It’s impossible to tell the story of Roc-A-Fella Records without Memphis Bleek. He was a crucial piece of the label’s puzzle, and he rubbed shoulders with some of the greatest rappers of all time. This pedigree makes him the perfect person to launch a Roc-A-Fella themed podcast, which is why he’s linking up with the Drink Champs network to run Roc Solid. The new series will see Bleek recount the label’s rise and fall alongside notable guests.
Bleek posted a teaser for Roc Solid on Instagram, and the guest list is wild. Young Guru, Young Chris, and Freeway are some of the rappers who have already recorded episodes, and each have notable ties to the eponymous label. Ja Rule and N.O.R.E. also appear in the teaser, despite the fact that neither artist was signed to the Roc. The former collaborated with several Roc artists during his peak, however, and the latter is a staple of NYC hip-hop. N.O.R.E. is also the co-host of the aforementioned Drink Champs.
Hip-hop fans will be equally intrigued by the artists who don’t show up. Memphis Bleek debates whether to invite Roc-A-Fella co-founder Dame Dash during the teaser, given their tense relationship. Bleek also weighs the pros and cons of staging a full on Roc-A-Fella reunion, which would include Dash and Jay-Z. The “Dear Summer” rapper has no problem recounting the issues that led to the label folding, as proven by his recent appearance on Drink Champs. He answered all of N.O.R.E.’s questions about the fallout and then some.
For example, Bleek claimed that Dame Dash almost dropped him from the label in 2003. The rapper said Dash and Jay-Z were at odds about the future, and his aggression rubbed Dash the wrong way. “[Dame] looked at me and said, ‘You always going against everything I say’,” Bleek recalled. “If you don’t wanna be with Roc-A-Fella, I’ll give you your walking papers’.” It’s safe to assume these are the kinds of juicy stories the rapper will be sharing on Roc Solid. A release date for the podcast hasn’t been announced.
Everyone is talking about Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole right now, including Stephen A. Smith. Perhaps sports media’s biggest personality, the First Take icon has been chiming in and getting involved in this big three conversation ever since “Like That” dropped. He did a segment for it on his self-titled talk show where he expressed his excitement for the competition, as long as it does not result in violence. Now, Stephen A. is back with some more commentary on it, explaining why he is taking Drake over Kendrick.
He gave his patented “soliloquy” on the topic during his guest appearance on the hit podcast Drink Champs, according to Hollywood Unlocked. Overall, it is a pretty solid argument from Stephen A., with the main point being that Drake is always able to keep chugging. “I’m going to go with Drake because even though everybody knows Kendrick Lamar and how gifted he is you got too many people periodically trying to come at Drake and he’s always standing,” he says. “Like mainstream, globally he’s one of those dudes.”
Smith continues, “It could be the look, it could be how he communicates. It could be his flavor it could be anything, but Drake damn near seems impenetrable… I don’t hear too many people coming at Kendrick Lamar but everybody is always trying to come at Drake and obviously I can relate to that.” Some fans disagreed, saying that Drake gets targeted a lot because he is any easy target. Consequently, Kendrick is more impenetrable because hardly anyone steps to him. We saw how that worked out for J. Cole as of late, even though it was commendable.
What are your thoughts on Stephen A. taking Drake over Kendrick Lamar in a Drink Champs debate? Do you see the vision with his reasoning for taking him, why or why not? If Drake responds to Kendrick, how do you think that will end up? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Stephen A. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the worlds of music and sports.
ScHoolboy Q and A$AP Rocky are one of the most beloved unofficial rap duos of the 2010s. As incredibly skilled MCs in both their camps, and with a lot of woozy crossover when it comes to their appeal, they have absolute classics in the vault like “Brand New Guy,” “Electric Body,” and “PMW (All I Really Need).” As such, this is one of the many match-ups that fans have dreamed about over the years when it comes to a collaborative album. But with the TDE MC’s recent appearance on Drink Champs, we not only got confirmation that they wanted this team-up too, but that they just couldn’t make it work at the time.
“You and ASAP Rocky was gonna do an album together?” N.O.R.E. asked ScHoolboy Q on the program. “Yeah, we talked about it,” the BLUE LIPS spitter answered. “But… I mean, we both… like I said, me and him just ghost each other so much, bro. Yeah, yeah, like, you know what I mean? I’ll be looking for him, I can’t find him, he’ll be looking for me. Yeah, he’ll call, I’ll see it, I’ll be like, ‘Bruh, I’ll call you tomorrow.’
“Then it just… He gotRihanna, bruh, so sometime, I gotta get him back,” ScHoolboy Q continued. “‘Alright, you ghosted me for a week, I’m gonna have to ghost you for a week.’ You gotta wait a week now to -– Nah, nah, but nah, that’s my boy. I was just at his house looking at the new art he’s making and coming up with. He cold, he cold, he cold.
