Happy Heavenly 50th Birthday To Mobb Deep’s Prodigy!

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prodigy

The Mind Squad would like to send a supreme posthumous born day salute to Albert “Prodigy” Johnson, the lyrical half of the “Infamous” Mobb Deep. In 2017, the Hip-Hop community lost Prodigy in what is recognized as a freak hospital accident, with reports stating that P passed after choking on an egg while hospitalized for his sickle cell condition.

Prodigy will forever be remembered as one of NYC’s powerhouses of the rap game, repping the Rotten Apple in feuds within the five boroughs (Jay-Z, Tru Life) and cross country (Tupac, Crooked I). With his QB partner Havoc, the Hempstead, Long Island native inherited the crown as the king of NYC crime rhyme from his elder Queens comrade Kool G. Rap and upheld his position for over two decades. P’s solo career was stellar in its own right, with his H.N.I.C. trilogy as one of the best solo efforts from an NYC artist who came from a group since Busta Rhymes.

Salute to Prodigy on what would’ve been his 50th birthday, and his contributions through his art and music will maintain his relevance in Hip-Hop forever. R.I.P.!

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Today In Hip Hop History: Lil Wayne’s Debut Album ‘The Block Is Hot’ Turns 25 Years Old!

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On this date twenty five years ago, Dwayne Carter Jr. set out on his solo musical journey and dropped his first album The Block Is Hot on the Cash Money/Universal imprint. With in-house production exclusively from the one and only Mannie Fresh and executive production from Baby and Slim, Wayne’s debut set him out towards having legendarily anticipated debuts like The Carter series being possibly the best rapper of this generation.

Lead singles such as ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot”, which features Mannie Fresh and B.G., and the album’s title track introduced Wayne as Cash Money’s young gunner, who was already recording his major-label solo debut at the tender age of 16. The entire 17 track gem was certified platinum by the RIAA in less than two months of its release and is now a certified platinum album worldwide.

Salute to Mr. Carter, Baby, Slim, Fresh, B.G., Turk, Juvy, and the rest of the CMB for making this album a piece of Hip Hop history!

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A-List Male Celebrity Allegedly Horrified by Diddy Tape Appearance

Sean "Diddy" Combs to Receive Global Icon Award and Perform at 2023 "VMAs"

Sean "Diddy" Combs to Receive Global Icon Award and Perform at 2023 "VMAs"

A witness provided bombshell testimony before a grand jury last week in the ongoing trafficking case involving Sean “Diddy” Combs, CEO of Bad Boy Entertainment. The testimony alleged that Combs had knowledge of explicit video footage containing multiple celebrity victims, including minors, from past “freak parties” held at his estates.

The most recent revelation involves a video that reportedly features eight celebrity victims. One of these individuals is said to be more high-profile than Diddy himself, and sources say the situation has left him feeling re-traumatized and horrified at the possibility of the footage being made public.

According to Page Six, a source close to the celebrity described the distress the footage is causing. “It feels like a betrayal and a violation, and it’s causing a lot of issues,” the insider shared. “It brings up some really disturbing and bad memories. He feels like he was victimized years ago and is now being victimized yet again. If this footage gets out, it will follow him for life. It will be on the internet forever.”

The anonymous A-lister is reportedly struggling with the emotional toll of the ordeal, which has been described as a “total nightmare” and deeply triggering. Another source stated that the star is “praying that this all goes away” and is trying to focus on moving forward while feeling powerless. “There’s not much he can do about it, if there was a video taken without his knowledge that somehow gets out,” they noted, adding that he is “trying to ignore” the looming threat.

Homeland Security officials have confirmed they are in possession of footage from sex parties at Combs’ residences. One officer mentioned that the footage contains “recognizable names” but did not confirm any specific identities. “It’s more than just that one,” the officer said, acknowledging that several celebrities might be involved.

The mystery surrounding the video’s origins and whether the victims were underage at the time remains a critical question, and both Combs’ representatives and those of the alleged victims have not yet issued statements. The case has sparked conversations about privacy, consent, and the long-term impact of being a victim of such invasions, especially in the age of the internet where such footage can have lasting repercussions.

As investigations continue, the world awaits further developments in what has become one of the most explosive scandals in recent history.

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Tyler, The Creator Not Here For Some “Racist” Swifties Unearthing Old Lyrics to Cancel Him

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Tyler, the Creator responded to criticism from Taylor Swift’s fanbase, known as the “Swifties,” for resurfacing controversial lyrics from his early work, calling out their actions as “racist.”

Oh boy, here we go …

On Thursday, Tyler, born Tyler Okonma, expressed frustration, stating, “I got Swifties all mad at me with their racist ass, bringing up old lyrics. Btch, go listen to ‘Tron Cat,’ I don’t give a fck,” referring to his 2011 song “Tron Cat,” which contains lyrics some find problematic.

