J. Cole has answered Kendrick Lamar. Overnight, Cole dropped off a surprise mixtape, Might Delete Later, where he closed with “7 Minute Drill,” aiming at his former friend.
“Your first shit was classic, your last shit was tragic Your second shit put n-ggas to sleep, but they gassed it Your third shit was massive and that was your prime I was trailin’ right behind and I just now hit mine.”
Cole also evoked some of JAY-Z’s bars to Nas, rapping”
“I’m hesitant, I love my brother, but I’m not gonna lie I’m powered up for real, that shit would feel like swattin’ a fly Four albums in twelve years, nigga, I can divide Shit, if this is what you want, I’m indulgin’ in violence“
A significant earthquake with a magnitude of 4.7 struck the coast of the northeastern United States on Friday morning, sending shockwaves from Boston down to Baltimore. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the quake’s epicenter was detected approximately 4.5 miles north, northeast of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey.
The tremors rattled residents and travelers across the region, prompting widespread concern and precautionary measures. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that incoming flights at major airports in and around New York City were being diverted from landing, citing safety precautions in response to the seismic activity.
“Everyone @NYSE just gave each other a big look,” tweeted CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla from the New York Stock Exchange in lower Manhattan, underscoring the palpable impact of the earthquake on financial and commercial centers.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul took to Twitter to address the situation, stating, “My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day.” The governor’s message reassured residents that authorities were actively monitoring the situation and would provide updates as necessary.
The earthquake serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of seismic activity and its potential to disrupt daily life. While no immediate reports of significant damage or injuries were available, the event highlights the importance of being prepared and response protocols in regions susceptible to earthquakes.
Neo-soul icon Erykah Badu, known for her soulful tunes and distinctive style, sparked controversy last month when she accused Beyoncé of mirroring her aesthetic. However, this week, Badu took to social media to extend her congratulations to Queen Bey for her monumental achievement of breaking Amazon streaming records with the release of her Cowboy Carter album.
The unexpected turn of events began when Erykah Badu known for her artistic originality, made waves online with her claims of Beyoncé’s aesthetic emulation. However, in a surprising gesture of support, Badu publicly acknowledged Beyoncé’s record-breaking success on Amazon’s streaming platform.
On social media platforms, Erykah Badu reshared Beyoncé’s remarkable accomplishment with a succinct yet powerful caption: “GET EM’.” This message, while brief, conveyed Badu’s recognition of Beyoncé’s achievement and signaled a departure from the recent controversy surrounding their respective artistic styles.
Despite the previous tensions between Badu and Beyoncé, this recent gesture of support from Erykah Badu underscores the notion that, in the world of music, there is room for both competition and camaraderie. It highlights the mutual respect and admiration that artists can share, regardless of any past disagreements or controversies.
Contemporary R&B/Hip-Hop sensation Bryson Tiller has made a triumphant return with the release of his long-awaited album, Bryson Tiller. This latest project, released under Trapsoul/RCA Records, signifies a significant evolution in Tiller’s musical journey.
Fans eagerly awaiting his comeback are treated to a new phase in Tiller’s artistry while staying true to the trap R&B essence that defines his style. With hit singles like “Calypso” and “Whatever She Wants” setting the stage, the album promises to captivate listeners with its soulful melodies and introspective lyrics. Tiller’s loyal fan base can now immerse themselves in the sonic landscape of “Bryson Tiller,” witnessing the artist’s growth and creativity firsthand.
Rapper Soulja Boy finds himself embroiled in a legal battle with his ex-girlfriend, Nia Riley, after a default judgment ordering him to pay $10 million was issued last month. The judgment came as a result of Soulja Boy’s failure to appear in court, prompting him to fight back against the ruling, citing a lack of awareness of the proceedings.
According to reports from Radar Online, Soulja Boy informed the judge that his busy touring schedule left him unaware of the developments in the lawsuit filed by his ex-girlfriend. Court documents reveal that Soulja Boy claimed he was not informed about the court’s decision to issue sanctions over his failure to attend a deposition in the case.
