debate

Dwight Howard Claims His Prime Was Better Than Nikola Jokic

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Dwight Howard is nothing if not a workhorse basketball player. The first overall pick in 2004, he went on to have a dominant career in the NBA. Eight-time all-star, five-time all-NBA first team, a championship in 2020. Furthermore, his defense was truly elite. He won back-to-back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards and made four all-defensive first teams. Add in an Olympic gold medal and a host of other accolades and you have a first-ballot Hall of Famer right there.

However, Howard isn’t technically retired. Starting in 2022, Howard has been playing in the Taiwanese League. At the end of his first season, he had captured an all-star nod and Most Valuable Import. He also earned first-team honors for both the league as a whole and all-defense. However, Howard is now making some bold claims about Nikola Jokić.

Howard Claims Better Prime Than Jokic

Dwight Howard
TAIPEI, TAIWAN – FEBRUARY 19: Dwight Howard #12 of the Taoyuan Leopard made a three point shot during the T1 League game between TaiwanBeer HeroBears and Taoyuan Leopards at University of Taipei Tianmu Gymnasium on February 19, 2023 in Taipei, Taiwan. (Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images)

Howard went off while speaking to Complex. “Obviously, people going to say Jokić can score. He got all those offensive skills. But at the same time, I was getting 38 and 20, 45-18, 19, 20, and I’m doing all this with twos. No threes, all twos. I’m doing this with lobs. I’m not getting a lot of post-up attempts like Jokic. He’s getting way more opportunities I would say. And I was just in a different era. So, people look at that and say, “Well, Jokić, he scores and does all this stuff.” And no offense, I think he’s great. I love Jokić, I don’t want people to think that I’m trying to hate even comparing, but I’m going to take myself. I know how dominant I was and I know what I could do with my skills. And on the defensive end and on the offensive end I was quick enough to get past everybody.”

He continued. “So, I didn’t necessarily have to use skill moves and stuff like that all the time to score. I use my speed a lot, I use power to finesse or sometimes speed to finish with power. I just had an array of different things but people just remember seeing me dunk the ball on people’s head. And I love Jokić and I’m happy for him. I think he’s one of the best centers that ever played the game on basketball. [But] I’m Dwight Howard. I know what I’ve done in this league.” At the time of writing, Howard has 19485 points (55th) and 10476 rebounds (10th). Jokić has 12054 points (273rd) and 6273 rebounds (165th).

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Young Thug Versus Gunna: Which Album Is Better? Twitter Debates

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Over the past week, we saw two incredibly hyped albums come out amid a lot of drama and speculation. a Gift & a Curse by Gunna came out on June 16, and just a week later, Young Thug dropped BUSINESS IS BUSINESS. Considering both artists’ history together, their incarceration for the YSL RICO case, and Wunna’s subsequent plea deal, these two release being so close to one another come with a lot of baggage. Of course, many enjoy both to great extent, but social media sites like Twitter have been warring over which one is the superior body of work.

For starters, many lamented the fact that neither MC appeared on the other’s album, which many thought would confirm that they’re still on good terms. Regardless, when you search “Young Thug Gunna” on Twitter, most tweets side with a Gift & a Curse. “Sorry but this new Young Thug album doesn’t even compete to Gunna’s album,” one user wrote. Another made note of the College Park MC’s important contributions to other career highlights. “Young Thug & Lil Baby’s biggest songs both feature Gunna…” they tweeted.

Read More: Young Thug’s New Album Contains Hostile Snitching Bars

Twitter Debates Gunna & Young Thug’s Albums

On the other hand, many people started praising Gunna’s album just minutes after BUSINESS IS BUSINESS came out, not even enough time to listen to the whole thing. In addition, others took the opportunity to explain why it’s hard to compare them, especially within mere hours of Thugger dropping. “Well gunna did have a year to prepare, got out and recorded all new material,” one user pointed out. “These thug songs are obvious throwaways and loose songs from “punk”. Is it illegal to just enjoy them both damn.”

Finally, many who believe Thug’s album is better have the obvious argument of him influencing Gunna greatly. “Young Thug made Gunna. Don’t forget that,” one person tweeted. Regardless of their speculated falling-out, the albums are stylistically distinct enough to make it more of a question of personal preference. One has more expressive vocals, the other has more laidback instrumentals, but only one can be better than the other. Check out some takes below, let us know yours in the comments, and return to HNHH for more on Gunna and Young Thug.

