After Mac Miller tragically passed away in 2018 due to a drug overdose, the federal court charged three men with selling him fake oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl that led to his death. Stephen Walter and Ryan Ryan Reavis are serving their 17 and ten-year sentences, respectively, for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death. This was after they struck a plea deal with prosecutors, pleading guilty to one count of fentanyl distribution. But federal authorities haven’t said much about Cameron James Pettit’s sentence, and according to a Bureau of Prisons representative, he’s already a free man.
Moreover, reports relayed that authorities released one of the drug dealers charged over Mac Miller’s death from the Federal Correctional Institution in Mendota, California on October 11, about five years after authorities arrested him. According to TMZ, no court records indicate that Cameron James Pettit ever pleaded guilty to any charges while in federal custody, and that he remained there ever since he pleaded not guilty during his 2019 arraignment. It’s unclear exactly what to make of this whole situation, especially since we had no idea what the drug dealer’s sentence was.
Regardless, Mac Miller fans probably focused on much better news this week concerning the rapper, which is that his unreleased albumBalloonerism will come out in early 2025. “Many of Malcolm’s fans are aware of Balloonerism, a full-length album that Malcolm created around the time of the release of Faces in 2014,” his estate expressed in a statement. “It is a project that was of great importance to Malcolm – to the extent that he commissioned artwork for it and discussions concerning when it should be released were had regularly, though ultimately GOOD AM and subsequent albums ended up taking precedence.
“We believe the project showcases both the breadth of his musical talents and fearlessness as an artist,” Mac Miller’s estate continued. “Given that unofficial versions of the album have circulated online for years and that releasing Balloonerism was something that Malcolm frequently expressed being important to him, we felt it most appropriate to present an official version of the project to the world.”
50 Cent’s attempt to have a lawsuit filed by former drug dealer Cory “Ghost” Holland thrown out has failed. According to court documents obtained by AllHipHop, Judge Analisa Torres rejected 50’s motion for dismissal and plans to move forward with the legal dispute. Holland first sued the Power creator back in 2021, claiming that 50 stole his life story for the hit STARZ series. Jump forward two years, and Holland is attempting to bring 50 to court once again, this time for allegedly attempting to put a hit on him.
“It’s 50 Cent’s abilities to HIRE a HITMAN, due to a 150 Million Dollar Contract he secured through STARZ/LIONSGATE, that have created the FEAR and constant anxiety,” Holland said. “The hitmen 50 Cent hired, can KILL [me] and [my] family at any time and anywhere, once they are paid. So rather 50 Cent is in New York or Michigan or anywhere in America or Overseas, ‘ONCE HE PAYS THE HOMIES TO DO WHAT THEY DO BEST,’ quoting the defendant from the radio interview, the job can get done at any point after that.”
MILAN, ITALY – OCTOBER 22: 50 Cent performs at Mediolanum Forum of Assago on October 22, 2023 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Sergione Infuso/Corbis via Getty Images)
Holland also theorized that the federal government is helping protect 50 while also labeling him a “bully” due to his social media antics. From there, he claimed his family feels they are in danger. “[We] now live in FEAR every single second of day of these unknown and unidentifiable KILLERS showing up at any time/anywhere to carry out 50 Cent’s orders to intimidate and or to MURDER them, to eliminate the legal consequences of the lawsuits brought against him,” Holland continued. “[We] have no idea when the violence is coming, just prepared for when it’s does. However 50 Cent has the advantage, cause he controls what the HITMEN do, the contract is between him and the them, so all [we] can do is anticipate the INEVITABLE, every single second of the day.”
In response to Holland’s claims, 50’s lawyers say the lawsuit was “nothing more than an abuse of the judicial system.” Be on the lookout for further updates on 50’s case on HotNewHipHop
Fetty Wap says he decided to turn to drug dealing for money when his popularity in hip-hop began to decline. Speaking with XXL for a candid new interview, he admitted that he made the “cowardly” decision, rather than “going harder to make people listen.”
“Nobody made me do it. Nobody forced me to do it,” he admitted. “When I put myself in that situation, I ain’t really think for the long run. I’m thinking I could just run up a few million dollars, and I’m gon’ be good forever. When I wanted to start doing shit, this is what I know how to do. It was like, ‘I’m being honest with myself.’ Like, ‘Aight, the music wasn’t really doin’ that good’…. Instead of pursuing my career harder or going harder to make people listen, I was a coward… and I was just like, ‘I can’t let my family down.’”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 12: Fetty Wap performs during the 2019 Rolling Loud music festival at Citi Field on October 12, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images)
Fetty added that, regardless of his incarceration, he’s still sticking to his word and taking care of his family. He explained: “It was like, ‘Man, like, I got y’all [my family]. I’m never gonna let y’all fail.’ But if I gotta be away for however long, y’all gon’ be good no matter what. Personally, I feel like I stuck to my word. I tell people all the time I’m in jail. I’m locked up, but I’m not fucked up. I’m takin’ care of my whole family from jail still. That shit don’t stop. I mean, what I was doing stopped. Let me clear that up. But as far as takin’ care of my family, I found different outlets in here. Different people that helped me.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Fetty explained that 50 Cent helped show him other ways to stay financially stable legally. “He started showing me different ways, like shit to invest in,” he recalled. After being arrested in 2021, Fetty pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess and distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine a year later. Be on the lookout for further updates on Fetty Wap on HotNewHipHop.
