ASAP Rocky is a talented performer. He rose to fame as a rapper, of course, but he has excelled in numerous mediums. He’s become a renowned fashion model courtesy of collabs with Calvin Klein and PUMA. Now, ASAP Rocky is going to take the plunge into acting. He’s dabbled in film before, but the upcoming crime drama Highest 2 Lowest will represent a huge step forward. Rocky, born Rakim Meyers, will play the lead in a new Spike Lee joint.
Highest 2 Lowest was announced in February 2024. The buzz surrounding the film stemmed from the reunion between director Spike Lee and actor Denzel Washington. The duo are responsible for several classics dating back to the 1990s, and they haven’t worked together in two decades. The assumption was that Washington was going to play the lead, but a new report from Billboard proves this to be untrue. Instead, ASAP Rocky will be taking center stage. “The main role … is ASAP Rocky,” Lee said during the 2024 Red Sea International Film Festival. “People will see when it comes out. It’s dynamite.”
Oscar-winning director Spike Lee, a Freedom Award honoree, answers questions on the red carpet ahead of the National Civil Rights Museum’s 33rd Freedom Award ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024 in front of the Halloran Centre in Memphis, Tenn.
ASAP Rocky’s charisma has proven to be effective on the big screen. He made his feature film debut in Dope (2015), before turning in scene-stealing performances in Zoolander 2 (2016) and Monster (2018). Highest 2 Lowest will represent a huge leap in terms of collaborators and prestige. Rocky is also slated to appear in the upcoming dramedy If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. The A24 release will be produced by the Safdie brothers, proving that Rocky’s transition to movie star is in full effect.
Day one Rocky fans know there is a consequence to this new career path. The rapper has been teasing the release of his new album, Don’t Be Dumb, for years. He promised it would drop in 2024, and even released pre-order links. Unfortunately, ASAP Rocky confirmed that the album would be delayed, yet again, to 2025. Pre-order links were subsequently refunded. Don’t Be Dumb has yet to get a proper release date, despite. ASAP Rocky having dropped three well-received singles. The announcement coinciding with news of his role in Highest 2 Lowest does not feel like a coincidence. His mind is on seemingly everything but the music. On the bright side, Highest 2 Lowest sounds like it’ll be great.
It goes without saying that years of drug and alcohol use will surely catch up to anybody, and according to Denzel Washington, he’s no exception. Luckily, the award-winning actor and producer never let his vices get too out of hand and has made his health a top priority as he approaches 70. During a recent interview with Esquire Magazine, he opened up about the “damage” he’s done to his body in the past by getting hooked on wine and occasionally “shooting dope.”
“Things are opening up for me now — like being seventy. It’s real. And it’s OK. This is the last chapter — if I get another thirty, what do I want to do? My mother made it to ninety-seven. I’m doing the best I can,” he told the outlet. Washington went on to open up about how his wine habit began, and exactly when he realized it was becoming a problem.
“Wine is very tricky. It’s very slow. It ain’t like, boom, all of a sudden. I never got strung out on heroin. Never got strung out on coke. Never got strung out on hard drugs. I shot dope just like they shot dope, but I never got strung out,” he explained. “And I never got strung out on liquor. I had this ideal idea of wine tastings and all that — which is what it was at first. And that’s a very subtle thing. I mean, I drank the best.”
Ultimately, Washington started to think he might be addicted when he got his own wine cellar in his house. Despite this, he says he was never under the influence while working or preparing for a role. “I never drank while I was working or preparing. I would clean up, go back to work — I could do both. However many months of shooting, bang, it’s time to go. Then, boom. Three months of wine, then time to go back to work,” he shared.
Denzel Washington provided some further context to his highly-publicized cut kiss from Gladiator II at the premiere of the film in Hollywood on Monday night. “It really is much ado about nothing,” Washington told Deadline at the event. “They’re making more of it than it was. I kissed him on his hands, I gave him a peck and I killed him.”
Washington originally broke the news of the kiss during a recent interview with Gaytey. “I actually kissed a man in the film but they took it out, they cut it, I think they got chicken. I kissed a guy full on the lips and I guess they weren’t ready for that yet, I killed him about five minutes later. It’s ‘Gladiator.’ It’s the kiss of death,” he told the outlet.
Denzel Washington Attends “Gladiator 2” Premiere In Hollywood
US actor Denzel Washington (R) and wife US actress Pauletta Washington attend the Los Angeles premiere of “Gladiator II” at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, November 18, 2024. (Photo by LISA O’CONNOR / AFP) (Photo by LISA O’CONNOR/AFP via Getty Images)
Director Ridley Scott denied Washington’s claim about the kiss being cut elsewhere on the red carpet. “No, that’s bullsh*t,” Scott told Deadline at the premiere. “They never did. They acted the moment — it didn’t happen.” In addition to the first Gladiator, Scott is best known for his other iconic films Alien, Blade Runner, American Gangster, Thelma & Louise, and more.