“You know, he’s always doing clothes, videos, and you know, music,” he concluded. “So he was just letting me see all the art he was working on, pretty much.” “That’s an L couple, creatively,” DJ EFN joked. “Yeah, that’s different, that’s different,” Q laughed. For more news and the latest updates on ScHoolboy Q and ASAP Rocky, come back to HNHH.
Danny Brown’s recent Drink Champs interview was definitely one for the books. The Detroit native joined hosts N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN to discuss several topics, from sobriety to meeting Nas and his thoughts on the current state of hip-hop, among others. However, the 2-hour interview had some important moments worth highlighting. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from Danny Brown’s time on Drink Champs.
A major takeaway from Danny Brown’s Drink Champs interview was his sober announcement. He revealed that he has remained abstinent from drugs and alcohol for a year. When he was asked about his decision to get sober, he bluntly stated: “I was just fucking up.” N.O.R.E and DJ EFN then inquired about how he manages to have fun now without the drugs. “I don’t. But I’m 42 years old,” Danny responded. “The fun got to be done or you gon’ die. My fun was deadly. I was like a living skydiver. You can’t keep jumping out the plane every day.”
Later on in the conversation, the trio discussed the common belief that people are more creative when under the influence. However, Danny disagreed, using himself as an example. “Now that I’m sober, I realized that shit is just in me,” he said. “If anything, the drugs and alcohol was fucking me up more. It was taking me more out of who I was. But I’ve always been a funny motherfucker or just being able to fucking rap.”
The Evolution Of Rap Through Danny Brown’s Eyes
PHOENIX, AZ – OCTOBER 22: Rapper Danny Brown performs at the Lost Lake Music Festival on October 22, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images)
Danny Brown has spent over two decades in the rap game. As a result, he has witnessed the evolution of the genre firsthand. He spoke candidly about his sentiments regarding the current state of rap. “I just wish it was more emphasis on creativity than anything else,” he said. “Because right now, it’s just copy and paste. You see some shit work, and you’re like, ‘Alright, I’m doing that shit too.’ And then it works! It needs to be more gatekeeping around this motherfucker, if anything.”
Although his commentary may have kicked off in a critical way, he later acknowledged the time and effort it takes to create music. He also spoke about how much easier it is to make your way into the rap genre nowadays. “I do like the fact- I’m not saying it’s easy- but you can make some shit and the people fuck with it, you’re on,” he said. “You ain’t gotta go through all of these pipelines and shit, how it used to be before. So, I do like that part of it.”
BARCELONA, SPAIN – MAY 30: Danny Brown performs in concert during Primavera Sound Festival on May 30, 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Xavi Torrent/WireImage)
Later in the discussion Drink Champs host N.O.R.E. expressed the idea that Danny Brown, who has dedicated his life to making music, embodied the essence of 1990s rap. Concurring with the sentiment, Danny elaborated on his own experience. He noted that while he was rapping during that era, he only found success after adjusting his approach. “I didn’t really get no traction like that until I was 30,” he said. “But I would admit that in my 20s, it was more so just rapping to try and get a record deal. I still didn’t find myself yet. It didn’t start working for me until I stopped giving a fuck about what other people thought about my music. I started to realize, like man, the music I listen to ain’t on TV or on the radio. So, I just started to pull my influences from that.”
J Dilla’s Impact
BYRON BAY, AUSTRALIA – JULY 21: Danny Brown performs on stage at Splendour in the Grass 2023 on July 21, 2023 in Byron Bay, Australia. (Photo by Matt Jelonek/Getty Images)
Towards the end of the Drink Champs interview, Danny Brown spoke honestly about the late record producer J Dilla. He also spoke about how much of an impact the producer had on the music industry. “People gotta understand, man. The shit that Dilla was doing, they still talk about and do shit to this day,” he stated. “I was in fucking Sweden one time, in like a fucking five-star restaurant, and they was playing fucking Slum Village instrumentals. I heard Slum Village when I was a kid but I was too immature to even understand that shit.” Danny shared that he didn’t fully grasp the brilliance on the record during his younger years. ”I was like, ‘These n**gas ain’t shooting nobody or nothing? They ain’t getting high or nothing, man. I can’t get jiggy with this shit,’” he joked. “But then when I grew up, I understood the genius in the music.”