Nia Riley, Soulja Boy’s ex-girlfriend, previously requested $5 million for pain and suffering and an additional $5 million for emotional distress. Despite Soulja Boy’s absence from court proceedings, the judge allowed Riley to seek a default judgment against him while granting the rapper time to respond.
In a new motion filed by his new lawyer, Soulja Boy asserted that he was unaware of the recent developments in the case until he learned about them through the news. He explained that he had been without legal representation for a year and was touring extensively both in the United States and internationally during that time.
Soulja Boy stated that he had been in the process of interviewing new lawyers after his previous legal representation dropped out of the case. He claimed to have hired his new lawyer just last month. Additionally, Soulja Boy argued that he was not properly served with notice of the court hearings, further complicating his ability to respond effectively to the lawsuit.
As the legal battle continues, the judge has yet to rule on Soulja Boy’s plea to allow him to continue fighting the case.
Grammy-nominated R&B artist SiR is hitting the road with The Bad Karma Tour, spanning 18 cities across North America. Produced by Live Nation, the tour supports his latest album, “Heavy”, which has garnered critical acclaim. The tour kicks off on July 23 at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD, and includes stops in Brooklyn, Toronto, Austin, San Francisco, and concludes with a hometown show at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, CA. SiR will be joined by special guest Zacari for all dates.
Tickets for the tour will go on sale starting April 4, with presales, followed by the general on-sale on April 5 at 10 AM local time via inglewoodsir.com.
Fans also have the opportunity to purchase VIP packages, offering perks such as priority access to the floor, meet & greet/photo op with SiR, exclusive VIP merchandise, and more. VIP package details vary based on the selected offer. For additional information, visit vipnation.com.
St. Louis rapper Sexyy Red is making headlines once again, but this time it’s not just for her chart-topping hits. The 23-year-old star recently took to Instagram to debut a striking new look after facing harsh criticism from social media trolls.
In a series of photos shared on her Instagram account, Sexyy Red showcased her transformation, rocking a chic black pixie wig paired with a white sports bra and red shorts. The photoshoot comes in response to derogatory comments labeling her as “ugly” and “hideous” on social media platforms.
Despite the negativity, Sexyy Red has been making major waves in the music industry. Her latest single, “Get It Sexyy,” has become her biggest Hot 100 hit yet, reaching an impressive peak at No. 23 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. The official music video for the track has garnered over 2.2 million views on YouTube and features cameo appearances by notable figures in the industry, including Drake, Soulja Boy, Fabo (of D4L), and influencer Adin.
While “Get It Sexyy” continues to gain traction on the charts, currently trending at No. 28 after just two weeks, it has already surpassed the success of Sexyy Red’s previous hit, “SkeeYee,” which peaked at No. 62 on the Hot 100 chart in 2023.
Sexyy Red remains resilient and continues to rise above the negativity, solidifying her status as a rising star in the world of hip-hop.
On this day in 2000, the first posthumous L.P. to be released by the first “Latin to go platinum” entitled Yeeeah Baby was released on the Loud/Terror Squad imprint.
Christopher “Big Pun” Rios passed away just shy of two months before his sophomore L.P.’s release and anticipated success, which came on the heels of his debut album, Capital Punishment. With appearances from the entire Terror Squad and executive production by the T.S. general Fat Joe, the 16-track album showed Pun’s acute diversity in his lyricism and approach to song-making, which yielded some of the most memorable songs of his career. The album took longer to record because of Pun’s extreme obesity since his breathing problems couldn’t permit him to spit his custom, rapid-fire flow freely.
Some of the L.P.’s favorites are the Puerto Rican anthem “100%” with Terror Squad crooner Tony Sunshine on the hook, “New York Giants” featuring M.O.P., “Ms. Martin,” an ode to his protege Remy Ma and the touching single “It’s So Hard” featuring Donnell Jones.
Salute to Big Pun, Pun Jr., and the entire Terror Squad for this remarkable piece of Hip Hop History!
