New Report Shows Black Lives Matter Has Over $40M in Assets

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Black Lives Matter has spent over #37 million on grants, real estate, consultants, and other expenses in recent years but still manages to have over $40 million in access.

The Associated Press received a 63-page Form 990 stating Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation Inc. has invested $32 million in stocks from the $90 million donations in 2020. Organizers say that investment will be an endowment to carry on the work of BLM for years to come.

According to the Black Lives Matter foundation, $4 million is in the operating budget, and there is $42 million in net assets. In addition, $6 million was spent on a Los Angeles headquarters in Studio City, including six bedrooms and bathrooms, a swimming pool, office space, and a soundstage. The board states the property is used for a Black artists fellowship.

Black Lives Matter does not have an executive director or in-house staff, mainly citing that it operates “as an early startup nonprofit, without substantial governance structure, that got a huge windfall.”

The BLM co-founders, Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Ayọ Tometi, have vowed to build an organization governed by the consent of the BLM chapters. You can read more of the report, including the controversy of how funds would be distributed here.

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Today in Hip-Hop History: Gangstarr’s Guru Dropped His ‘Jazzamatazz: Vol. 1’ Lp 29 Years Ago

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29 years ago, on this day, the almighty Baldhead Slick, more commonly known as the Guru” of Gangstarr, dropped his first solo project, Jazzamatazz, on Chrysalis Records. The album featured a slew of artists in and outside of the ciphers of Hip Hop, as this album was the first of its kind, with “Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal” fusing the sounds of Jazz with Hip Hop’s boom bap to create a groundbreaking album.

Jazzamatazz, which was executive produced by Guru, featured Jazz legends such as Roy Ayers, Branford Marsalis, Donald Byrd, and N’Dea Davenport of the Brand New Heavies. Guru also introduced Hip Hop in the states to the international community, recruiting MC Solaar of France(not to be confused with the controversial producer Solar with whom Guru was connected before his passing).

Salute to the Gangstarr Foundation, DJ Premier, MC Solaar, jazz icons, and everyone who was a part of this trailblazing project! RIP Guru!

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Lil Wayne Responds to Mark Cuban Trolling Him: “I Will Piss In Ya Mouth”

H.E.R., Lil Wayne, The Isley Brothers Are Set To Headline 2021 One Music Festival

Who knew that Lil Wayne would find beef in the NBA, and with an owner! Lil Wayne was rooting for Phoenix Suns in their second-round matchup with the Dallas Mavericks. The Suns would lose but earlier in the series, Weezy let off his feelings about Mavs superstar Luka Doncic, calling him a “ho.”

Once the Suns were blown out and bounced out of the playoffs, Mavs owner Mark Cuban found that tweet and offered one of his own, using lyrics from Wayne’s “Uproar.”

Wayne saw it and fired back: “Mark Cuban don’t make me et u smacked boy U playin w me?? I will piss in ya fkn mouth ho”

He also dropped this one that hasn’t been deleted:

Mark Cuban has not said anything else. The Mavericks will kick off with the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday night.

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Joe Budden Gets Amp to Trend During Debut of New Show ‘Music Lovers Only with Joe Budden’

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Joe Budden’s brand-new weekly show Music Lovers Only With Joe Budden premiered on Amp – the new live-radio app – on Monday at 5 p.m. EDT.

Budden got listeners in their feelings by playing notable ballads and classic hit jams from Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy” to Brandy’s “Baby,” Musq Soulchild’s “SoBeautiful,” Foreigner’s “Waiting for a Girl Like You,” and more, thanks to a catalog of tens of millions of licensed songs available on Amp for show creators. Joe’s breadth of music knowledge and performance packed of R&B deep cuts and classics were praised by fans on Twitter, who were impressed by his act.

“If your head don’t bob my head might be dead on the job,” shared Budden on-air about the show during his two-hour set.

Every week on Amp, the iconic artist and personality, who has created a media empire around being one of hip-hop’s most engaging and powerful voices, promises to curate his favorite songs from all genres and decades while commenting on the topics and news that matter most to the culture. Callers will share the mike with Joe and discuss their favorite songs and artists, producing a show unlike any other for music fans.

Joe Budden has been bringing the enthusiasm of rap’s golden age to the culture for 15 years. Joe Budden’s signature has always been music anchored in honesty, powered by human relationships, and presented with precise lyrics, even as his brand has grown to television, video games, podcasts, battle rap, and social media. Joe has built a cult following as one of hip-most hop’s famous voices, sharing his life and personal ideas on shows like State of the Culture, The Joe Budden Podcast, and now Music Lovers Only.