MANCHESTER, TN – JUNE 07: Rappers Kendrick Lamar and Danny Brown perform onstage at This Tent during Day 1 of Bonaroo 2012 on June 7, 2012 in Manchester, Tennessee. (Photo by FilmMagic/FilmMagic)
Danny Brown and Kendrick Lamar, who collaborated on “Really Doe,” have shared a friendship in their musical careers. When Danny was asked about how their bond was formed, he stated: “We’ve always been fans of each other. I feel like K. Dot is one of the best rappers ever.” He later elaborated on this admiration and paid homage to Kendrick. “Some motherfuckers are just naturally gifted. Like, I feel like J. Cole worked hard to get where he’s at. He studied hard… he rapped hard. I feel like Kendrick was just born with that shit. You can’t take that.”
Benzino went on an antisemitic rant during his viral appearance on Drink Champs, earlier this week. While he’s been making headlines for his emotional meltdown about feuding with Eminem and his daughter, Coi Leray, he’s now facing backlash for spreading conspiracy theories.
“Let’s build each other,” he said. “Let me tell you about the Jews that Kanye [West] talked about. The Jews were the slaves and they came together and they bought within each other, and now look at them. Media, banking, entertainment — they run sh*t. We can run sh*t, but we killing each other. All you young n****s, stop killing each other.”
MIAMI, FL – OCTOBER 01: Benzino attends the Celebrity Boxing Weigh In at James L. Knight Center on October 1, 2021 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Johnny Louis/Getty Images)
Later in the interview, he expanded: “If we love us and did what the Jews did — see how the Jews control banking, media, entertainment; they’re in Beverly Hills, Miami — we could do the same thing, but the problem with us is we’re killing each other.” The comments echo those of Kanye West, who ranted about Jared Kushner during his controversial appearance on the show back in 2022. At the time, Ye argued that “Kushner is an example of how the Jewish people have their hand on every single business that controls the world.” Accusing Jews of controlling “banking, media, entertainment” and more is a common antisemitic troupe, according to the Anti-Defamation League, as well as many other organizations.
Benzino Speaks With “Drink Champs”
In addition to his antisemitic comments, he also attempted to put his feud with Eminem to rest. Breaking into tears, he explained how it’s affected his relationship with his daughter and her career in the entertainment industry. Benzino also dissed Shannon Sharpe while responding to fans’ jokes about his nose. Check out his full appearance on Drink Champs above. Be on the lookout for further updates on Benzino on HotNewHipHop.
Benzino is standing up for himself after facing a barrage of trolling on social media, following his viral appearance on Drink Champs. During the interview, he broke down into tears while discussing his feud with Eminem as well as his relationship with his daughter, Coi Leray. For starters, he shared a post in his defense from New York rapper Hocus 45th.
“I see a lot of people laughing at benzino crying,” the post read. “I don’t find that funny at all, I seen killers get emotional and start breaking down In tears. Crying don’t make you weak, crying is just a human emotion, don’t ever get it twisted, a n***a will cry right before he push ya s### back 700.” Benzino added, “yea sounds about right.” He also posted an infographic about the benefits of crying. He captioned it: “I had so much built up anger, frustration and evil built up inside of me…….Ngl, minus the alcohol….I needed that sh*t…..it really helped.”
ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 27: (L-R) Shug and Benzino attend the Welcome to Atlanta BET Hip Hop Awards 2013 party at Prive on September 27, 2013, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
As for the Drink Champs rant, the tears began flowing while discussing his Eminem beef. “I don’t have nothing against Eminem,” he said. “He can rap but I care about us more. I don’t want to talk about it no more. My daughter came to industry figuring ‘I gotta be cool with Eminem because everybody is against my dad.’ I don’t hate Eminem. I don’t know him to hate him. I don’t hate white people tired of this sh*t, man. It’s just too much. I don’t want to be the bad guy. […] Eminem ain’t no bad person. He belongs in Hip Hop. It’s a big racist problem in America right now and Eminem could probably stop half of it.”
Beef is a permanent dish on hip-hop’s menu; anyone can be served a heaping helping. While time can sometimes aid in relationship mending, that’s not always the cause for rappers. Benzino and Eminem’slongstanding feud is a prime example of this. In the past few weeks alone, they’ve each dropped disses toward the other. So, during Benzino’s recent appearance on Drink Champs, the host couldn’t help but ask about it.
Throughout the episode uploaded on February 17, Benzino took several jabs at Eminem. At one point, he even implied that Eminem’s rise to fame in rap was due to him being white. However, near the end of the sit down (the 2-hour 34-minute mark), Benzino, overwhelmed with emotion and alcohol, reflected on how his issue with Eminem has impacted his daughter Uproxx cover star Coi Leray.
“I don’t have nothing against Eminem,” he said. “He can rap, but I care about us more. I don’t want to talk about it no more,” he said. “My daughter came to industry figuring ‘I gotta be cool with Eminem because everybody is against my dad. I don’t hate Eminem. I don’t know him to hate him. I don’t hate white people tired of this sh*t, man. It’s just too much. I don’t want to be the bad guy.”