Carlos Macci, the 72-year-old drug dealer who sold the lethal heroin laced with fentanyl to Michael K. Williams, has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison. U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams rendered the sentence in a New York City courthouse on Tuesday. Macci was caught on surveillance video selling drugs to the late actor in 2021.
“I would like to say, your honor, I’m sorry for what has happened,” he said in court. Despite Macci’s efforts to express his remorse, the judge explained that “while she sympathized with Mr. Macci’s troubles, the deadly toll of fentanyl and his decision to keep selling heroin laced with it even after Mr. Williams died demanded accountability.”
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 03: David Simon (L) and Michael K. Williams attend the “Vice” Season 6 Premiere at the Whitby Hotel on April 3, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Among the voices to have spoken out in favor of leniency for Macci is David Simon, who created HBO’s hit series, The Wire, in which Williams starred. On Wednesday, Simon responded to a headline from the Daily Mail suggesting that he was “demanding” to “begging” for leniency for Macci. “I wrote a letter, at the request, of a defense attorney, seeking leniency for this man,” Simon replied on Twitter. “I know — not only from direct conversations with my late friend but from his own filmed work against mass incarceration and the drug war — it was the right thing to do. Fuck their verbs … Also — and not to credit my letter over other advocacy as I don’t know the net effect — this judge’s sentence comes not ‘despite’ the appeal; it is in fact far more lenient than sentencing guidelines or even prosecutorial request.”
Simon added: “A 71-year-old addict on a corner touting vials or bags with little or no involvement in the chemical composition of such is a ‘supplier.’ Ok, Pete. Lock him up and every sad soul who wants that product finds it regardless today. The drug war doesn’t fucking work.”
Believe it or not, Jay-Z traveling to London as a 20-year-old saved his career. There’s no doubt that Jay-Z sits amongst the Mount Rushmore of rappers. The New York MC’s storied career took off in the ’90s under the umbrella of Roc-A-Fella Records. Holding a career spanning over two decades, Jay-Z has released iconic records such as The Blueprint and The Black Album. Earning over 20 Grammys and selling over 100 million albums, he polished the classic New York style by following in the footsteps of Biggie. However, he’s arguably best known for pioneering the entrepreneurship side of rap. Ironically, being rejected by numerous record labels throughout his career would catapult the once-drug dealer into a career that has seen him run successful companies in the alcoholic and athletic industries.
However, Jay-Z’s career nearly came to an unfortunate end before it even started. In 1989, the then 20-year-old was looking for an outlet from the drugs, shootouts, and poverty he was surrounded by. Shawn Carter and Jonathan Burks met as kids in the Marcy Projects. Quickly bonding over the love of rhyming, the two spent years pushing each other’s lyrical vocabularies. However, Jonathan “Jaz-O” Burks had the first career breakthrough. At the time, Jay-Z was parking next to hot dog stands on the streets and selling CDs of his records.
Jaz-O Took Jay-Z Under His Wing
NEW YORK, NEW YORK–SEPTEMBER 10: Rappers Jaz-O (aka Jonathan Burks) and Jay-Z attend Rapper Big Daddy Kane’s Birthday Party on September 10, 1989 in New York City. (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images/Michael Ochs Archives)
Although Jaz-O was the first to see concrete success, he still took Jay-Z under his wing as his career took off. The two traveled to London to record Jaz-O’s new album. Jaz-O had recently signed a record deal with EMI, which obligated him to work in London. The two would be there for nearly a year. Jay wrote in Decoded, “Up until that (London trip), my life could be mapped with a triangle: Brooklyn, Washington Heights, Trenton. It didn’t work out because, for these guys, it wasn’t about the music.”
While the record deal wouldn’t pan out for the two, traveling to London was yet another valuable experience for Jay-Z. He returned to the streets of New York with a new network of connections and a more expansive perspective on the potential for his career to go beyond where he’d grown up. However, it would be another six years before he gave up on signing a deal and created his own record label, Roc-A-Fella Records. He would release his debut classic album, Reasonable Doubt, under the label. The once-drug dealer would never look back, as the certified platinum record kickstarted a storied rap career.