Read More: Did Gunna Beat The Snitching Narrative? Twitter Reacts To “A Gift & A Curse”

More Takes On BUSINESS IS BUSINESS Versus a Gift & a Curse

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Nicki Minaj Allegedly Bit Saweetie’s Idea For “Barbie World” Track

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Apparently the upcoming Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice collab “Barbie World,” for the upcoming Barbie movie, has a certain inspiration that they ripped off. However, that accusation is pretty contentious at the end of the day when you read into it. Still, writer and former rapper Problem, real name Jason Martin, claimed that the New York rapper took Saweetie’s idea to sample Aqua’s 1997 hit, “Barbie Girl.” Not only that, but Martin also alleged that they sent a track called “Icy World” with a slightly different version of the beat to the Barbie team to be used in the movie. Furthermore, he took to both Twitter and Instagram Live to voice his frustration with this alleged biting.

“As a writer on this, I can confirm this song and idea was sent to her last year to submit for the Barbie movie,” Martin wrote on Twitter. “It’s sad to see that the original artist has been pushed off a song that was her idea and was meant for both of them. I have no side in this, but I will be compensated.” While it seems he’s seeking writing credit and nothing more, it’s odd to say he’s not taking a “side.”

Read More: Nicki Minaj Confirms October Release Date For Next Album

Nicki Minaj Accused Of Biting Saweetie’s Barbie Song Idea

“If or when I need to detail the whole way it went down in regards to this Barbie shit, you will understand why all writers need to be compensated with day rates and contracts protecting their intellectual properties the day of,” Jason Martin continued. “Hopefully this gets sorted out quietly. But please no I don’t scare easy.” Regardless, the artist formerly known as Problem also hit up fans live on Instagram to share his thoughts. In it, he reiterated that he doesn’t want to start beef, just get paid for writing the song concept.

Jason Martin Continues His Side Of The Story On Instagram Live

Meanwhile, this accusation is quite odd considering that Ice Spice and Saweetie linked up in the past. Also, is this really the first two instances of people wanting to sample the Barbie song? Things are quite unclear right now with all artists involved not responding as of writing this article. However, it’s hard to predict how it will pan out. For more news and the latest updates on Nicki Minaj, Saweetie, and Ice Spice, come back to HNHH.

Read More: Saweetie Wants Rihanna “Dance Record” Collab

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Lil Uzi Vert Accuses Kai Cenat Of Lying About His Height

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Lil Uzi Vert and Kai Cenat recently went live on Instagram together, where they engaged in a lively debate about their heights. Uzi accused Cenat of lying about his height, claiming that there’s no way he’s 5-foot-7. Cenat denied lying, noting that his ID even confirms his height. Uzi responded by telling the streamer that he could have lied about his height on his ID. When Cenat asked Uzi how tall they are, they responded “taller than you!” Uzi then said, “sh*t, if you’re 5-foot-7 then I’m 6-foot-1.” The funny debate continued, with both parties accusing eachother of being smaller than the other.

Lil Uzi Vert’s new album, The Pink Tape, is set to arrive shortly. Though it has no official release date, Uzi previously said it’ll drop this month. “We weeks away. I’m telling ya’ll, I’ma come correct. I’ma come correct,” they said earlier this week. Many fans think they’ll drop the album on National Pink Day, June 23. Uzi has been continuing to tease the highly-anticipated LP, previewing various tracks in the past few weeks. They shared what appears to be the album’s cover art yesterday, as well as some photos of Playboi Carti and Ken Carson. This led many fans to speculate that they will be featured on The Pink Tape.

Read More: Lil Uzi Vert Teases “The Pink Tape” Cover Art, Potential Collabs With Playboi Carti & Ken Carson

Lil Uzi Vert And Kai Cenat Argue

Recently, Uzi confirmed that Carson produced a track on the album. They also said that the album has “Not that many features but the features that everybody thinks I should have.” Uzi added, “basically, where I started at is where imma finish.” DJ Akademiks previously claimed that Travis Scott also appears on the album, telling viewers that the collab is “fire.” Uzi recently told fans that there will be 25 songs on The Pink Tape and two bonus tracks.

Uzi also recently discussed being sober during the album’s recording process. “It was challenging at first. But then after probably after a month, I got used to it,” they told TMZ in March. “I thought that my creative process wasn’t going to be the same because I wasn’t on drugs no more,” they explained, “It was the same. Even better. Because I could think more clear and I could actually, like, instead of my words slurring, which is kinda of cool, everything made sense. I didn’t just make random music. How can I say? I didn’t play off the beat. I actually made song with topics this time.”