Denzel Washington Discusses The Kiss From “Gladiator 2”
Gladiator II will be hitting theaters this Friday, November 22. In addition to Washington, it stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, and Connie Nielsen. The story follows Mescal as the son of characters Maximus and Lucilla from the first film. Check out Denzel Washington’s full comments on the kiss from Gladiator II below.
Denzel Washington is putting the brakes on his retirement talk. After he spoke on his forthcoming roles, fans believed Washington was calling it a career. It turns out that’s not the case.
“I didn’t say I was going to go into retirement,” Washington said. “I said it has to be a level of interest for me. I’m more interested in getting behind the camera and that’s about five years out.
“I look at life in three different sections: you learn, you earn, and you return. I’m in the return section.”
You can hear it all below.
Denzel Washington clarifies that he is not retiring:
“I didn’t say I was gonna go into retirement, I said it has to be at a level of interest to me…”
Speaking with Australia’s Today Show, Washington revealed his upcoming roles, including Black Panther 3.
“I’m only interested in working with the best,” Washington said. “I don’t know how many more films I’m gonna make, probably not that many. I wanna do things I haven’t done.”
He then ran down a list of his forthcoming roles: “I’ve played Othello at 22. I’m about to play Othello at 70. After that, I’m playing Hannibal. After that, I’ve been talking with Steve McQueen about a film. After that, Ryan Coogler’s writing a part for me in the next ‘Black Panther.’ After that, I’m gonna do the film Othello. After that, I’m gonna do King Lear. After that, I’m gonna retire.”
Record scratch.
All those roles sound amazing, but Washington and Coogler? Black Panther 3? Is Denzel Washington entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Sign us up.
Denzel Washington is reaching the end of his historic career. Speaking with Australia’s Today Show, Washington revealed he is eyeing retirement but will be in Black Panther 3 before he does.
“I’m only interested in working with the best,” Washington said. “I don’t know how many more films I’m gonna make, probably not that many. I wanna do things I haven’t done.”
He then ran down a list of his forthcoming roles: “I’ve played Othello at 22. I’m about to play Othello at 70. After that, I’m playing Hannibal. After that, I’ve been talking with Steve McQueen about a film. After that, Ryan Coogler’s writing a part for me in the next ‘Black Panther.’ After that, I’m gonna do the film Othello. After that, I’m gonna do King Lear. After that, I’m gonna retire.”
Record scratch.
All those roles sound amazing, but Washington and Coogler? Black Panther 3? Is Denzel Washington entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Sign us up.
On this date in 2007, Jay-Z released his American Gangster album, which also served as the soundtrack to the movie of the same name with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.
It was a conceptual album that was inspired by the film of the same name. The album spawned hits like “I Know”, “Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)”, and “Blue Magic”. Guest features include Idris Elba, Lil Wayne, Beanie Sigel, and Nas. The album features production from Diddy, The Neptunes, Just Blaze, and The Hitmen.
American Gangster debuted at number one on Billboard 200, selling 425,861 copies in the first week. This album tied Jigga with Elvis Presley for second-most number one albums. It was a commercial success and viewed as a good follow-up from Hov’s 2006 album Kingdom Come.
A past interaction between Diddy and Denzel Washington reportedly went wrong. According to an insider, Washington attended a party with his wife, Pauletta Washington, which led to a shouting match between the two.
According to an insider, this event happened in 2003, and Washington screamed, “You don’t respect anyone.”
“[He and Pauletta] had been partying until dawn, and they had seen something and stormed out,” the insider added.
A rep for neither star responded to Page Six, who initially reported.
While announcing forthcoming lawsuits of over 100 people who claim to be victims of Sean “Diddy” Combs, attorney Tony Buzbee stated there will be additional enablers to go down with the mogul.
“We will expose the enablers who enabled this conduct behind closed doors. We will pursue this matter no matter who the evidence implicates,” Buzbee said. “The day will come when we will name names other than Sean Combs, and there’s a lot of names. It’s a long list already, but because of the nature of this case, we are going to make damn sure — damn sure – that we’re right before we do that.”
He added, “The names will shock you.”
The lawsuits are expected to roll out across various states within the next 30 days and highlight those who were bystanders or encouraged the behavior. “I would imagine that as we speak here, there are a myriad of people who are very nervous. You can’t hide skeletons in the closet forever. I would expect there are many people out there right now who are desperately searching their memories as they delete their texts and data.”