Leray previously spoke about how Benzino’s past mix-ups could have derailed her career, including her guest verse from Nicki Minaj on “Blick Blick.”
Watch Benzino’s full interview on the Drink Champs podcast above.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
It’s no secret that Benzino and Eminem have been at odds for years now, but according to the former, it’s taken more of a toll on him than fans realize. During a recent episode of Drink Champs, the Source icon reflected on his beef with Slim Shady, revealing that it’s had a major negative impact on his relationship with his daughter, Coi Leray. Benzino says that at the end of the day, he wishes that he and Eminem could just work things out so they can both move forward.
“I don’t have nothing against Eminem. He can rap but I care about us more. I don’t want to talk about it no more,” he described tearfully. “My daughter came into the industry figuring ‘I gotta be cool with Eminem because everybody is against my dad’ … I don’t hate Eminem, I don’t know him to hate him. I don’t hate white people. I’m tired of this s**t, man. It’s just too much. I don’t want to be the bad guy.”
Clearly, Benzino has had enough of the back and forth, and fans can’t blame him. Just last month, Eminem reignited their feud with some jabs on “Doomsday Pt. 2,” insinuating that Benzino’s gay and dissing Coi Leray. “I hear that you been creepin’ on the low in them cheap hotels that they catch you in. Jesus Christ, dawg, when you said two-10, never guessed you meant at the Red Roof Inn, in a room with one single bed, two men,” he raps.
Benzino fired back with not one but two response tracks, “Vulturius” and “Rap Elvis,” and some fans argue that he came out on top. What do you think of Benzino getting emotional about his beef with Eminem on Drink Champs? What about the rest of the episode? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
G Herbo says Funny Marco’s production staff told him to troll the YouTuber during their tense interview, last October. Reflecting on the incident during a new appearance on Drink Champs, Herbo explained that the two already had a relationship with one another.
“Marco first and foremost, that’s my man,” Herbo began in the clip below. “We already had a relationship prior to doing the interview and s**t. So originally [Southside] was supposed to did the interview, the episode, and they had his production staff told us to troll him. It was supposed to be a surprise to come on to troll him. We wasn’t originally just on bulls**t, we was a little off the sauce. We was a little extra overboard, but the whole thing was to come on there intimidate him on his show like pull a him on him.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 25: G Herbo speaks onstage during the BET Awards 2023 at Microsoft Theater on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)
Herbo continued: “I spoke to him before we even came out and we was good. I don’t know if it was like a confusion between our staff and his production team where we didn’t think it really wanted to come out. Nah it was cool, we ain’t trippin’, like public perception and what people are gonna take from it. That’s another thing, that’s the name of the game that’s what come with it.” Check out his full conversation with Drink Champs below.
Herbo and producer Southside both came under fire for their behavior on Marco’s Open Thoughts podcast. Many fans of the show felt their attempt at trolling elevated into full-on bullying at many points. Marco even claimed afterward that they broke his $30,000 watch at one point. Be on the lookout for further updates on G Herbo on HotNewHipHop.
Benzino is tired of people making jokes about his neck and doesn’t understand why Shannon Sharpe isn’t the target of such scrutiny. He explained his reasoning during an upcoming appearance on Drink Champs. N.O.R.E. shared a teaser from the interview on Instagram, on Tuesday, featuring Benzino’s comments on his neck.
“N****s want to talk about my neck. I got a f*cking neck. Everybody has f*cking neck. Shannon Sharpe don’t got a neck. Like, Shannon Sharpe’s neck is as big as mine. Y’all don’t say nothing about Shannon Sharpe,” he argued.
FAIRBURN, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 31: Benzino attends Nelly’s Halloween Birthday Celebration on October 31, 2023, in Fairburn, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage)
Benzino isn’t the only one to take a shot at Shannon Sharpe in recent days. Comedian Mike Epps also called him out during a stand-up routine. After a back and forth between the two, Sharpe revealed that they decided to sit down with one another on Club Shay Shay and hash things out. “UNC and @TheRealMikeEpps have decided 2 have a man 2 man conversation in Indy at NBA all star weekend 2 discuss our differences,” he said on Twitter. “We both realize this situation could’ve been, should’ve been handled differently. I apologize 2 fam, friends, love 1s and my fans.” Check out Benzino’s comments on remarks about his neck and subsequent dig at Sharpe below. Sharpe has not responded to the comments.
Prior to his interview on Drink Champs, Benzino made headlines for his long-standing feud with Eminem. The two released a pair of diss tracks aimed at one another in recent weeks. Additionally, he’s traded shots with Joe Budden. Benzino’s full appearance on Drink Champs will be dropping later this week. Be on the lookout for further updates on the rapper on HotNewHipHop.
