deal

Suge Knight Says Eazy-E’s Widow Fumbled Millions Of Dollars In Poor Dr. Dre Deal

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Suge Knight’s recent episode of the Collect Call podcast, which aired on Sunday (November 19), is adding salt to a wound. Moreover, he targeted Eazy-E’s widow for fumbling a deal that the Death Row executive landed with Dr. Dre that would’ve set up the late rapper and his family for generational wealth. By giving up some profits to Suge, Eazy allegedly could get a share of all of the West Coast producer’s earnings, no matter the industry. During his conversation with The Source magazine co-founder Dave Mays, he explained that this was a billion-dollar opportunity given Dre’s continued massive success throughout his career.

“I did a deal for [Eazy],” Suge Knight’s comments on the whole situation began. “He gets a dollar off of anything that Dre does. In other words, [that’s] if he do a movie, if he do a beat, [or] if he promote some type of merchandise. If he do a commercial, if he produce… Off of his part, [Eazy] gets a dollar.” Then, the incarcerated and notorious music figure explained that Eazy-E’s widow, Tomica Woods-Wright, assumed control of his estate after his untimely passing in March of 1995.

Read More: Suge Knight’s Son Weighs In On His Dad’s Podcast: “He’s Telling The Truth”

Collect Call With Suge Knight: Check Out His Words On Eazy-E’s Widow At 15:34

“Tomica met with Interscope,” Suge Knight further alleged. “Interscope said, ‘Hey, why you want to get a dollar off of everything Dre does? Me and you could do business later on. Sign off and just let Dre out of it. We’re gonna do business later.’ She signed off. They ain’t did no business with that b***h later. And guess what? That f***ed Eazy’s kids, his momma, at the time his father was still living. It’s f***ed his family.” Given how complex and elaborate this deal seems, it’s unclear if we’ll ever really understand the implications of this claim.

In fact, Eazy-E had previously spoken to Arsenio Hall in 1993 about a similar arrangement, which interestingly coincided with his beef with N.W.A. As such, anything Dre did went right back to Eazy. “Basically, I had Dre signed as exclusive producer and an exclusive artist,” he explained. “So when Dre tried to make his deal over at Interscope, I was included for the next six years.” For more news and the latest updates on Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, and the late and great Eazy-E, stay logged into HNHH.

Read More: Eazy-E Honored With His Own Compton Street

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WGA Reaches Historic Deal To End Writers’ Strike

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The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have reached an agreement on a deal to end the 146-day strike that has stalled the entertainment industry. The decision comes after five consecutive days of negotiations.

“We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional – with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership,” the WGA’s negotiating committee told members in an email on Sunday night, as noted by Variety. “To be clear, no one is to return to work until specifically authorized to by the Guild. We are still on strike until then.”

Read More: Lil Wayne Shows His Support For Writers’ Strike By Treating Them To A Burger Truck

WGA Members Picket Outside Of NBC Studios

BURBANK, CA – FEBRUARY 08: Writers Guild of America members and supporters picket in front of NBC studios as hope grows that a draft copy of a proposed deal with Hollywood studios being completed today could lead to an end to the three-month old Hollywood writers strike within days, on February 8, 2008 in Burbank, California. The writers have been on strike since November 5 over the issue of compensation for content offered over the Internet. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

The WGA added that they’re holding off on announcing details of the contract agreement until both parties have signed everything and made it official. “Though we are eager to share the details of what has been achieved with you, we cannot do that until the last ‘i’ is dotted,” the message further stated. “To do so would complicate our ability to finish the job. So, as you have been patient with us before, we ask you to be patient again – one last time.”

The end of the WGA strike, which began on May 2, doesn’t necessarily mean the end of SAG-AFTRA’s strike, although it will likely help to hasten it along. In a statement reacting to news of the new deal, the union leaders wrote: “SAG-AFTRA congratulates the WGA on reaching a tentative agreement with the AMPTP after 146 days of incredible strength, resiliency and solidarity on the picket lines. While we look forward to reviewing the WGA and AMPTP’s tentative agreement, we remain committed to achieving the necessary terms for our members.” Be on the lookout for further updates on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Ice-T Voices Support For Actors & Writers Amid Strike

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Diddy Makes Artists Follow Strict Set Of Rules To Get Publishing Rights Back, Aubrey O’Day Alleges

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Recently, Diddy’s started to reassign publishing rights back to some Bad Boy artists. Artists like Biggie, Ma$e, The LOX, and more are all in the process of getting their rights back. During an interview with The Breakfast Club recently, he claimed that his decision came after some internal reflection. He also says it was sparked by his own criticism of the Grammys.