Going To London Saved His Career
ROSEMONT, ILL – SEPTEMBER 30: Rapper Jay-Z performs during the “Best of Both Worlds” tour with R. Kelly, September 30, 2004 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
By making the trip to London, Jay-Z nearly avoided a federal raid. “During that time, there was a secret indictment that swept up and grabbed 30 of my friends. Everyone got locked up and went to jail. One of my closest friends, he went to jail for 11 years – the guy I was with every day.” This federal raid was because Jay-Z and his friends were labeled as a concrete network of drug dealers. Carter’s drug dealing days started at 13 years old. Selling in the back alleys of the Marcy projects, the burgeoning reason was to escape from his impoverished lifestyle. On the Oprah Winfrey Show, he admitted, “You become addicted to the feeling, the uncertainly and adrenaline and danger of that lifestyle.”
Jay-Z’s eventual success caused strife between himself and his once mentor, Jaz-O. By 2002, Jaz had become fed up with the lack of attention he was receiving from Jay-Z as his career began to slow down. When Jay-Z solely contributed one verse to Jaz’s new album, he felt like his hospitality to been taken advantage of. In an interview with MTV in 2022, Jaz said “Everything that I did for him as far as his career, I did all of those things to be an agreeable person. The feeling just wasn’t reciprocated in the way that I understood it.” Fortunately, the two would eventually reconcile, performing together in 2017 at Jay-Z’s 4:44 concert.
Jay-Z Permanently Changed Hip-Hop
CLEVELAND, OHIO – OCTOBER 30: Inductee Jay-Z speaks onstage during the 36th Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on October 30, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame )
Imagining the landscape of hip-hop without Jay-Z is anything but an easy task. Jay-Z was the definition of living what he spoke, setting the bar for other rappers from a lyrical perspective. Even more importantly, he established the idea for hip-hop artists to venture beyond music. Without his legacy, the likes of Diddy and Kanye West may have never spearheaded their diverse set of business ventures.
The story is a stark reminder of other potential talents we’ve lost due to similar circumstances. In 4:44’s “Legacy,” Jay-Z states, “We gon’ start a society within a society.” That’s exactly what he’s done. Acting as a beacon for Black independence, it’s a relief that his career didn’t come to a premature end back in 1989.
Rapper Ray Luv recently reflected on his early friendship with Tupac Shakur on the “Dear Mama” docuseries from FX and Hulu. Moreover, Luv spoke to their dire economic straits and having to turn to the streets and sell drugs to make a buck. However, on the very first episode of the show, Ray said that he and Pac were not successful at all in that enterprise. Unsurprisingly, he spoke of how the California legend’s character and perspective wasn’t very conducive to the often cold and exploitative drug business. Still, they tried to make some money for themselves, but fortunately found other paths to success.
“We sucked at selling crack,” Ray Luv revealed on the deep dive into Tupac Shakur’s personal life. “We were the worst crack dealers in the history of crack dealers. He sold crack for like five days. I think I sold crack for seven, mostly because I couldn’t sell my crack which is weird. We knew very quickly that that was not going to be our way out. Because capitalism requires that your empathy level is relatively low. And his empathy level was a little higher than most people. He didn’t believe in hurting or killing Black people. So if a person is smoking crack with their daughter or their son, he’s not gonna recover from that.”
Tupac “Sucked At Selling Crack,” Ray Luv Reveals
MILWAUKEE – SEPTEMBER 1994: Rapper Tupac Shakur performs at the Mecca Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in September 1994. (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
Of course, Tupac’s character and righteous mindset and mentality is as integral to his legacy as his music in many’s eyes. So much so, in fact, that when a Trump crony compared the former president to the late rapper, Shakur’s sister had to set the record straight. “My brother was measured by his integrity, his principles and personal and collective responsibility,” she expressed. In addition, she called such claims “blasphemous” and said that Tupac actually accepted accountability for his wrongdoing, which Trump has never done.
Regardless of undue comparisons, “Dear Mama” provides previously unreleased footage detailing the “All Eyez On Me” MC’s relationship with his mother. In addition, it covers more personal aspects of his life. “For Tupac superfans, I believe that two of the most important things in the project is the never seen before [footage],” director Allen Hughes remarked. “But most importantly, you get to understand why he made certain decisions.” Check out a trailer for it here, find the released series on FX or Hulu, and return to HNHH for the latest on Tupac Shakur.
One of four individuals charged in connection to Michael K. Williams’ tragic passing pleaded guilty to the charges. Moreover, Irvin Cartagena admitted to selling the acclaimed actor a fatal dose of fentanyl-laced heroin in 2021, thus pleading guilty to narcotics conspiracy resulting in death. However, according to reports from The New York Times, Cartagena (also known as “Green Eyes”) took a guilty plea with a lesser sentence of 24 to 30 years behind bars. “I knew my actions were wrong and against the law,” Cartagena remarked through his Spanish interpreter to Judge Ronnie Abrams. “I am very sorry for my actions.”
