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.
The Diddy scandal is so massive that celebrities are checking each other’s commentary on the matter, which causes its own set of debates. A recent example of this back-and-forth discussion came thanks to The Stephen A. SmithShow, where the sports commentator invited Uncle Luke to speak virtually for his latest episode. They discussed whether or not Suge Knight is accurate in his assessments of Sean Combs given how long he’s been in jail and the historic rift between them. During his evaluation of Suge’s perspective, Luke made a heavy claim about the Bad Boy mogul based on alleged information from his close circle.
“Let me tell you like this,” Uncle Luke’s remarks began about Diddy and Suge Knight. “[Suge is] still connected to the outside world. You know, in some shape, form, or fashion. You know, [there are] guys [that aren’t] supposed to have their telephones in jail, but they do have their telephone in jail. But then they get their one or two, you know, calls, and they get it done. So, those guys are still connected.
“But I listened to the interview just like you did,” Uncle Luke went on. “And I listened to certain things. When he’s talking about drugs and the industry drugging Diddy. Again, a lot of my friends who know him real closely, you know, they say that he got consumed with the drugs. And so, when you hear certain things like that from a guy that’s incarcerated, that means that he’s really, really in touch to the situation. You feel me? And so, at the end of the day, you know, and a lot of other things that Suge said… I mean, the industry don’t change.
“If you don’t control the industry, the industry will control you,” Uncle Luke concluded about the Diddy situation. “If you don’t humble yourself, if you let it go to your head, then it will get you. It will eat you up. It will consume you. When you think you’re too big when you can go and file a lawsuit against Diageo, the largest liquor brand. Exactly! When you feel like you can go after these types of conglomerates, something got to your head! Something really got to your head. Drugs or something or the liquor. Something really got to your head when you think you that big where you can take on that giant.”
Today, Whoopi Goldberg released her new memoir, Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me. The book encompasses her early life, growing up in New York City with her family, and the obstacles she faced as a young adult. At one point in her memoir, Goldberg details her battle with cocaine addiction in the 80s. She recalled realizing that she needed to clean up her act when a housekeeper found her lying on a closet floor.
“I had stayed pretty far away from drugs, except for pot, after getting cleaned up in the early ‘70s,” she explains. ”But Los Angeles and New York started to redefine what ‘recreational drug use’ meant in the ‘80s.” She continues, “It was a really good time for about a year. Then I fell into the deep well of cocaine and sank to a new low. Nobody around me caught on to where I was at with it. At least, that’s what I wanted to believe. I would have called myself ‘a very high-functioning addict.’”
That didn’t last for long, however, as Goldberg soon found herself at a new low after a two-day binge at a hotel. “Cocaine started to kick my a**,” she recalls. “I’d go to work and realize I was getting sloppy. I was sitting on the closet floor, just putting it up my nose,” she says. “All by myself. I didn’t hear the housekeeper knock or let herself in the room to clean it up.”
“I looked at myself in the mirror near the door and saw cocaine all over my face,” she admits. “Get up, get out, and fix your life,” she recalls telling herself. “’You’ve been sitting in a closet for two days. It’s not good.’ I had already decided that I was willing and ready to stop, so I was going to do whatever I needed to stop putting drugs up my nose.” What do you think of Whoopi Goldberg opening up about battling drug addiction in the 80s? What about her new memoir, Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
The mother of Gunplay’s child, Vonshae Taylor-Morales, recently took to social media to reveal the impact the rapper’s alleged drug use has had on their family. In a new clip, the mother of one claims that their daughter’s heart defect was caused by Gunplay’s drug abuse. She further cited his guilt over the situation as the catalyst for his relapse.
“Cocaine, ketamine, all those type of things, it causes cognitive disorders,” she explained. “So, that’s why my daughter’s heart was f*cked up, and he took it really hard. And I just wasn’t with it.” Taylor-Morales went on to describe how she made it clear to him that she wouldn’t be staying in the relationship if he started to use drugs again. Unfortunately, she missed some of the signs that he had relapsed.
In August, Gunplay was arrested after he allegedly pointed a gun at Taylor-Morales, who was holding their baby. She took to social media soon after to announce that she’d be filing for divorce, and to unveil some of his previous concerning behavior. “Richard is back using and developed a very bad drinking problem. I’ve tried everything in my power to help him and love him,” she wrote. “This is a demon he has to overcome on his own. At this point, I really believe it’s too late.”
She later revealed that since the rapper was in jail, she was unable to officially file. Despite the issues they’ve gone through in recent months, Taylor-Morales claims she still has love for Gunplay, and wants to see him improve. “He do love me, I love him,” she explained. “That’s my best friend. But, unfortunately sometimes you’ve got to let the person you love go so he can find himself. I want him to find himself, I want him to get help. We do have a child together, so it is what it is.” What do you think of the recent claims made by Taylor-Morales? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates on Gunplay.