“Once you start asking for change in this world,” he explained. “You have to look within and be a part of that change.” Diddy continued, also adding that reassigning the publishing rights was part of his own personal evolution. “This actually was done two years ago,” he described. “It was more of me just evolving as a businessman, you know, a person that really wants change in the world. Though Diddy claims that he’s trying to do right by artists by giving them back their publishing rights, Aubrey O’Day appears to think otherwise.

Read More: Diddy Shares First Music Video From New Album With The Weeknd & 21 Savage

Aubrey O’Day Speaks On Diddy Giving Publishing Right Back To Bad Boy Artists

During her recent appearance on the Only Stans podcast, O’Day detailed the deal some of his artists were offered. According to the Danity Kane performer, the deal she was offered a few months back would only allow her to see the money that came after Sony purchased their catalog. “So streaming, for the past couple years,” she explained. “It’s about $800-$900.“

She went on to list some rules the artists must allegedly follow in order to get their rights back. “I have to release him for any claims or wrongdoings or actions prior to the date of the release,” she described. “I have to sign an NDA that I will never disparage Puff, Bad Boy, Janice Combs or Justin Combs’ music, or EMI, or Sony ever in public.” Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates on Diddy.

Read More: Diddy Explains The Reassigning Rights Process Has Been Ongoing For Years

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Fat Joe’s Past Feud With Jay-Z Left Him Out Of A Reebok Sneaker Deal

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It’s hard to imagine these days, but at the height of their careers in the 2000s, Jay-Z and Fat Joe did not get along well. Their rivalry stemmed from a basketball game that Joe’s team won via forfeit, and that he boasted about on his hit “Lean Back.” Moreover, they didn’t make up for years after, and the Terror Squad rapper recently reflected on how this beef actually ended up pushing him out of a lot of profit opportunities. After all, Hov is a business, man, and going against him even before his richest peaks meant that the industry was going to look at you sideways. While speaking to Rap Radar, Joey Crack explained how this feud got in the way of his cashflow- and how much better things are now.

“I learned the hard way, I never complained and I never said it publicly but you know I had beef with 50 Cent and Jay-Z,” Fat Joe said at the 53:47 mark of the video below. “The two most f***ing powerful dudes in the world. Reebok was gonna give me a sneaker deal and they [were like], ‘Oh you have beef with Ja7-Z and 50 Cent.’ Jordan too, ‘We can’t give you the deal.’ You know how much money, s**t was like an embargo.”

Read More: Fat Joe Says Which Jay-Z Bar Is The “Hardest Lyric In Hip-Hop”

Fat Joe’s Rap Radar Appearance

Furthermore, he related this point to Melle Mel dissing Eminem, which he talked to the Grandmaster about and related it to his relationship with Mayor. “I’m not saying purposefully they was doing it, but Mayor’s not doing a deal with you if you got beef with Fat Joe,” the 53-year-old added. “So that’s the whole point I try to teach [Melle Mel] from my mistake. I said, ‘Yo bro, you don’t wanna diss him.’ What I’m saying is don’t block your blessings.”

Meanwhile, now Joe appreciates his bond with Jay so much that he left Drake off their remix of “All The Way Up” because of it. In another interview with Math Hoffa, he also remarked that things picked up for him financially when they squashed their beef. “I ain’t going lie, ever since I started f***ing with Jay-Z, I’ve been getting paid,” he stated. For more news and the latest updates on Jay-Z and Fat Joe, come back to HNHH.

