civil court eventually awarded Meyers $500,000. After Soulja Boy claimed earlier this year that he did not have the assets to pay the outstanding amount, Meyer has petitioned to receive the income from his royalties, his Twitch streaming revenue, and even the profits from this weed business.

Earlier this month, Soulja Boy was ordered to surrender his three cars as well as jewelry and cash over $1000. This came after he testified that he did not have the assets to pay off his outstanding debt. According to court testimony, Soulja does not own the house he lives in and owes the IRS over $1 million. The court is yet to rule on whether these new revenue streams proposed will be accepted. However, based on this week’s precedents, it will be more than likely that they will be.

Read More: Soulja Boy On Broken Chain: “I Had On Too Many”

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JAY-Z Praises Hype Williams & Says He Made “Can’t Knock the Hustle” Feel “Like Cinema”

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JAY-Z heaped praise on Hype Williams during a rare interview with Complex published on Wednesday. The legendary rapper says Williams’ influence was responsible for 50 percent of the success of the music at the height of his career. The topic began with JAY-Z reflecting on the making of “Can’t Knock The Hustle.”

“‘Can’t Knock The Hustle’ felt like cinema,” JAY-Z told the outlet. “We also have to talk about Malik [Haseen Sayeed], the cinematographer Hype worked with. The cinematography was just so beautiful and the way it was shot it just elevated it to another level. We weren’t spending that sort of money then to finish the pyrotechnics. So when the limousine blows up it’s really janky, you know. But the vision and the cinematography was just beautiful and his eye was just different. The combination between Hype and June [Ambrose] elevated our look and feel. I remember people talking about how great a video it was.”

Read More: Jay-Z’s Monogram Taps Hype Williams & Curren$y For New Campaign

Hype Williams At The VH1 Hip Hop Honors

LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 17: Hype Williams speaks onstage VH1 Hip Hop Honors: The 90s Game Changers at Paramount Studios on September 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Maury Phillips/Getty Images)

JAY-Z continued: “I would say that Hype could take credit for 50 percent of the success of the music at that time. If not 55 percent. We gave people an audio experience that they imagined in their mind and when he put those visuals to it, it took it to a whole new level. I remember hearing [Busta Rhymes’] ‘Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See’ on Hot 97 and thinking this song is crazy. We played it a thousand times that night. But when I saw the visual, I was like, oh, this is a rock n’ roll record. This is way bigger than a nice club song. This is a cultural moment for us.”

Hype Williams has directed music videos for many of the biggest artists in hip-hop over the years including Notorious B.I.G., LL Cool J, Boyz II Men, Wu-Tang Clan, 2Pac, Busta Rhymes, and many more. He also directed the cult classic 1998 film, Belly, which starred Nas and DMX.

Read More: Hype Williams Says Jay-Z Was Next Up For “Belly” Lead Role

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Central Cee Speaks On His Own Similarities With Ice Spice

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Everyone is talking about Ice Spice. The biggest breakout rap star of 2023 has been subject to one interview after another in the past few months. That includes a recent LA Times piece where she let fans know that she is dating someone, but won’t say who. Earlier this year for a piece in Variety they even talked to one of Ice Spice’s new besties Taylor Swift to get her perspective on the young rap star.

Earlier today Ice Spice was the subject of a new Complex feature. In the interview, she talked about how she cares about music critics opinions and doesn’t really consider herself a “lyricist.” But they also talked to British rapper Central Cee about what he sees in Spice. “She reminds me of me a bit, she’s cool innit. Humble, down to earth, don’t really care too much about the shiny stuff; but knows how to play the game” he responded. In the comments of a post about his response, some suspect that he’s just trying to hype Ice Spice up because he’s interested in her romantically, but others refute that. Check out the full quote and fan responses below.

Read More: Drake Calls Birdman His “Real OG,” Kai Cenat, Central Cee, And Roy Woods Stop By Tour

Central Cee Has High Praise For Ice Spice

Just last week, Central Cee was included in the announcement of an international new single. The Kid LAROI is tapping Cee, alongside BTS member and K-pop star Jung Kook for a new single. The track is called “TOO MUCH” and is set to arrive later this week on October 20.

Back in July, Central Cee teamed up with yet another high-profile rap figure. That was of course Drake, when the pair linked up for the “On The Radar Freestyle.” The track has racked up an impressive 50 million streams on Spotify since it first dropped placing it among some of Cee’s most popular tracks. What do you think of Central Cee’s comments in support of Ice Spice? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: Central Cee Names His Favorite Meal During Fit Check: Watch

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Ice Spice Respects The Opinions Of Music Critics

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Ice Spice has been the biggest new star in all of music for 2023. She’s repeatedly been the subject of numerous interviews and features trying to break down the secret to her meteoric rise to fame. Earlier this month she talked about Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, and how many rappers act differently behind the scenes in a major cover story for Variety. During another recent interview with the LA Times, she sent fans into a frenzy when she mentioned that she was dating someone but wouldn’t say who.