Read More: Lil Uzi Vert Teases More New Music With Bass-Heavy Banger On Instagram Live

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French Montana Debates With His Kids Over Ice Spice Versus Latto

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Unfortunately, it seems like fanbases are more propense to pit female rappers against each other rather than encourage collaboration. Whether that’s because of a more misogynistic industry landscape, interest in beef, or just pure coincidence is up for debate. Still, competition in rap is natural and even encouraged across all generations, because who wants to sit there and admit that they’re a worse MC than another? French Montana and his kids, though, approached this in quite the light-hearted way rather than feeding into the worst parts of those tendencies. While celebrating one of his sons’ graduation, the rapper acted as a mediator in a debate over whether Ice Spice is better than Latto or vice versa.

“Latto is better than Ice Spice!” the graduate exclaimed after one of French Montana’s friends, presumably, said as such. “He put you on video saying that,” his other son remarked before the graduate jumped in. “Nah, never,” the “I Can’t Lie” hitmaker said in an effort to moderate. “Y’all both equal, y’all both good.” Hilariously, his two sons joked about the femcees hitting them up.

Read More: French Montana On “The Message With Ebro Darden”: 5 Takeaways

French Montana Moderates Ice Spice Versus Latto Debate With Children

Interestingly enough, the 38-year-old has only worked with one of these artists so far. Him and Latto have a track with Ty Dolla $ign, “Striptease,” off of French Montana’s 2021 album “They Got Amnesia.” Of course, that’s not to say that French Montana and Ice Spice couldn’t have a collab in the future, just that he could’ve easily played into a bias with his comments. Fortunately, he was right to dismiss the competition, if only because his opinion as a fellow famous rapper could have more industry consequences than that of his kids. Let us know what you think of that debate in the comments down below.

Meanwhile, the Moroccan-American rapper is set to premiere his documentary For Khadija soon, which documents his experiences as an immigrant growing up in the Bronx during his teenage years. While the film doesn’t have a release date for wider release as of yet, it will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on Friday (June 16). It will surely be an emotive experience, and one that represents his hard-earned rise to bringing a better life for his family while being inspired by them. For the latest news on French Montana, Ice Spice, and Latto, keep checking in with HNHH.

Read More: French Montana Shouts Out Drake For Documentary Help

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Diddy Trends On Twitter As People Reflect On His Past Troubling Behaviour

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Sean Combs has been in the news a lot lately, primarily for his hot new summer single, “Act Bad” with Fabolous and the City Girls. However, he also caught our attention as a result of his eldest son, Justin Combs, being arrested for a DUI over the weekend. Since the incident hit the news cycle, the conversation around Diddy’s name has taken a noticeably negative turn, even causing him to trend on Twitter as users debate some of his past questionable antics.

For decades now, hip-hop heads and pop culture fanatics have been speculating about the “I’ll Be Missing You” artist’s sexuality. Of course, he’s denied rumours of being bisexual or gay over the years, but that hasn’t stopped the allegations from flowing. Apart from that conversation, other users are also mentioning Diddy’s past admission to introducing R&B stars like Usher to an adult lifestyle years before they were of legal age.

Read More: Yung Miami Gives Us “Act Bad” Advice While Making Out With Diddy On IG

Diddy’s Antics Raise Some Eyebrows

Sean “Diddy” Combs attends The 2023 Met Gala on May 01, 2023, in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

“Diddy admitted to exposing Usher to older women, a hyper-sexual lifestyle, and trying to get him to lose his virginity when Usher was around 14/15,” one person wrote. “Lest I digress, I believe Usher’s relations with women and his life might have been different had it not been for Mr. Love,” they further speculated. Another account pointed out that the core issue many have isn’t with the father of seven’s rumoured involvement with the LGBTQ+ community.

Rather, concerned fans have a problem with him “[using] his closeted [sexuality] to take advantage of young men and women in the industry,” according to reports from various sources. “Promising things in exchange for sex/sexual dominance & favours. THAT IS THE ISSUE,” they expressed in their contribution to the ongoing debate.

Read More: Who Has Diddy Dated? 11 Women Romantically Linked To The Mogul

Twitter Debates

Keep scrolling to read the Twitter discourse unfolding about Diddy’s sexuality and rumours surrounding his past. Do you think it’s time for the New Yorker to take accountability for his actions? Let us know in the comments, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.