Read More: Fat Joe Reveals Collab With Jay-Z Scrapped Due To NFL Diss

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Jim Jones Reflects On Meeting Kevin Gates: “I Just Felt His Energy”

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During a recent conversation on the Drink Champs podcast, Jim Jones reflected on meeting Kevin Gates for the first time. Apparently, he had no choice but to meet the rapper, who was freshly out of prison at the time. According to Jones, he refused to even consider signing to Cash Money otherwise. Ultimately the artist went with Atlantic instead, but at least he got to meet one of his idols.

“Shoutout to Kevin Gates,” Jones started the story. “One of them called me like, ‘Yo, Birdman tryna sign this artist. His name is Kevin Gates and he just came home from jail. He the biggest thing going, and Birdman tryna sign him, but we got one problem: he’s not going to sign to Birdman unless he meets Jim Jones.’” Ultimately, Jones decided to do Birdman a solid and meet with the up-and-coming artist.

Read More: Jim Jones Praises Pusha T Amid Ongoing Feud

Jim Jones Says Kevin Gates Insisted On Meeting Him

“I was like, ‘What?’ They was like, ‘Yeah, he in the city right now. Can we bring him to you? ‘Cause Birdman needs to sign this artist.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, tell him to pull up.’ Kevin Gates pull up. He still had on the khakis, still looking like he was fresh out of jail. I just felt his energy.” Jones says that upon meeting the artist, he knew right away that he belonged. They also went on to work on some music that evening, fulfilling Gates’ demands. “You knew he was one of us. Like, he came from the same places we came from and things like that. We sat in there. Did five records that night. Then after that, Cash Money got to do business with him.”

Though Kevin Gates didn’t end up signing to Cash Money, the encounter with Birdman early in his career still shaped his path in some ways. In an interview with VladTV in 2014, he revealed that Birdman had a major influence on him. Apparently, he even inspired him to start his own label, Bread Winners’ Association. “That’s gonna always be my family,” he said of Birdman, “for what he told me, what he taught me.”

Read More: Jim Jones Mourns Takeoff On “Drink Champs”

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Boosie Badazz Keeps Calling Out Empire For Owing Him Money For Yung Bleu Deal

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Boosie Badazz isn’t happy with labels for allegedly failing to pay him for a deal they struck with his artist Yung Bleu. Moreover, he recently took to Twitter after his Instagram Live rant on this matter to further expand on his issues. According to the Baton Rouge rapper, he didn’t even know that Empire Records and Universal signed this deal with Bleu, but that he still deserves the money they owe him for his artist’s partnership. In addition, he also alleged that they waited until he wasn’t around as much to finalize this and count him out of the equation. Overall, it’s quite the odd situation, but one that hopefully doesn’t cause any tension between these two MCs.

“@ghazi [Empire CEO] empire universal etc,” Boosie began his tweet. “CAN YALL PAY ME MY MONEY!! YALL ALL KNOW MY NAME WAS FORGED N I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THIS DEAL WITH MY ARTIST [YUNG BLEU]! I TEXTED YOU N YOU IGNORED ME FOR 5 MONTHS UNTIL I SAID I WAS SENDIN PAPERWORK. U KNEW I WAS CEO WHY NOT CONTACT ME N GET THE DEAL DONE.”

Read More: Boosie Badazz Arrest: What We Know About His Legal Troubles

Boosie Keeps Calling Out Labels For Owing Him Money

“COLD PART, YALL WAITED TILL I WAS SHOT UP N A WHEELCHAIR N WENT DID THIS DEAL N GOT MY BROTHER TO FORGE MY NAME!” the 40-year-old continued. “ITS STR8 GREED. DO THE RIGHT THING N PAY ME. YALL THOUGHT I WAS TOO GANGSTER TO LAWYER UP. IM GO FIGHT YALL TILL DEATH FOR MY KIDS MONEY. THIS HAS CAUSED FRICTION WITH ME N MY OWN MOTHER N YALL THINKING ITS A GAME. YALL TRYIN ME ITS UP.” In a separate post on Instagram, Boosie posted the allegedly forged signature and another message against Empire and Ghazi.