Ice-T saw his rap career flourish during the era of Biggie and Tupac, amongst others. Watching them get gunned down and others get strung out on drug abuse gives him enough perspective to offer a stark warning to the new rappers in the game. While he helped create the gangsta rap era, he spoke on the dangers of the profession to People Magazine at ESSENCE Fest in New Orleans over the weekend.
“I think people from my generation are really upset with what’s going on with the youngsters because every week somebody’s going to jail,” Ice-T said in an interview that also had fellow rap OG KRS-One. “People are dying of drugs, killing each other.” With recent tragic losses, such as XXXTENTACION, Nipsey Hussle, and Takeoff, drug abuse and gun violence is more rampant than ever in rap. “My generation, we lost Tupac, we lost Biggie, and we got the memo,” Ice-T continues. “Everybody calmed down. We all figured this out: We [were] rapping to get out of the streets.”
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 01: Ice-T performs on day 2 of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture at Caesars Superdome on July 01, 2023, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images)
Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. were murdered back in the late 90s, and Ice-T knows how valuable life is. So he wants to make sure the people in the rap industry nowadays are protecting themselves. “[The] youngsters who are out here behaving like that, these kids are millionaires,” he told People. “So I don’t know how many young people gotta get lost, I don’t know which one might trigger that message, but I think it’s time for this generation to get a hold of itself.”
It’s been a minute since Ice-T rapped. He is one of the mainstays on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and is going on plenty of podcasts. His rap career was spectacular, spanning two decades for solo albums. He does collaboration albums every now and then, the most recent one being Uncut with Afrika Islam in 2021. He released Carnivore in 2020 with Body Count, a heavy metal band with a focus on social and political issues.
Recently, some damning reports came out claiming that Roddy Ricch engaged in substance abuse that led to concerns from his baby mama. Moreover, Alexandra Kiser filed for custody of their three-year-old son Kadence and claimed he’s addicted to lean and gang-affiliated. In addition, she sought to make the rapper pay child support and accused him of being an absentee father. Now, court documents obtained by Radar Online indicate that the court ordered Roddy pay her a lump sum payment of $24,000 in child support as a temporary settlement to their legal battle.
“Rodrick Moore is gang-affiliated,” Kiser filed in court, referring to Roddy Ricch by his government name. “He has been arrested on a gun charge, domestic violence and regularly indulges in promethazine use. All of which are concerns for myself and our son. (He) is a very successful and highly paid entertainer who goes by the name of Roddy Ricch. He has a net worth of approximately $25,000,000 [and] commands fees of $500,000 for appearances. Since his birth, I alone, spend 98% of the time with him while Rodrick lives his life without any regard to his parental obligation or responsibility to spend time with Kadence. Recently, he moved into the gated compound where he has leased the house where our son and I currently live and has only spent three full days with Kadence thus far and that has been since January/early February.
Roddy Ricch To Begin Settling Custody Case With $24K Child Support Payment
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – NOVEMBER 21: Roddy Ricch performs onstage during Power 105.1’s Powerhouse 2021 at Prudential Center on November 21, 2021 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images)
“He now asks if I could move out by this May or if he’ll give me a six-month extension to move after I expressed to him that I felt uncomfortable about the way he moved into our gated community, just mere houses from us, and then tried to keep it a secret,” she continued. Furthermore, she continued to blast Roddy Ricch on social media. “Imma clear this up real quick cause some of these facts ain’t right,” she posted on Instagram. “I don’t live in this man house. 2, y’all try taking care of an autistic child yourself and lmk how much therapy & everything costs. Meanwhile your bd doing everything else & don’t even know what kind of therapist his son even sees. He spends $20k in the club on a light night. Please.”
If the “Twin” MC reaches an agreement with Kiser before their court date of mid-August, the court may cancel it altogether. Not only that, but the $24K could also count as credit towards potentially owed previous child support payments. Also, that money covers the $8K a month child support payments in April, May, and June of 2023. The former couple agreed to attend a “voluntary settlement conference” with their attorney to forego court and put a compromise in writing. For more updates on this story and the latest on Roddy Ricch, log back into HNHH.
We’ve heard much buzz about Chance The Rapper in recent weeks, but it wasn’t about his music. A clip of the Chicago star enjoying celebrations made the rounds on social media, thrusting his marriage into the spotlight once again. As conversations about the viral moment take over timelines, a less controversial highlight of the rapper’s career is also being revisited: Acid Rap. April 30 marked ten years since Chance’s sophomore mixtape arrived, and it marked a career-defining moment for the then-budding emcee.