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Lil Meech Gifts Summer Walker Flowers, Causes A Debate

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Yesterday, Lil Meech shared a clip on Twitter of him gifting his girlfriend Summer Walker a bouquet of pink roses. The seemingly sweet social media post was quick to get fans’ attention, with some thinking his delivery lacked enthusiasm. Other users, however, felt as though the gesture was executed in a perfectly acceptable manner, coming to the actor’s defense in the comments section.

“Could’ve stood up and handed them to her,” one Twitter user wrote. A Lil Meech fan clapped back, replying, “Could’ve done whatever he wants to with his girl.” Another chimed in, “Stand up lil Meech and hand em to her.” “Maybe their bond is cool but they don’t really like each other and neither of them knows how to say it,” a different user suggested. “But who’s giving her flowers?!?!” an Instagram user asks, “Y’all be hating from outside the club and can’t even get in!! Jesus fix it,” they wrote alongside laughing emojis. Another agrees, commenting, “Why do y’all care, it’s her flowers given by her man the only persons should care is them two..”

Read More: Lil Meech Clowned By Homies For Showing Love To Summer Walker On FaceTime: Watch

Lil Meech And Summer Walker’s Relationship

Last month, Walker confirmed the relationship after rumors that the two were paired up started earlier this year. “I wanted at least like six months before people started to investigate, like damn,” she told Yung Miami. She went on to say, “I really just wanted to give it some time. You know, it’s fresh. You never know what can happen.” Walker also added, “so far, it’s great.”

Lil Meech and Walker’s relationship has gotten some attention recently, as they frequently show each other off on social media. One person to call the relationship into question was OnlyFans performer Celina Powell. In May, she shared a video that she alleged was a sex tape of her and Lil Meech. “I just posted the full video of me and babyyyy,” she captioned the post, also adding, “BMF d*ck go crazy.” The couple seemed to easily brush off the claims, with Walker only responding with a clip of DDG saying “I hate this bitch. Oh my God, I hate this b***h.”

Read More: Summer Walker & Lil Meech Goof Off, She Claps Back At Haters Asking Why Same Energy Isn’t Given On Stage

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Eminem Vs. Black Thought Debate Lights Up Twitter

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A recent debate sparked by a Beats, Rhymes & Lists on Twitter has users sounding off about their picks. The post reads, “Who’s the stronger lyricist? Eminem vs Black Thought.” Some of the discussion was polarized, with users fiercely defending their pick, while other users just couldn’t seem to choose. Many users cited the different strengths and weaknesses of the two artists, claiming that they’re both better than each other at different things.

One user siding with Black Thought writes, “It comes down to how much you weigh the values of what is being said with how cleverly those things are being said.” They add, “For me it’s Thought. Craft, content, and consistency. But I so benefit from being 43 and having heard a lot more hip hop. No disrespect to Eminem.”

Read More: Fabolous Wants To Collab With Eminem, Calls Him “Real Hip-Hop”

Some Users Claim They’re “Not Even Close”

Another cites the marketability of Eminem, writing, “Slim is a better star. More marketable, more latchable because of the audience. Maybe a better talent scout as well.” The user claims, “Thought though, actually spits circles around him when it comes to content.” Another Black Thought die-hard writes, “Black Thought and if you don’t think so explain to me how is Eminem better and I don’t wanna hear nothing about numbers I’m talking pure rap skills. Eminem hard but he not better than Thought, imo old Em was harder than Em of today.”

Eminem supporters also took to the comments to defend their pick. One writes, “Em. Black Thought is Dope, but his rhyme schemes are not as unique as Em’s. His work on the Roots albums were good, but some of it wasn’t that complex. Em has better storytelling tracks and more double entendres.” Another says, “Eminem, but Black Thought for knowledge and deep storylines, except for ‘Stan.’ ‘Stan’ was extremely well put together IMO. But black thought has a hole catalog of shit that has meaning over incredible wordplay. And tell me one person who is still not in love with. ‘You Got Me.’” A different user says, “Talking strictly skill set, Black thought doesn’t come close to Em. The only issue with Em however, is that we don’t always like the subject matter. And the issue with rap fans is that they stay defensive and can’t be objective about anything.”