Now get this, the reason for the Swifties’ renewed scrutiny of Tyler’s past lyrics isn’t fully clear, but it coincides with Tyler briefly overtaking Swift as the No. 1 global artist on Spotify earlier in the week following the release of his eighth album, Chromakopia. His chart-topping success, which may earn him his biggest streaming debut yet, marked a rare moment unseating Swift from her dominant spot.

On socials, gotta love them, some Swift fans criticized lyrics from “Tron Cat,” including a widely shared post with over 270,000 likes, pointing to disturbing content in the song. However, many of Tyler’s fans defended him, noting that the song’s lyrics, part of his 2011 Goblin album, were intended to portray characters and dark, intrusive thoughts, often framed in a therapeutic setting. As he raps in another song, “Nightmare,” Tyler explores grappling with “a voice in my head / Tellin’ me to do all this f*cked up shit, man.”

Well, to be fair to some, Tyler has a history of controversy surrounding his lyrics, especially in his earlier work with the Odd Future collective, which included violent and offensive themes. These lyrics even led to his ban from the U.K. in 2015, with the U.K. Home Secretary citing encouragement of “violence and intolerance of homosexuality” as reasons. His manager at the time condemned the ban as a “free speech” issue, emphasizing that the lyrics in question were from 2009 and no longer reflected Tyler’s artistic focus. Since then, critics have noted a shift in his music, with Flower Boy (2018) and Call Me If You Get Lost (2021) praised for their mature introspection.

What’s more with Chromakopia’s release, Tyler is once again in the spotlight, though now for his growth as an artist — a shift that his fans argue reflects a significant departure from the lyrical content Swift fans are using against him.

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Kodak Black Releases ‘Dieusun Octave’ Mixtape, Drops Visual For “Catch Fire”

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Today, charismatic multi-platinum rapper Kodak Black drops his brand new mixtape Dieuson Octave via Vulture Love / Capitol Records. Fans got a taste of the stacked new set on Halloween day with the release of reflective lead track “Catch Fire”

Kodak’s latest project is named after the Pompano Beach, Florida, artist himself — Dieuson Octave is his birth name, and “Catch Fire” in particular feels personal. Over a slightly somber L Beats production, Kodak sets the scene: “I made a lot of money, spent most of it making a bail / Doing whatever I feel and getting away like a pit bull tryna chase his tail.” His voice is warm as he considers his grandmother, his newborn son, and what his lifestyle means to those around him. 

The “Catch Fire” cover art features a surreal photo of Kodak’s actual car in flames after the gas line started leaking on the highway — an incident that took place while the rap star was filming his first Kick livestream. 

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[WATCH] Ice Cube Explains “Kendrick Before Kendrick” Line On SiriusXM Rock The Bells Radio

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Screenshot 2024 11 01 at 9.51.27 AM

Ice Cube recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Rock The Bells Radio to promote his upcoming album Man Down. During the interview with SiriusXM’s Torae, Ice Cube elaborated on his lyric stating he was “Kendrick before Kendrick [Lamar].”

Check out the clip from Rock The Bells Radio HERE

Known for making what was arguably the best diss track of all time, Ice Cube is basing his statement on a large part of Hip Hop history. When N.W.A. was one of the most popular groups in Hip Hop, Cube decided to leave the group and dropped “No Vaseline”, the song from his Death Certificate LP, which was the catalyst that caused N.W.A. to eventually be disbanded. K Dot’s “They Not Like Us” has now become THE greatest diss track, but the title didn’t leave the West Coast, even though it took over three decades for Ice Cube’s monumental track to be matched.

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Today In Hip Hop History: Brand Nubian’s Sophomore Album “Everything Is Everything’ Turns 30 Years Old!

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On this date in 1994, Brand Nubian’s Lord Jamar and Sadat X, without the group’s founder, Grand Puba, released the New Rochelle-based crew’s second album Everything Is Everything on the Elektra imprint.

Two years after Puba got a taste of the solo artist life with his Reel To Reel LP, Dotty and Lord J along with DJ Sincere put their heads together to put out an album that was almost exclusively produced by Lord Jamar himself. There weren’t a bunch of guest appearances besides fellow 5%er Busta Rhymes on the “Nubian Jam” and DITC’s Buckwild, who produced Sadat’s solo track “Alladat”. Despite the lackluster reception and commercial success of the project, the album produced two solid singles; “Word Iz Bond” and “Hold On”, which were featured on a number of syndicated television series. The single “Lick Dem Muthaphuckas” was featured on the Menace 2 Society soundtrack.

Salute to Jamar, Dot, Sincere, Buckwild for creating this important piece Hip Hop History!

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Today in Hip-Hop History: Slick Rick Released His Debut Album ‘The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick’ 36 Years Ago

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On this date thirty six ago, Hip-Hop’s greatest storyteller Slick Rick dropped his debut LP The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick on the Def Jam imprint.