For many, Acid Rap is more than a classic. Although Chance would later speak about those trying times in his life during the album’s creation and release, it would still be a pivotal moment in his climbing up the ranks of Hip Hop. Chance The Rapper made Acid Rap seem effortless—the fusion of Acid Jazz, Rap, Soul, and those Gospel additions made for a unique sound. Further, the moments of introspection not only brought depth to the project, but to the relationship Chance was developing with his growing fanbase.
Introspective Fusion
At the time of Acid Rap‘s release, the generations of Hip Hop were shifting. With the 2010s came the rise of SoundCloud rappers and artists making a way when there previously seemed to be none. Chicago had long established itself in the culture with artists Common and Twista, but as the tides changes, so did Hip Hop’s sound. Acid Rap tackled self-discovery, resonating with listeners who were looking beyond the era of animosity or beefs.
Take “Cocoa Butter Kisses,” which features fellow hometown heroes Vic Mensa and Twista. The song is a nostalgic look back at one’s childhood, with Chance rapping about his love for life’s simple pleasures. Another standout is “Juice,” which features a sample of Donny Hathaway’s cover of John Lennon’s “English Guy.” The song, which gives a nod to Tupac Shakur, is an anthem of sorts, with Chance spitting bars about his success and the obstacles he’s had to overcome. “Acid Rain” spoke of anxiety, as Chance addressed struggles with jealousy, fame, and the pressures that come with it.
“Paranoia” Touched Many
The often somber elements, including the gripping reality of gun violence in Chicago, are palpable. The track “Paranoia” has reverberated throughout the culture, as there was almost a desperation between the lines. Chance raps in the second verse: “They murking kids, they murder kids here / Why you think they don’t talk about it? They deserted us here / Where the f*ck is Matt Lauer at? / Somebody get Katie Couric in here / Probably scared of all the refugees / Look like we had a f*ckin’ hurricane here / They’ll be shooting whether it’s dark or not / I mean, the days is pretty dark a lot / Down here, it’s easier to find a gun / Than it is to find a f*cking parking spot / No love for the opposition, specifically a cop position / ‘Cause they’ve never been in our position / Getting violations from the nation, correlating, you dry snitchin’.“
“The way that I was living at that time. I had everything in excess,” Chance The Rapper recently told Complex. “Right after I dropped the project, I went on a few tours where I really didn’t make any money. Then I went on my first tour, my headlining tour, where I made some money. I went and rented a crib. This is my first time living outside of my parents’ house in another city and having money and doing a lot of drugs. A lot, a lot, a lot of drugs.” He previously admitted to using LSD.
The experience may have helped him craft a stellar record, but Chance admitted that then, he was a “lesser person” than today. “If I hadn’t had my spirit tugged on—literally—and a calling to become a better version of myself, then I would have died for sure,” he said. “Then I would just be the representative of acid, and I’m so much more.”
Critical & Cultural Acclaim
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 12: Chance The Rapper performs on Camp Stage during day one of Tyler, the Creator’s 5th Annual Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival at Exposition Park on November 12, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
The critical acclaimed for Acid Rap would pour in. Although it debuted at No. 63 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, its impact would go far beyond accolades. Several Windy City natives would be included in the project, like BJ the Chicago Kid, Noname, Saba, Peter Cottontale, and, of course, Kanye West. Other features included, but are certainly not limited to, Childish Gambino, Action Bronson, and Top Dawg Entertainment icon, Ab-Soul.
Acid Rap became a launching pad for many aspiring artists who were looking to edge away from the expected sounds of Hip Hop. Chance helped influence a new era of experimentation—all while using sonic therapy to talk out the traumas that come with youth. We revisit the record and reflect on its impact, marveling at what has changed within the last decade…and what has seemingly remained the same.
It’s a season of healing for Cara Delevingne. In recent months, the model has been at the center of concerns after disturbing images surfaced online and reports about her strange behavior took over social media. Those “sources” were popping up from one outlet to another to offer anonymous insight into what was going on behind the scenes. This week, Delevingne’s Vogue cover feature was released, and inside, she speaks openly about her road to recovery.
At the time of her interview, the model was approximately four months sober. “If you have problems going into this industry, they will only get magnified and exacerbated. There is nothing about it that makes it better,” she said. In September, Delevingne was photographed at a Los Angeles airport looking disheveled. She now offers an explanation.
Cara Delevingne’s Addictions Go Back To Adolescence
“I hadn’t slept. I was not okay. It’s heartbreaking because I thought I was having fun, but at some point it was like, Okay, I don’t look well.” Delevingne added those photos were taken when she had just arrived back home from Burning Man. “You know, sometimes you need a reality check, so in a way those pictures were something to be grateful for.”