Now, she’s part of another cover story this time for Complex. She talked about a number of things in the interview but one that stood out in particular is her take on music critics. Unlike most of her contemporaries who spend a lot of time dissing their critics, she has respect for them. “They actually study music and care about it. So I feel like I’d rather hear their opinion. I’m more interested in that because at least it’ll be paragraphs explaining why they feel that way and I’ll be able to understand the person better versus just one little hateful ass comment from a private page. At least there’s an author and a face attached,” Spice explained. Check out her entire interview below.

Read More: Ice Spice Smokes Weed On IG, Haters Say She “Just Lost All Her Charm”

Ice Spice Cares About The Opinions Of Music Critics

In the same interview, Ice Spice elaborated on how she doesn’t think of herself as a “lyricist.” She clarified that the appeal of her music is less about the lyrical content and more about the performance and intensity. She explains that she wants to keep her lyrical content simple and digestible for maximum enjoyment.

Over the weekend Spice made her debut appearance on Saturday Night Live. She took the stage alongside host Pete Davidson for the first new show since the end of the writer’s strike. What do you think of Ice Spice’s take on music critics? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: Pete Davidson Shades Kanye West In “Barbie”-Inspired “SNL” Skit, Poses With Ice Spice & Speaks On War

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Gordo Discusses Drake’s Process: “He’s A Mad Man”

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Producer Gordo says that Drake’s a “mad man” and “doesn’t sleep.” He spoke about his friendship with the Toronto rapper and his recording process with Complex following the release of For All The Dogs.

When asked about Drake’s process for his latest albums, Gordo responded: “He’s a mad man. He’s insane. He doesn’t sleep. He just works, works, works, works. He’ll call me at 9 a.m., 10 a.m. in the morning. I’m like, bro, ‘go to bed. You’re insane.’ So that’s what I learned.”

Read More: Drake Reacts To HNHH Comments On Original “Take Care” Review

Drake At The Billboard Music Awards

US rapper Drake poses in the press room during the 2019 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 1, 2019, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bridget BENNETT / AFP) (Photo credit should read BRIDGET BENNETT/AFP via Getty Images)

Gordo also discussed how he met Drake. After joking about it coming through the dating app Christian Mingle, he admitted it actually happened at a Lil Wayne concert. “I met this guy so long ago through one of my homies,” he said. “It was like a Lil Wayne show. There’s a photo out there somewhere of when we first met him. We’ve always had a lot of mutual friends. So we always stayed connected here and there. And then in 2017 [or] 2016, we started getting closer and closer. Then there was a long time that we didn’t talk. But as of recently, we became really close musically. We never talked about music until last year and we’ve been friends for years. I think that’s the coolest part of it, is it was never about music. We were just homies, we have the same brain. We always say that if we were in high school, we would have been best friends.”

Gordo, who was formerly known as Carnage, has credits on numerous Drake songs in recent years. For Honestly, Nevermind, he produced “Sticky,” while he’s credited on “Rich Baby Daddy” and “Gently” off For All The Dogs. Be on the lookout for further updates on Drake and Gordo on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Drake’s “For All The Dogs” Elicits Praise & Hilarious Reactions

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Childish Gambino Believes Rap Isn’t Growing Like It Used To

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Childish Gambino’s recent Complex interview saw him dishing out on a lot of controversial and debated topics. One of those was on the role of artificial intelligence in today’s world, and his answer might surprise you. However, another contentious and heated discussion, especially right now, is whether or not hip-hop is “dead” or “dying.” While Donald Glover didn’t take the black-and-white stance that others have, he did express belief that things just aren’t as they used to be. Maybe you’ll find his comments out-of-touch, maybe they resonate deeply with your thoughts on the game, but one thing’s for sure: this is a big and elusive name to be addressing this.

“I think I’m as tapped in as I can be,” Childish Gambino replied when asked how in-tune he feels to rap. “[I like] when something feels new to me. You get washed and old when s**t just sounds the same to you because you’ve heard so much. You know, I think the women are killing it because they have narratives. I feel like a lot of the guys, it’s harder to have interesting new narratives now.

Read More: Childish Gambino Performs “24.19” At Manager Chad Taylor’s Wedding

Childish Gambino’s Summarized Thoughts On Today’s Rap Game

“Also, I feel like, in general… I don’t want to say ‘rap is dead,’ it’s just, it’s not able to grow the way it was growing before,” Childish Gambino continued. “It’s just not able to. It’s a very different time. Who’s making it and why they’re making it is very different, too. I hear Sexyy Red, I hear Ice Spice, I hear Tokischa. I hear all these artists, and I’m like ‘This is all good s**t.’ And it goes back to… The audience decides what the functionality of it is. Sometimes, that is just to feel good. Also, people want something fresh, but people want it fast, which sometimes just doesn’t happen.

“I feel like it’ll be clear sooner rather than later,” the multi-hyphenate creative answered to a question about whether he’ll drop music soon. “It’d be better for people to just tune in, I suppose. But I’m trying harder to not be cryptic. Tyler is always, like, ‘You’re so cryptic.’ But I’m like, ‘I’m really not.’ I just like suspense, I guess. I think it makes stuff better. But that’s just me.” For more news and updates on Childish Gambino, log back into HNHH.

Read More: Childish Gambino And Kaytranada Have A New Song On The Way

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