Victims are allegedly as young as minors, including someone who was 9 years old.
Denzel Washington once allegedly got into a heated argument with Diddy at a party back in 2003, according to Us Weekly. The outlet cites a source who was allegedly friendly with the Bad Boy mogul at the time. They said that the alleged argument resulted in Washington storming out of the party with his wife, Pauletta.
“Denzel screamed, ‘You don’t respect anyone,’” the insider told Us Weekly. Eventually, Washington allegedly stormed out of the party. “[Denzel and his wife, Pauletta] had been partying until dawn [with Diddy], and they had seen something and stormed out,” they added.
Denzel Washington & Diddy Attend The Essence Awards
Sean Combs and Denzel Washington backstage during The 2001 Essence Awards at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by KMazur/WireImage)
The allegation about Washington comes after attorney Tony Buzbee alleged to have 120 individuals ready to file lawsuits against Diddy in a press conference on Tuesday. In a statement to Rolling Stone, one of Diddy’s lawyers, Erica Wolff, said of the press conference: “As Mr. Combs’ legal team has emphasized, he cannot address every meritless allegation in what has become a reckless media circus. That said, Mr. Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors. He looks forward to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court if and when claims are filed and served, where the truth will be established based on evidence, not speculation.”
Authorities arrested Diddy on charges of alleged sex trafficking and racketeering, earlier this month. He’s already pleaded not guilty and plans to argue his case in court. His attorney, Marc Agnifilo, confirmed to TMZ that he won’t be taking a plea deal. Be on the lookout for further updates on Denzel Washington and Diddy on HotNewHipHop.
As the amount of lawsuits filed against Diddy continues to rise, so, too, does the number of stories about his allegedly shady past.
A source told US Weekly that back in 2003, Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington and his wife, Pauletta, attended a party where Diddy was also in attendance. The couple “had been partying until dawn [with Diddy], and they had seen something and stormed out,” according to the insider, who added that Washington reportedly told the rapper “you don’t respect anyone.”
A few years before the alleged incident, Diddy predicted to Entertainment Tonight that his parties would eventually get him arrested. “They’re going to probably be arresting me, doing all types of crazy things just because we want to have a good time,” he said in 1999. “Whenever you bring up a different element into people’s environment, things that broaden people’s horizons, people get intimidated. It’s a lot of people out there that feel intimidated by it.”
Diddy — who has been denied bail — is currently locked up in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center after being charged with racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution. He also faces “at least 120” new sexual assault lawsuits, according to HuffPost, including 25 underage individuals.
The Moneybagg Yo we know now isn’t the same one we met on projects like All Gas No Breaks or the Federal series. Before he penned a deal with CMG, he was already a household name among hustlers and trappers. In the past three and a half years alone, he’s reaped the benefits from his relentless hustle of high-quality mixtapes. Bagg has nabbed a #1 album on the Billboard 200 and secured several RIAA certifications, many of which have been the result of the grip he has every summer. His latest album, Speak Now, produced the Morgan Wallen-assisted country-rap banger, “Whiskey Whiskey,” which recently made it to Obama’s Summer Playlist 2024.
“I was like, ‘Damn, Barack.’ Like, he’s listening? That was a good feeling, but it was a shocking one,” Moneybagg Yo tells HotNewHipHop over Zoom. “You don’t think when you’re putting these songs together and you putting this stuff out that it’s going to reach and do what it do.”
However, Moneybagg Yo’s relentless hustle throughout his career has positioned him in such a way as to land on Obama’s playlist and have a sit-down with Denzel Washington. Today, he releases the deluxe edition of his latest album titled, Speak Now Or. It’s the bridge between the June album and his forthcoming follow-up, Forever Hold Your Peace, which he said will be out before the year’s end. He explains that the key to his prolific output relates back to his conversation with Denzel Washington who told him, “With me, you gotta know how to be Shakespeare, and you gotta know how to be the man in Training Day. You gotta know how to do both of them. That’s what made me different.”
“Every project should just be viewed and looked at like a movie,” Moneybagg Yo explains. “Like, all right, what can we expect from him in this movie? Like, the actor good. We know he plays good roles, and he do his thing when the camera’s on. But, what is this about that’s different from last time? Like, Malcolm X and Training Day are two different things, but it’s the same great actor, you know what I’m saying? So basically, that’s how I’m taking the approach with just Speak Now, Speak Now Or, and Forever Hold Your Peace. It’s just like you get a different movie every time.”