She further admits that her struggles began when she was just a teen. “I was happy as a kid for sure, but I think when I grew up, I looked back and realized, That’s not normal,” said Delevingne. “And then as a teenager, it just all came plummeting down. That’s also when I started drinking and partying. There was this need to escape and change my reality as I was hit with just huge questions: What am I doing here? Who am I trying to be?”
After being diagnosed with dyspraxia, Delevingne was placed on several medications. At 15, she suffered a breakdown, but she told Vogue the medications helped save her. Delevingne’s mother also struggled with addiction, and she’s hoping to stop the cycle. “There’s an element of feeling invincible when I’m on drugs. I put myself in danger in those moments because I don’t care about my life.” She revisited that time at Burning Man. “I would climb anything and jump off stuff…it felt feral. It’s a scary thing to the people around you who love you.”
Last December marked the third anniversary since Juice WRLD passed away. In 2019, Hip Hop was shocked to learn that the rapper fell ill after landing at an airport. Speculative reports ran rampant as news sources attempted to get the latest updates. It was sadly learned that Juice died of an overdose, and what led to the incident has been debated since his death. At that time, Juice was dating Ally Lotti, his girlfriend, who he often flaunted on social media. He wrote songs about her and sang to her during his live shows. These days, claims 600 Breezy, Ally may be gifting her new boyfriend with Juice’s items.
600 Breezy sat down for one of VladTV‘s lengthy interviews and spoke about his relationship with Juice. According to Breezy, the public wasn’t aware of how close he and the late rapper were. The conversation drifted to drug abuse, with Breezy revealing that following his girlfriend’s suicide last Fall, he went on a “three, four-month binge.” Vlad brought up Juice’s struggles with addictions.
“He is one of the biggest artists in the world, but he would have been so much bigger if he was still here,” says Breezy. He recalled sitting on FaceTime with Juice when the late rapper was shopping with Lotti. “Just life and sh*t, ’cause we understood each other. We come from the same thing. So, it’s just like, that sh*t was crazy ’cause it’s not like he purposefully overdosed. He was in a—it was some sh*t goin’ on with the police, and in his mind, it was, ‘I don’t want to get caught with these.’” Breezy added, “Certain decisions that you make, you can’t take back.”
The rapper also mentions he feels back for Juice WRLD’s family. “I be seeing what’s going on with his ex. They claiming she giving up his watches and coats and jackets and sh*t. I’m not just gon’ sit here and say she doin’ that, because I don’t really know what’s going on. Maybe she just buying [her new boyfriend] the same type of sh*t.” Breezy noted that Juice’s fans don’t play regarding his reputation, so they would stay on Ally Lotti’s neck.
Ally Lotti Was Arrested With Her New Boyfriend
Last month, TMZ reported Lotti and her boyfriend Carter Jamison were arrested after leaving a Walmart. They were accused of stealing, and later, narcotics were allegedly found on Lotti when police arrived. Both Lotti and Jamison were placed on probation after receiving a suspended sentence.
We’re fast approaching the two-year anniversary of DMX’s passing. The beloved Hip Hop icon left us back in 2021 following an accidental overdose that caused a heart attack. A GoFundMe campaign shows that his daughter, Sonovah Hillman Jr., is working on a documentary about drug abuse. The 10-year-old shared that she has “lost multiple family members to fentanyl and drug addiction,” so she wanted to lend her young voice to this important, global conversation.
“I felt like I had to do something to help this crisis,” said Sonovah. It would be a series that shifted discussions as they speak with children who have been affected. “I came up with the idea to do a four-part docuseries on fentanyl and drug addiction. I want to show the world the point of view from a child’s perspective.” She added that she knows others are having similar experiences, and she wants to help tell their stories.
“I want to reach out and ask for assistance with some of the production costs to get started,” she further said. “These funds will be used for pre and post-production. All donations are greatly appreciated and will help me get closer to my goal of educating, spreading awareness and saving lives.” In total, she and her team are requesting $250K.
Sonovah has received widespread support, especially among those who empathize with her experiences. Others, mostly adults, who have also lost parents or loved ones to drug abuse not only financially donated, but they offered kind words of support for her efforts. Hip Hop has unfortunately suffered several loses since DMX’s passing. Many young artists have recognized the epidemic and shared their recovery on social media.
Meanwhile, DMX was always open about his journey. His authenticity about his struggles is still discussed today as people weigh in about drug culture in Hip Hop. The Rap icon often spoke about his traumas and even endured public therapy on reality television to help others. Sonovah is picking up the torch and making sure her father’s legacy continues to be an inspiration.
Stephen A. Smith/YouTube) 
at Caesars Superdome on July 01, 2023, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images)