Amp is a new app that allows anyone to DJ their own live radio program and listen to a diverse array of live audio for free, alongside some of the biggest names in the industry. It is now in public beta. No subscription, new hardware, or editing skills are required for creators to use a database of tens of millions of licensed music while communicating with their community in real-time.

Pusha T, Lil Yachty, Tinashe, Travis Barker, and Nikita Dragun are among the high-profile artists that have launched shows on Amp during the test period.

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Makaveli Cover Album Artwork by Riskie Forever To Be Auctioned Celebrating 25th Anniversary

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The original album cover art painting from Tupac Shakur’s The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, recorded under the pseudonym Makaveli, will be auctioned by Riskie Forever in collaboration with Zelus, a company that aims to revolutionize the way people interact with art and finance, and Heritage Auctions.

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Makaveli front cover

Working with Heritage, Zelus will auction the original record cover painting from now until June 18 together with a one-of-a-kind NFT that includes a never-before-heard tale from Riskie about the piece’s beginnings. On a 29″ × 47″ canvas seen via a 35″ x 53″ frame, the original painting was produced using airbrush and mixed media. The NFT will deliver a one-of-a-kind collectible experience related to a piece of hip-hop history to the buyer.

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On his podcast “Hotboxin’ w/ Mike Tyson,” longtime friend of Tupac Shakur and boxing legend Mike Tyson will discuss the original painting while showcasing the artwork. He’ll talk about his memories of Tupac, as well as the significance of the album cover in music history. On May 19, the show will appear on YouTube with special guests Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.

“This episode was cool to shoot,” said Tyson. “Having the opportunity to honor Pac and have this painting here with us was awesome. It’s by far the most iconic hip hop album artwork of all time.”

On May 19, Heritage Auctions, located at 445 Park Avenue, will host the “HeritageNow” event. The auction will feature items like Frank Miller’s original cover art for The Dark Knight Returns Book One, which has never been auctioned before; Enola Gay Captain Robert Lewis’ contemporaneous first-hand account of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945; a manuscript in Mozart’s hand from The Marriage of Figaro; and other iconic, major moments in American and world history. As part of the exhibition, Heritage has included the Riskie Forever cover art painting.

The Don Killuminati is, of course, now regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, and its cover art by Riskie is no less a masterwork – a true collaboration between two geniuses that resulted in one of music and popular culture’s most indelible images,” said Heritage Auctions’ Executive Vice President, Joe Maddalena. “It’s one of the few album covers ever created that merited critical discussion – there are so many theories behind its meaning – and it’s an honor and thrill to offer this not just as a piece of music history, but as a true work of American art.”

Riskie sold the original physical artwork he made in 1996 for The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory’s album cover to a long-time fan in 2015. However, in 2021, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the posthumous album’s publication, Zelus assisted Riskie Forever in reclaiming the artwork. Tupac was introduced to Riskie by Suge Knight, and after seeing Riskie’s portfolio, Tupac insisted that his label pay him to create a picture depicting Tupac crucified on a cross, just like Jesus, complete with a crown of thorns. Tupac was seen the artwork just days before his sad demise.

“I remember giving Pac the painting officially, I knew then this was something special,” said Riskie Forever. “Now to be able to celebrate that legacy while creating something truly new and unique – that’s something I’m incredibly proud to be a part of.”

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Today in Hip-Hop History: Ice Cube Dropped His First Solo LP ‘Amerikkka’s Most Wanted’ 32 Years Ago

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On this day in Hip Hop history 32 years ago, Ice Cube released his debut solo album Amerikkka’s Most Wanted. Following the tragic break up of N.W.A., this album’s unexpected commercial and critical success not only set the tone for Ice Cube’s solo career but was also a launching pad toward success.

Being able to peak at #19 on the Billboard 200 and be certified platinum in the year if it’s release all while staying true to the hardcore gangsta sound that is prevalent in all of his other work shows, that since the beginning Ice Cube has been a force to be reckoned with. His lyrical style and choice of subject matter force the commercial music world to be comfortable with a narrative uncommon to the majority of those who would consider themselves fans of the work. With this album Ice Cube is able to paint a vivid and accurate picture of his particular experiences as an artist in the process of making it out of Compton yet still thriving as a product of the said environment.