We recently caught up with Moneybagg yo to discuss his latest project, his immeasurable influence, and working alongside Morgan Wallen.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – AUGUST 4: Rapper Moneybagg Yo performs during MoneyBagg Yo Larger Than Life Tour at State Farm Arena on August 4, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage)
HotNewHipHop: The last time, we spoke was around the time “Hard For The Next” came out and you released AGangsta’s Pain shortly after. You’ve had a productive few years since then. What’s been the biggest difference in your life between that album coming out and now?
Moneybagg Yo: When I dropped A Gangsta’s Pain, I set the standard so high, you got to always be able to fill those shoes up when people expect you to fill them shoes over and over again. It’s just really me vs. me. I’m in a me vs. me type of situation. I’m battling me. So, that’s what I’m doing, just trying to be better than my last.
How’d you feel about the reception of Speak Now, especially after having the summer pass and still dominating?
It’s cool, you know? I feel like I could do better, you know what I’m saying? But I feel like, it’s just a different movie of me. It’s just a different thing. Like, AGangsta’s Pain was one thing, Hard To Love was a moment. and then, Speak Now. Even with these eight, or nine songs that I’m about to add to the deluxe, this is even different. It really could have probably been its own tape but it makes more sense to attach it to Speak Now, you know what I’m saying? Then, even the next project, Forever Hold Your Peace. The next body of work, it’s a whole other Moneybagg. You don’t get the same thing every time. That’s how you get bored.
On a creative level, what’s been fulfilling you creatively? What’s been impressing you when you step out of the booth?
The Forever Hold Your Peace project, I’m impressed with that. Like, how it’s coming out, how everybody is like hearing it, listening to it. They taking a liking to it, and just really happy for me and excited for the body of work. That’s a good thing.
I think I heard you say that it’s going to be more melodic. Is that accurate?
Yeah, it’s just a whole melodic bag. You know, you probably heard a lot–well, I know you heard a lot of melodic songs from me. Songs like “Wockesha,” “Scorpio”–that type of vibe. A lot of just different ways that you can think that I probably came like that, but that’s the tone.
It’s a sequel to Speak Now, right?
Yeah, it’s just like a sequel. Everything ties in. Like. this right here that I’m going to drop is Speak Now Or. Like, the deluxe is like Or, you know what I’m saying? It’s like Or then Forever Hold Your Peace. We’ll drop that in another couple of weeks, a couple of months or however it might go. Whenever it’s ready, and then, that’s that. And that’s the whole attachment.
How far along are you with Forever Hold Your Peace?
Probably like 75-80% done.
I imagine we’ll probably get a single from this before the end of the year or sometime in the next few months.
Yeah, you’ll get the whole thing before that.
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – JULY 10: Moneybagg Yo performs during the Wireless Festival at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) on July 10, 2022 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Katja Ogrin/Redferns)
I was reading your interview with Billboard a few months ago where you were discussing when you met Denzel. You recalled him telling you, “With me, you gotta know how to be Shakespeare, and you gotta know how to be the man in Training Day. You gotta know how to do both of them. That’s what made me different.” I want to know, how do you think this quote applies to your approach to music?
I feel like I took that like, basically what I was telling you. You have to be like, just a different character every time. Every project should just be viewed and looked at like a movie. It should just be really looked at like a movie. Like, all right, what can we expect from him in this movie? Like, the actor good. We know he plays good roles, and he do his thing when the camera’s on. But, what is this about that’s different from last time? Like, Malcolm X and Training Day are two different things, but it’s the same great actor, you know what I’m saying? So basically, that’s how I’m taking the approach with just Speak Now, Speak Now Or, and Forever Hold Your Peace. It’s just like you get a different movie every time.
Some people were feeling like Speak Now was a bit commercial or something. So Speak Now Or, they get this, I guarantee you, they ain’t gonna say that. This is strictly street records, energy, street records. And then you got Forever Hold Your Peace, it’s just melodic. It’s more of a vibe. It’s the “woo the ladies” in and talk like it’s good with that.
In that same interview, you mentioned how you don’t feel like you have much to prove because you’ve accomplished so much. Are you able to identify your influence in music and in culture at large these days?
Yep. The largest. Really, basically, to where it’s the largest. I feel like everytime I do something, people gravitate and bite onto it. Like, I’m not a person that like is meant to follow. I’m meant to lead. Every time I do something where I take the lead or take the initiative, I set the trend like that. Once I do it, everybody else does it or they try to act like they ain’t do it and then, do it [laughs]. Or try to like, see me halfway doing it and try to finesse it all the way to the T. Now, when I‘m coming me down there, I almost look like–once I finish what I’m doing, it damn-near look like they seen it before because he did it.