Meanwhile, the First Day Back artist recently used Twitter for more positive reasons to urge people to listen to Coi Leray’s new album. “@coileray_ SHOULD HAVE SOLD AT LEAST 100K THE FIRST WEEK,” he tweeted. “‘NOBODY RECENT GOT MORE HITS THAN HER’ either, this s**t rigged. CELEBRITY KIDS JUST GET HATED ON WHEN ITS TIME TO SWIPE. MFS BE HATERS str8 UP. MY FAM GO THROUGH the Same S**t WE AINT STOPPING THO BELIEVE THAT.” Regardless, stay up to date on HNHH for the latest news and updates on Boosie Badazz.

Read More: Boosie Badazz Does “The Ankle Monitor” Dance With Lil Duval

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Ras Kass Reveals How He Missed An Opportunity With Roc-A-Fella Records

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Ras Kass recently did an interview with My Expert Opinion. During the interview, he explained how he believes he “fumbled” what could have been a huge opportunity. The artist says that Roc-A-Fella Records was looking to create a West Coast division of the label at the time. He shares that when Jay-Z allowed him to crash at his house in New York, a night out might have cost him a deal with Roc-A-Fella West Coast.

“I was brought out,” he began, “That was kind of the idea, you know — to bring the West Coast out.” “So I stayed at State Street — at Jay’s house in downtown Brooklyn,” Ras Kass continues. “So I came out for a summer and started recording with Jaz-O, […] I ended up going back to L.A. and just, time changed, you know what I’m saying?” The artist then continued, detailing the night he believes cost him the opportunity. “I think I was picking the wrong production, to be honest, at the time. One time, me and Jay went to the club together. And I got too drunk back then, I was drinking Hennessy and I was like, yo, we might really get down,” he explains.

Read More: Dame Dash Details The Moment He Knew Roc-A-Fella Was “Over”

Ras Kass Reflects On Roc-A-Fella West Coast Opportunity

He explains that he was nervous that a potential fight could break out, which made him drink more than usual. “So I just kept drinking Hennessy and just waiting for the war to pop off, and then he got on the mic and rhymed, and killed it, and then he called me to the mic. And I was too drunk. I think I fumbled on that one, that n***a is unforgiving. That was the one opportunity that, if I had gone back, would have changed everything.”

“I lost focus on what the end game was, which is the bars,” he explains. Ras Kass then reveals that he frequently reflects on the opportunity, considering what he could have done differently. “Remorse is the most pointless f***ing emotion ever made,” he says, “cuz you can’t fix it.”

Read More: Jay-Z Performs Classics At Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton Fashion Show

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DJ Akademiks Signs With Controversial Streaming Site Rumble

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DJ Akademiks has inked an exclusive live-streaming deal with Rumble, the controversial platform that hosts numerous right-wing figures and is partially funded by billionaire Peter Thiel and Republican Ohio senator J.D. Vance. The company announced in a press release that Akademiks will stream on the site three to five days a week.

“I look forward to being one of the first to bring music and cultural conversations to a platform like Rumble. There have been many bad decisions at larger platforms where they haven’t put creators first and they are disconnected to the community. I feel now is an inflection point for streaming platforms,” Akademiks said in a statement.” I couldn’t be more excited to lead this effort on a platform that puts creators first.”

DJ Akademiks At ComplexCon

LONG BEACH, CA – NOVEMBER 03: Akademiks attends 2018 ComplexCon-Day 1 at Long Beach Convention Center on November 3, 2018. (Photo by Earl Gibson III/Getty Images)

“Akademiks is one of the most influential personalities in the Hip-Hop and cultural world,” said Rumble Chairman and CEO Chris Pavlovski. “Having him on Rumble sends a big statement to the other platforms on how serious we are in getting into different channels of content, from sports to music to culture.” Rumble originally launched back in October 2013. More recently, it bills itself as “a high-growth neutral video platform…creating the rails and independent infrastructure designed to be immune to cancel culture.”

The signing for Akademiks comes days after he met up with former president Donald Trump at UFC 287 in Miami. In a post sharing a picture from the event, Akademiks joked about running as his vice president in 2024. “Might have to take up Uncle Trump on his offer of being His Vice President 2024,” he joked. “Bruh told me ’no way you’d be worse than Kamala.” After the move was announced, Akademiks also got into a back and forth with another hip-hop journalist on Twitter after the man accused him of “fuckery.” Akademiks’ first live stream on Rumble will air at 6:00 PM, ET on Tuesday, April 11th. Check out the announcement from Rumble about Akademiks joining the platform below.