Unlike his previous NWA cuts, Ice Cube is able to get a little more theatrical with the delivery of his message while remaining just as straight forward. From the title of the project to the outro, it is prominent that Ice Cube had no intention of sugar-coating what he had to say. The violently righteous theme of this album shook the rap world showing a more militant side to the consciousness movement going on in the early 1990s. Cube even worked with Public Enemy’s production team The Bomb Squad to harness the high-energy sound that paired perfect with his flow.

Critically, this album is held on a pedestal with some the best selling and most respected projects in Hip Hop. It has been ranked on a plethora of “Best of All Time” and “Best of the 1990s” lists by publications in the US, Canada, and all over Europe. The album has been awarded 5 out of 5 ratings from The Source, Rolling Stone, Allmusic, and The Austin Chronicle.

Following this album, Ice Cube wen ton to grow to be the mega-star he is today. He released eight solo studio albums and has no plans on stopping anytime soon. He also took his talent to the screen as an actor, writer, and director.

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Source Exclusive: Olivia talks new single and album, music and fashion inspiration, and mental health

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Olivia may be one of the “First Ladies of hip-hop,” but in the span of almost two decades, she’s proven to have one of the most diverse ranges of talent of females in the industry. This week, she debuted her new single, “No Permission,” off her upcoming album, Under Pressure. Olivia sat down with The Source to talk about her upcoming album, film projects, musical and fashion inspirations, and how she manages her mental health.

The Source: What can fans expect different on this album than past albums?

Olivia: They can expect something totally different because the first album that I did was on J Records- and that’s when I first came out, which was when I was like 21 years old. And then on G-Unit, we didn’t do an album. We just did a bunch of singles and features and everything.  They can clearly hear how much my sound has evolved.

I’m a big Brandy fan, so you get a lot of those tones and we have similar tones, but I always listened to her harmonies and stuff. One of my first favorite songs that I recorded,  she was actually in a session with me because she was married to Bert (Robert ‘Big Bert’ Smith) at the time. She walked in and I was stunned because again, I’m like 22 years old and I’m like, ‘oh my God, Brandy is actually in the session.’

She is really one of my inspirations as far as the R&B side, but everybody knows I love hip-hop, so that’s infused in it as well. I have a lot of different blends in there because I don’t like to stick to one genre, but the album totally follows. You can play every track back to back and you get the same vibe.

The Source: You worked with multiple producers on this album. What do you think each of them brought to the album, in addition to your talents?

Olivia: Well of course everybody brings something different, but I have a particular producer named HV, which stands for high volume. His tracks just catch you when you hear them, like the tracks alone, you can tell those are smashes. So you have to automatically write something that matches the smash that he did. I feel like his tracks make me write even better and I try to make sure that I get producers that can come with the same type of energy, the winning type of mentality in the tracks that I want.

The Source: For sure, setting the bar high. So are there any guest artists on your new album?

Olivia: I’m keeping it a secret. I don’t want it to get out yet until we’re ready for the album [release].

The Source: Ok, so your album is called Under Pressure and May is Mental Health Awareness month. How do you deal with pressure, anxiety, stress, all the things that we all go through?

Olivia: One main thing I try to do since I live in Florida now and we’re close to the beach, I try to take long walks. We go for walks at night too in whichever city or state we’re in. Stuff like that kind of calms you down or relaxes you. I love flowers and sometimes I’ll have flowers in the house. They always bring up your energy. Also, simple things, just like sitting by yourself and with everything off, no TV, no music, just try to relax. You know, it really is the simplest things. It sounds like it’s so hard, but the simple things is what will calm you down and bring down your anxiety.

The Source: Well, you already mentioned Brandy, but who are some other musical artists that have inspired you?

Olivia: Joe is also one of my top favorite male, R&B singers. I had the pleasure of meeting him when I first came out. Also, he was down with my production crew, so he used to teach me his runs and I used to watch him and play the guitar. He’s actually why I tried to start learning to play the guitar. That’s probably why I like Lenny Kravitz. Everybody who knows me knows that I’m a big Lenny fan. My genre is all over the place, but there’s always great music. That’s all that matters- as long as it’s a great artist and they make great music.

The Source: If you could collab with any artist (past present, dead, alive, doesn’t matter), who would it be?