The aftermath of the recent raid on Bad Boy Entertainment CEO Sean “Diddy” Combs’ mansion by Homeland Security has taken a new turn as his sons, Christian and Justin Combs, have retained high-profile legal representation. The raid, which occurred earlier this week, saw the two brothers being handcuffed and escorted out by federal investigators, sparking outrage from their mother, Misa Hylton, and others.
According to reports from The Daily Mail, the Combs brothers have enlisted the services of attorney Jeffrey Lichtman, known for his representation of high-profile clients, including drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and former mobster John Gotti Junior. Lichtman’s involvement comes as the family seeks to address what they perceive as the “excessive use of force” during the Homeland Security raid.
In an Instagram post, Lichtman expressed his concerns about the tactics used by law enforcement, describing the searches as “over the top.” He also hinted at representing at least one of the Combs brothers in the legal proceedings. “The government rarely fights fair when they have a major target in its sights, and they certainly haven’t played fair in Diddy’s case thus far,” Lichtman wrote.
The decision to bring in such a prominent attorney shows the seriousness with which the Combs family is approaching the situation.
On April 4, 2009, Run-D.M.C. became the second rap group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, after Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five who were inducted in 2007. This honor came well deserved after the illustrious career of the trio. Run-D.M.C. helped to build a musical cross culture as well as serve as the cornerstone artist of one Hip Hop most powerful empires, Def Jam Records. Run-D.M.C.’s brand is timeless and iconic and can be said to be one of the launching boards for Hip Hop culture as a whole.
From their music to their style, Run-D.M.C. has immortalized their image in music history. In honor of this crowning achievement, we have compiled a list of examples to prove as to why Run-D.M.C. is considered to be the icons that they are.
Style
It goes without saying that Adidas in and of itself is one of the most popular active wear brands around. Rivaled only by the titans Nike and Puma, Adidas has grown to become a household name in both fitness attire and style. In its early stages, Adidas’ popularity in the Hip Hop community can be largely attributed to Run-D.M.C. Everywhere Run-D.M.C. went they could be seen in head-to-toe Adidas with a gold rope chain and a black top hat. From the jewelry to the full sweat suits to the fat laced, shell-toe low tops, Run, D.M.C, and Jam Master Jay were undoubtedly fly. Their love for the Adidas brand mixed with their popularity in music soon brought them sponsorship dollars and eventually their own signature sneakers. Without their influence, it would have probably been a while before any sneaker brand became so popular in Hip Hop.
Cross Over Appeal
In the past, there have many icons in Hip Hop who have been able to stand the test of time and make it to legend status. Few artists however have been able to retain their respect as a rapper while being able to cross over genres and appeal to a broader audience. Run-D.M.C.’s ability to seamlessly transition between a rock and rap fan base is one of their greatest attributes. The hit single Walk This Way Featuring fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Aerosmith was one of the first of it’s kind. The genius concept to have two of the biggest stars in their respective genres led to a new sense of community in music. Like never before artists hailing from different genres began to collaborate and Hip Hop had finally broken completely into the mainstream. This single and style of rapping broke open the door for current rappers today to expand their support basis across genres.
Influence
The editor of Allmusic wrote that,
“More than any other Hip-Hop group, Run-D.M.C. are responsible for the sound and style of the music”.
It can and has been said that the group helped to move Hip Hop forward with the times. Their sound helped progress the genre out of that heavily funk and disco influenced sound and move toward a more hardcore style of rap. They helped the music transform from dance club-oriented songs like Kurtis Blow‘s “The Breaks” to more aggressive, hard-hitting tracks like their It’s Like That record. This transformation paved the way for the sounds the next generation of rappers such as Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, and Wu-Tang Clan. Outside of rap, artists like KoRN, Rage Against the Machine, and Linkin Park all have styles similar to the one popularized by Run-D.M.C.
The career of this prolific group is instrumental piece of music history as a whole. Their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame only proves that they are important to not only the genre that they concentrated in but were loved and admired by music lovers as a whole. Take some time out today to appreciate the career of one of the greatest music groups of all time.