That’s another thing too, like I don’t like posting everything before it’s done. I like posting the finished product. Then I show you the behind-the-scenes of it, how I did it, instead of the other way around. Like, showing you the behind-the-scenes first, and then “this coming” and then I put it out. Because when you do that, you just opening up doors for people to be like, “Oh, he’s doing it. Let me do this. But I’m gonna put a twist on it. I’m gonna do it like this, this new wave. This gotta be it.”
They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Do you feel like people are giving you your flowers when they’re biting your style?
No, not really. They don’t pay homage all the time. They need to.
You’ve been an advocate for a lot of the women in the South who are crushing it in rap right now, even with your collabs with GloRilla. How do you think the women in the South complement what you bring to hip-hop? Obviously, it’s a different perspective but they bring that energy.
Yeah, I like what all the women doing right now. I like what all the women doing. I’m excited for them, I’m happy for them. It’s like a handful of them that I rock with. too. Another thing is I feel like we resonate well, the chemistry is good because of the substance and topics and like, how I come. How I come, I feel like this is just a versatility thing. Like I can do anything, you know what I’m saying? If it’s a song with a girl, I can do it. Like, if it’s a song with guys, I can do it. If it’s me singing like melodic, I can do it. Whatever it is, I feel like I can adjust to it whatever the case may be.
No, for sure. “Whiskey, Whiskey” is probably one of the more surprising songs that you’ve released. It just landed on Obama’s summer playlist. Can you just describe to me where you were when you first received that news, and what was your reaction to it?
I seen that yesterday. I was like, “Damn, Barack.” Like, he’s listening? That was a good feeling, but it was a shocking one. You don’t think when you’re putting these songs together and you putting this stuff out that its going to reach and do what it do. You don’t think that–some people do, though. Some people go in with that. I ain’t saying I ain’t confident, but some people go in with all the confidence. But my thing is with music today, you don’t never know. Like, you don’t know what’s gonna be this and be that, so it’s hard to say. So I just kind of like, let it do it.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 23: Music artist Moneybagg Yo performs during 2022 Rolling Loud New York at Citi Field on September 23, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
Have any singles surprised you with how successful they became?
Yeah, all of them except for “Wockesha.” I kind of knew that one was like–I was so passionate about the song, I kind of knew that song was going to be like, something special in some kind of way.
You’ve previously teased a country project with Morgan Wallen. How much progress has been made with that? If there has been any.
No, no, it just was an idea, a thought. Like, something that could happen.
Has he been receptive to the idea?
Yeah, he’s with whatever. Like, I’m one of his favorite artists.
I know it’s a bit of old news but you did some work with Kanye West a couple of years ago. What the biggest takeaway from being in the studio with him?
It was a good experience for me. I learned a lot and just saw how to do things, saw how stuff went, and just soaked up the game, and applied it to my situation. So shout out to Kanye. Unfortunately, what we did didn’t get used. But I understand like, as an artist, I understand it could be like that sometimes.
What was one thing that you learned from that session and started applying to your own sessions?
Just how to be creative. How to be creative with the songs, and start just making everything make sense. Like, starting from scratch, building the beats up. Already have the ideas on some of them and making the beats around them. Just different stuff.
I was recently watching Mannie Fresh explain how in the early days of Cash Money, they would take catchphrases and turn those into songs. I’ve noticed you have a similar approach to taking certain words or phrases and flipping them into hit records. How did Cash Money inspire your songwriting in that aspect? If they did at all.
I didn’t even know that they looked at it like that or they were doing it like that. To be honest, when I do it I just do it because–it’s gonna look like that, so it gonna be hard. But it’s just like, it’s a moment. I just feel like it’s just a moment in life to where it’s like, this is what’s going on right now. This is what I’m literally experiencing. I’m going through this or like, I’m dealing with this. It all circles back to like that term or that phrase, or whatever the case may be.
So I just feel like, use it. It makes sense, and that’s what’s going on in the world. So that’s more the more the key things is like, you gotta be relatable. That’s the only way your music is gonna get off. If they can’t relate to it, how they gonna play it? [laughs]
You’ve established yourself as a highly successful business person. On a business level, what would you like to tackle outside of music? I’m doing clothing right now. I got my Loaf Brand clothing. So, that’s in the process right now.
That’s high-end streetwear, right?
Yeah.
Any last words for the HotNewHipHop audience?
Stay tuned. I got a lot in store for you. A lot, a lot, a whole lot of stuff in store for you. Stay locked in. Follow me, I won’t misguide you.