Olivia: One would be obviously Lenny Kravitz and the other one would be Luther Vandross. Some of my fans know this story from when I was signed to J Records. Luther was basically my godfather. He took me on my very first shopping spree when I got signed, he would take me to lunch at the Ivy, like every two weeks. I remember going into the studio with him and he has this long trench coat on with one of those big sweaters. We’re in California and it’s like 80 degrees in the studio and his engineer is sweating and I’m like, “Uncle Lou, why is it so hot in here?” He says, “that’s how I keep my vocals so warm.” And then I started doing it too because I realized that it does open up your vocals so much more. Luther and I used to walk down the street and sing so amazing together and harmonies, and I always wanted to do a record with him if I could.

The Source: In addition to being a talented musical artist, as we all know, you’re also something kind of a fashionista. We’ve seen your Instagram, your nails, and you’ve been featured in several fashion magazines. Who are some of your fashion icons or where do you get your fashion inspiration from?

Olivia: That’s a tough one because I like a lot of different things. Sometimes I like to be a really girly girl and then other times I’m very tomboy. I like color, so if I go for the color types, it’ll probably be Missoni, but if I’m going for like the clean lines and for color, it could be Versace also.

I like simple, but still classic. It’s a plethora of things. It depends on the day or on how you feel like dressing.

In addition to her upcoming album, Olivia also stars in the movie “Better than My Last,” an action-suspense film directed by Shawn Baker that is expected to be released nationwide later this year.

“No Permission” is available on most streaming platforms. More information can be found here: https://unitedmasters.com/m/625daffb4269dc24e93a1165.

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Today in Hip-Hop History: De La Soul Dropped Their Second LP ‘De La Soul Is Dead’ 31 Years Ago

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On this day in Hip Hop history, De La Soul released their second album De La Soul is Dead.

Being one of the first albums to earned the coveted ‘Five Mics’ from The Source magazine, De La Soul Is Dead marked a change in direction for De La Soul. Although the title would suggest the end of the group as a whole, instead the meaning behind the album’s cryptic title is an allusion to the ‘death’ of this old style. Through this album, De La Soul began to separate themselves from their previous pseudo-1960 flower-child aesthetic that was set up by their popular debut. The title also represents the group’s separation from mainstream Hip Hop.

Regardless of the fact the group stuck to their skit heavy, storytelling structure, critics and charts were all but kind to this album. Unlike their uber-successful debut, De La Soul is Dead did not appear on any charts and was not recognized as a good album until years after it’s release. In the late 90s however, the album rose to critical acclaim when publications realized the impact the album had on the careers of De La Soul and Hip Hop as a whole. The album has been ranked by Rolling Stone, The Source, Pitchfork Media, and others as one of the greatest albums, regardless of genre, of the 1990s.

Following this album, De La Soul went on to be one of the most respected rap groups of their generation. The rebranding that came from De La Soul is dead allowed for De LA Soul to cross over as artists into the realm of respected artistry rather than a continuing their career riding the wave set by their debut.

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Today In Hip Hop History: Onyx Released Their Smash Single “Slam” 29 Years Ago

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The four-man crew from Jamaica, Queens dropped their crossover hit single on this date in 1993

On May 10, 1993, Big DS, Sonny Seeza, Fredro, and Sticky released “Slam”, the smash hit from Onyx’s debut album, Bacdafucup.

The song’s chorus was the crew’s own remix of “The Champ” by The Mohawks. As one of the album’s most propelling singles, Slam ventured into heavy metal and punk rock’s “slamdance” culture, featuring a violent mosh pit in the song’s video. Onyx even did a remix of Slam with heavy metal giants Biohazard. This platinum single has appeared on TV as well as the silver screen, with Meth and Red using the amp-up track for their How High flick.

Salute to Onyx, Def Jam, and everyone involved with this track!

Do remember that Onyx will be going head to head with Cypress Hill this weekend in a VERZUZ battle scheduled for May 14 in Los Angeles!

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Happy Birthday To Wu Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killaaaaaahhh!!!

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On this day in 1970, rapper/actor Dennis Coles aka Ghostface Killah was born. The chamber of eccentricity comes almost exclusively from Tony Starks, who has been compared to the likes of Slick Rick with his signature, six inch high eagle bracelet and other excessively gaudy jewels.

At the foundation of the Wu saga, Ghost’s face was unseen and wasn’t revealed until the Chef’s Only Built For Cuban Linx classic “Purple Tape”. With ten solid solo albums under his belt, Ghostdini continues to impact the game along with his WTC family.

The Source Magazine would like to send a super shout out to the “Ironman” of Hip Hop on his degree day! Enjoy!

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