Read More: Black Thought Announces New Memoir

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Timbaland Calls R. Kelly “The King Of R&B,” Fans Lash Back

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Timbaland just caught a lot of heat online for proclaiming that R. Kelly, convicted sex offender, is “the King of R&B.” Moreover, the producer made such comments during his conversation with Shannon Sharpe on the latter’s Club Shay Shay podcast, where they also broached Timbo’s struggles with addiction. However, his praise of the disgraced R&B star didn’t come without its caveats, as he acknowledged that it was a loaded subject that people quickly bash on. Still, he maintained the importance of separating the art from the artist when it comes to their greatness and impact, and Sharpe was actually the first to do so in the conversation. Many fans expressed disappointment and anger with this take, especially considering that the Virginia native produced for one of Kelly’s victims, Aaliyah.

“R. Kelly’s the king of R&B,” Timbaland stated. “We all know that, man. And it’s funny, I’m glad you talk about that, because I be having talks- everybody jump when you say R. Kelly. I’m like, ‘So we just gonna ignore his music that he gave us, that we all jam to?’ No, we can’t do that. His art is his art, I ain’t gonna bash the man’s art. Don’t mix music up with personal. Music is a feeling, it stands alone. Music is something that don’t have no race, it brings people together. It don’t have no drama with it. It is a place of enjoyment, a feeling, so don’t bring drama into music. Leave that outside.”

Read More: R. Kelly Victim Gets Priority Access To His Royalty Fund

Timbaland & Shannon Sharpe Speak On R. Kelly’s Legacy

Furthermore, the 56-year-old currently serves a 30-year prison sentence stemming from a New York conviction. In addition, authorities convicted him of sex trafficking, child pornography, and other federal and civil charges in Chicago this year. While the Chicago sentence is technically an additional twenty years, only one of those will be added to his total time, as the rest serve concurrently with his New York sentence. Undeniably, his legacy saw a massive and irreversible taint as a result that re-contextualized his entire work under a dark light. Check out reactions to Timbaland’s take below.

Twitter Reacts To The “King Of R&B” Take

Regardless of his thoughts on legacy and artistic separation, the case of R. Kelly precedes much of his work in today’s discussions. As such, many out there continue to make sure his crimes are not forgotten in probably the most extreme example of a tarnished musical legacy. Whether that persists for years to come remains to be seen, and whether others will face a similar fate is a mystery. For more news and the latest updates on R. Kelly and Timbaland, stick around on HNHH.

Read More: R. Kelly Files For Appeal In Federal Sex Crimes Case In NY

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Ice Cube Weighs In On Mike Epps Versus Chris Tucker

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Mike Epps versus Chris Tucker is a debate between two titans of the Black comedy in the 1990s. Epps got his big acting break in 2000’s Next Friday, playing Day-Day Jones, the sidekick to Ice Cube’s Craig Jones. Meanwhile, Tucker got his break in the first Friday film in 1995. Later in the decade, Tucker would become well-known for his starring role in the Rush Hour films alongside Jackie Chan.

Both men had a crucial role in the Friday franchise. Furthermore, both men had helped define comedy for a generation of people. But who was funnier? There are arguments for both but now Ice Cube has weighed in on the debate.

Ice Cube Backs Epps Over Tucker

Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, and Mike Epps
HOLLYWOOD – JUNE 8: (US TABS AND HOLLYWOOD REPORTER OUT) (L-R) Actors Ice Cube, Cedric The Entertainer and Mike Epps attend the after party for the premiere of the Paramount Pictures’ film “The Honeymooners” on June 8, 2005 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images)

“Mike, to me, is funnier, just as a pure comic,” Cube said. Furthermore, he acknowledged that they wouldn’t have had Epps’ Day-Day if Tucker hadn’t left the Friday franchise after the first film. “Yeah, I’m glad he didn’t do it,” Cube said. “‘Cause we wouldn’t have Mike.” Furthermore, Tucker was reportedly offered $12 million to reprise his role as Smokey but declined over “religious reasons.” Cube elaborated on this, explaining that, “Yeah, we wanted him,” he said. “He turned it down. You’ll hear a thousand different stories, but we wanted to pay him $12 million to do that movie and he turned it down. He said it was for religious reasons…He didn’t wanna cuss and he didn’t wanna smoke weed on camera.”

Meanwhile, Tucker gave his own version of events in 2021. “I never really told people this ’cause I kinda forgot about it … I didn’t want to represent everybody smoking weed,” he said. “I kind of made it more personal than a movie … I wanted to move on because when I did something, I never wanted to do it again. Back then, I was all about going to the next level. I had a good sense of like, ‘OK, now it’s time to go do an action movie.’”

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