MC Ricky D came on the scene with the “Original Human Beat Box” Doug E. Fresh in 1985 with the party anthem “The Show” and the X-rated flip side “La Di Da Di”. His highly anticipated debut LP is one of Hip Hop’s iconic projects that presented a concept, maintained a tempo with timeless lyrics and unforgettable beats courtesy of The Bomb Squad and Rick himself.

Being one of the few albums in the history of The Source that received the coveted Five Mics, it’s hard to pinpoint just a handful tracks that made the album stand out, however, there are some all-time favorites that still ring relevant three decades later. Storytelling tracks like “The Moment I Feared,” “Treat Her Like A Prostitute” and “Indian Girl” were reminiscent of his “La Di Da Di” days of X-rated rap. Rick served up some classic songs that are still bangin’ in the clubs to this day, including “Children’s Story”, “Mona Lisa” and the epic “Young World”.

Salute The Ruler, his DJ Vance Wright, Rick Rubin, The Bomb Squad and the entire Def Jam squad from the heyday for this timeless classic!

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Westside Gunn Releases New Album ‘Still Praying’

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Fans have come to expect a FLYGOD release every October, you can set your watch by it.  Yet, every October Westside Gunn still manages to deliver the expected-in an unexpected way. 

After the release of 11 (the art piece, before the art piece) on Halloween, Westside Gunn has now released Still Praying (the highly-anticipated follow-up to And Then You Pray For Me); which features guest appearances from the greatest sh*t-talker of all time, DJ Drama (AKA Drop Cena), Benny The Butcher, Conway The Machine, Boldy James, Stove God Cooks, Rome Streetz and production from Conductor Williams and Daringer among others. 

With DJ Drama as narrator, Still Praying is everything you want and more from a new FLYGOD drop.  Still Praying sounds like fresh money and opulence, with Gunn describing wearing “thousand dollar swim trunks, can’t even swim” on “Dr. Britt Baker,” while acknowledging he has FLYGOD problems; which consist of “being fly as LaGuardia,”  eating so much lobster it feels greedy, and falling asleep and waking up in the Penthouse suite of the Waldorf spooning a sawed-off shotgun.  In other words, just a day in the life of the FLYGOD. 

“If it ain’t Griselda it don’t mean nothing.”  Still Praying brings Griselda back together in a major way.  On “Free Shots” featuring Conway The Machine, DJ Drama recommends “blinking twice if you’re in danger” on what feels like a new and improved Hall & Nash track.  On the album’s epic title track, Gunn reunites GXFR to spin the block for a rap stars x drug mixer, that finds Conway dropping dimes like a Brady spiral, Stove God invoking Virgil’s spirit, and Benny detailing declining a sit-down with Trump on the eve of the Presidential election. 

“Some paintings are masterpieces, and this just happens to be one “Westside Gunn confidently asserts.  “I wanted to show everybody not only am I the best curator; but I can also rap my ass off.” 

Westside Gunn puts an exclamation point on the week, and shifts into 4th Rope mode on 11.2.24, as his now official wrestling promotion initiative makes history and takes over Chicago for the Heels Have Eyes 3 entertainment extravaganza.  Heels Have Eyes merges all of Gunn’s loves (4th Rope highlights Gunn’s love of wrestling through the lens of art, fashion and music) and the third installment promises to be the best rendition yet.  Which includes a Steel Praying steel cage match, Joe Hendry vs. AJ Francis, Moose vs. ZILLA FATU for the 4th Rope heavyweight championship belt which will be awarded by Westside Gunn and new 4th Rope commissioner, the legend MVP.  On the musical performance side, FLYGOD has brought in iconic artists DJ Premier and Pete Rock, as well as Statik Selektah, Rome Streetz, Daringer, and other still-not-announced special guests.  Heels Have Eyes 3 promises to be an unforgettable evening of entertainment. 

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LeBron James Emphatically Endorses Vice President Kamala Harris: “What are we even talking about here??”

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Well, arguably the most influential athlete in the world just took a side. Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has now officially endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for President of the United States. The basketball icon shared his support for the Democratic candidate on social media.

In a post on X (formerly twitter), James wrote:

“What are we even talking about here?? When I think about my kids and my family and how they will grow up, the choice is clear to me. VOTE KAMALA HARRIS!!!”

In his post the 39-year-old future Hall of Famer shared stark clips from the racist MAGA rally at Madison Square Garden his past weekend, clips of the negative press headline that ensued and additional footage of social justice protests. James was making a point and we hear him loud and clear.

As you know, James, who has consistently voiced his opinions on issues important to him, joins NBA star Stephen Curry in supporting VP Harris.

Curry endorsed the Vice President earlier, while James had kept his choice private until now.

Known for his outspokenness on social issues, James’ endorsement signals his belief that Vice President Harris is best suited to lead the country into the future.

King James has spoken.

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