Furthermore, the remaining three individuals charged in this case (Luis Cruz, Carlos Macci, and Hector Robles) face similar charges of selling fentanyl-laced narcotics as part of a drug operation. Allegedly, they sold drugs out of an apartment in the Brooklyn borough, the neighborhood where Williams was found dead in his apartment on September 6th, 2021. On one hand, authorities will examine Macci in July after he pleaded guilty to a narcotics conspiracy charge. On the other, both Cruz and Robles pleaded not guilty to these crimes.
Michael K. Williams’ Dealer Pleads Guilty
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 04: Actor Michael K. Williams attends “The Hate U Give” New York Screening at the Paris Theatre on October 4, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Sagliocco/WireImage)
Not only that, but the charges against these individuals line up with what medical officials ruled concerning the 54-year-old’s untimely loss. Moreover, a medical examiner found that a fatal mixture of fentanyl, para-fluorofentanyl, cocaine, and heroin took his life. When authorities discovered his body, they also found drug paraphernalia and glassine bags with the tag, “AAA Insurance.” The Wire star’s tragic passing impacted millions of fans, his closest industry colleagues, and his family members in a cutting way. The actor’s nephew, Dominic Dupont, told The New York Times that Cartagena’s plea represents some form of closure, but not true reckoning.
“The reality is there are no winners here,” they expressed to the publication. “Michael was an amazing human being and to lose him is something that we’re still grappling with. The grieving process continues for myself and for my family.” Through his incredible work, his friends’ remembrance, and especially his family’s internal support, generations to come will know how much talent the entertainment world lost when he passed, and how he impacted his closest loved ones. Come back to HNHH for more updates on this story and share your favorite Michael K. Williams memories in the comments.
She dated Kanye West for about a month and now Julia Fox has become a household name. The actress wasn’t necessarily unknown before her whirlwind romance with Ye, but she certainly didn’t have the visibility she has now. Quickly, Fox has moved from a Hollywood starlet to a fashionista who is seen sitting front row and some of the world’s most coveted runway shows. Additionally, her podcast is a success, her interviews are often outlandish, and her social media reveals become trending topics.
This time, Julia Fox caught up with Elle magazine to once again detail her rise. She praises herself as a feminist who is vehemently pro-women, and prior comments she made during an interview arose. At the time, she was asked if she believed it was acceptable for women to kill men. “I think that if the man deserves it, yeah, why not? Men kill women all the time for no reason,” Fox answered.
NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 10: Julia Fox is seen on February 10, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Rachpoot/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
With Elle, she was questioned about that response. Fox revealed that she had an encounter with a man she believed did deserve to lose his life at the hands of a woman. The actress claimed she had a friend who died of an overdose, so she tracked down the drug dealer who gave her the substance. Fox took her late friend’s gun, stalked the dealer’s neighborhood, and waited for an opportunity.
“I would literally, like, sit across the street in my car, put the seat all the way down,” Fox said. “And watch him through the little side mirror for hours, like coming and going.” She further added that she learned her friend died of a mix of several substances, not just what the dealer gave her. “I’m glad I didn’t kill him.”
NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 07: Actress Julia Fox arrives to the 2022 CFDA Fashion Awards at Casa Cipriani on November 7, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)
Fox has been relatively candid about her past struggles with drug addiction. It wasn’t until her social media fallout with former friend Azaelia Banks did detail emerge. Banks trolled her, but Fox took it in stride, admitting to being a drug abuser but maintaining that she’s sober.
Machine Gun Kelly’s new Hulu documentary Life In Pink came out yesterday, which tells the story of his pivot to pop punk. Possibly the most interesting part of the whole thing is his recollection of collaborating with Lil Wayne for “Drug Dealer,” and the way the iconic rapper smoked 15 blunts.
“I pressed play on the song, he’s like, ‘Is that what we’re doing?’” MGK recalled. “‘Yeah.’ He’s like, ‘Alright. You guys got time?’ ‘Yeah, for sure.’ He goes in the courtyard, smokes 15 blunts. He just takes each, his eyes are closed just playing the track over and over again. He comes back in the studio and we can see him in the courtyard. We’re just kind of sitting there amazed, like that’s the GOAT forming his thoughts around a track that we made.”
He continued, “He comes back in at 5:30 in the morning. He’s like, ‘Y’all ready?’ He goes in the booth and he lays his sh*t like, one time. It’s just like, one time.”
Apparently MGK’s flirtation with pop punk is coming to an end for now, because a couple of months ago he said he’ll be returning to rap music. “I’m going to make a rap album for myself, for no other reason, no point to prove, no chip on my shoulder,” he said in an interview.