The Rumble Announcement

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Ja Morant Suspension Makes NLE Choppa Lose His Powerade Deal

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Ja Morant’s suspension bled over into many aspects of the entertainment world, including a Powerade ad with NLE Choppa. Not only was the ad featuring Morant itself pulled, but Choppa’s new track “Mo Up Front” was meant to be used as its soundtrack. Following the Grizzlies player’s gun-flashing incident, though, it seems like both lost their chance at the bag. Of course, it’s beyond NLE’s control, which is unfortunate considering that he’s not a massive commercial star when compared to other ad-frequenting artists. This could’ve really boosted his profile and brand, although he’ll likely have more opportunities like this in the future.

Moreover, TMZ reported the news and heard from sources close to their camps that the ad was part of Ja and Powerade’s “What 50% More Means” campaign. In addition, the ad highlighted March Madness in the NCAA. After the basketball star’s suspension and subsequent investigations, such plans fell through. However, TMZ‘s sources reported that the two are still good friends, have a good rapport, and maintain a relationship. After all, the Memphis rapper walked the Grizzlies out for their opening home game, so his fandom runs deep.

NLE Choppa Loses Powerade Spot With Ja Morant

In fact, the “Shotta Flow” MC will participate in the team’s celebrity basketball game on Monday (March 20). Not only should it be a fun and celebratory occasion, but it will also benefit St. Jude’s Hospital. On the musical end of things, the artist will give fans a lot of heat very soon. Apparently, his upcoming track with Lil Wayne drops next week, titled “Ain’t Gonna Answer.” What’s more is that it’ll be the last (or one of the last) singles before the April release of his next album Cottonwood 2.

Meanwhile, Morant’s situation also prompted the Memphis NBA team to change their travel protocols for the sake of the players. It seems like the team at large often got into trouble at the road. Furthermore, its players will not be allowed to stay overnight at cities they travel to. Instead, they must hit the road immediately after a game to their next destination. Let us know your thoughts on this in the comments below and return to HNHH for the latest on NLE Choppa and Ja Morant.

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Diplo Explains Recent Catalog Sale & What He Wants To Do With The Money

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Diplo says that there’s a growing trend for artists to sell their music catalogs because it’s more convenient to have the money upfront. That’s the reasoning he gave to explain his own decision to sell his Mad Decent Publishing catalog to Olivier Chastan‘s music rights and brand management company Iconoclast. When asked about the deal at LAX, Diplo revealed to TMZ what he intends to do with the money.

“It’s a great investment because when you stream music it just constantly goes. So a record like ‘Lean On,’ one of my songs with Major Lazer, always has 400,000 streams. It’s always gonna generate capital so it’s a great investment.” As for why keeping the catalog wouldn’t be a great investment for him, Diplo explained: “I don’t want to wait 20 years for it to reach the max. I just want money now so I can go do stuff with it.” As for what he wants to do with the money, he added that he wants to make a movie, invest in property, and more.

Diplo At The Grammys

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 26: Diplo attends the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center on January 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

Olivier Chastan explained Iconoclast’s decision to purchase Diplo’s catalog in a statement provided to Billboard. He described the body of work as “one of the most exciting and original catalogs where Brazilian Baile Funk and Angolan Kuduro mix with EDM and pop.”

“I first became aware of Mad Decent when Kevin Kusatsu and Diplo were working on the first Major Lazer album,” Chastan continued. “The sound was completely different, the songwriting utterly original and fresh-sounding, and the production uniquely creative. Our acquisition of the Mad Decent Publishing catalog illustrates our commitment to preserving and growing culturally significant art of any era including with artists that are shaping contemporary music.”

Diplo is far from the first artist to sell their catalog in recent years. Bruce Springsteen did so in 2021, bringing in $500 million in exchange. Justin Bieber also recently sold his catalog for $200 million while Dr. Dre sold a portion of his for just over $200 million.

Major Lazer’s “Lean On”

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