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Today in Hip Hop History: Digable Planets Dropped Their Sophomore ‘Blowout Comb’ Album 29 Years Ago

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Today in Hip-Hop history Brooklyn trio Digable Planets released their sophomore LP Blowout Comb. Serving as a more politically charged follow up to their jazzy debut, Reachin’: A New Refutation of Time and Space, this album showed the group’s stance on Black nationalism and inner-city living in the mid ’90s.

On this album, the trio abandoned their radio-friendly style to focus on a more militant agenda. Fundamentally, the group with through a metamorphosis leaving behind their once-coveted insect centered imagery. As a group, they felt misunderstood. Their original intention with relating their cause to insects was to focus on the fact that bugs, although small, have a “nature to stick together and work for mutually beneficial causes”, according to frontman Ishmael Butler. While working on Blowout Comb, the group completely shed their insect facade and emerged anew with a new focus and new identities. The former “Butterfly” changed his moniker to “Ish”, “Ladybug” became “Mecca” and “Dooblebug” was now “C-Know”.

Lyrically, this album was something straight out of the Black Power Movement. With references to The Nation of Islam, The Black Panther Party, Allah’s 5% Nation, and the racial and class struggles of the impoverished minorities of the United States, it is no secret what statement Digable Planets was trying to make. They did not want their Afrocentrism to be overshadowed by crossover appeal as it did on their debut. As a result, this LP did not receive much backing from their label, Pendulum/EMI. Despite its lack of internal support, the album was still able to peak at #32 on the Billboard 200 and #13 on the Top R&B chart.

Unfortunately, following this album, Digable Planets disbanded. The cause of the split is said to be creative differences and dissatisfaction with the music industry. Luckily for the fans, the trio was able to deliver a masterpiece of conscious rap before fading into the pages of Hip Hop history. Take some time today to appreciate one of rap’s most slept on albums.

The post Today in Hip Hop History: Digable Planets Dropped Their Sophomore ‘Blowout Comb’ Album 29 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.

The post Today in Hip Hop History: Digable Planets Dropped Their Sophomore ‘Blowout Comb’ Album 29 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Rapper Pras Seeks New Trial Following Conviction

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pras

Fugees rapper Pras was convicted on conspiracy charges to launder money for fugitive Malaysian billionaire Jho Low. Pras Michel was found guilty of 10 counts related to what prosecutors called a “clandestine foreign influence campaign scheme” funded by a wealthy Malaysian financier to peddle influence in the United States. Pras allegedly received $88 million through the scheme and is facing 20 years in prison. Now Pras is trying to get a new trial…

The Daily Mail reports:

Fugees star Pras Michel is seeking a new trial after claiming his defense attorney used AI in his closing arguments about a $100m foreign extortion plot, in the latest twist of a bizarre tale for the Grammy-winning rapper.

He was found guilty of being the lynchpin lobbyist for China in a bewildering plot whose cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

Michel, who netted $88 million through the scheme, was found guilty in April of ten counts, including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered foreign government agent, and is facing 20 years in prison.

The rapper was the unlikely agent of flamboyant Malaysian businessman and fugitive Low Taek Jho, who paid the rapper to wield influence from the corridors of Washington D.C. to the mansions of Hollywood.

But the former Fugees star has since filed a scathing motion for a new trial, blasting his lawyer David Kenner as unprepared and unscrupulous.

The filing accuses the attorney – who has previously represented Snoop Dogg and Suge Knight – of using an ‘experimental’ AI to help him draft his closing argument in the trial.

A new defense team for Michel also claimed that Kenner had ‘a financial interest in the AI program’, called EyeLevel, and was quoted in a press release for the program.

He said of the tech: ‘This is an absolute game changer for complex litigation. The system turned hours or days of legal work into seconds. This is a look into the future of how cases will be conducted.’

Watch the video below.

The post Rapper Pras Seeks New Trial Following Conviction first appeared on The Source.

The post Rapper Pras Seeks New Trial Following Conviction appeared first on The Source.

Rapper Pras Seeks New Trial Following Conviction

by
pras

Fugees rapper Pras was convicted on conspiracy charges to launder money for fugitive Malaysian billionaire Jho Low. Pras Michel was found guilty of 10 counts related to what prosecutors called a “clandestine foreign influence campaign scheme” funded by a wealthy Malaysian financier to peddle influence in the United States. Pras allegedly received $88 million through the scheme and is facing 20 years in prison. Now Pras is trying to get a new trial…

The Daily Mail reports:

Fugees star Pras Michel is seeking a new trial after claiming his defense attorney used AI in his closing arguments about a $100m foreign extortion plot, in the latest twist of a bizarre tale for the Grammy-winning rapper.

He was found guilty of being the lynchpin lobbyist for China in a bewildering plot whose cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

Michel, who netted $88 million through the scheme, was found guilty in April of ten counts, including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered foreign government agent, and is facing 20 years in prison.

The rapper was the unlikely agent of flamboyant Malaysian businessman and fugitive Low Taek Jho, who paid the rapper to wield influence from the corridors of Washington D.C. to the mansions of Hollywood.

But the former Fugees star has since filed a scathing motion for a new trial, blasting his lawyer David Kenner as unprepared and unscrupulous.

The filing accuses the attorney – who has previously represented Snoop Dogg and Suge Knight – of using an ‘experimental’ AI to help him draft his closing argument in the trial.

A new defense team for Michel also claimed that Kenner had ‘a financial interest in the AI program’, called EyeLevel, and was quoted in a press release for the program.

He said of the tech: ‘This is an absolute game changer for complex litigation. The system turned hours or days of legal work into seconds. This is a look into the future of how cases will be conducted.’

Watch the video below.

The post Rapper Pras Seeks New Trial Following Conviction first appeared on The Source.

The post Rapper Pras Seeks New Trial Following Conviction appeared first on The Source.

Tupac Reportedly Once Wanted to Sign to Bad Boy Records

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Could you imagine Tupac on Bad Boy Records? According to Pac’s brother, Mopreme Shakur, it was possible at one point. Appearing on The Art of Dialogue, Mopreme broke it all down.

“We were cool with them at one point,” Mopreme said. “There was a point ‘Pac was considering going to Bad Boy before his relationship with Death Row. He wanted to be on a Black label. He wanted to be with his people. He wanted to be with the brothers. He supported Black business.”

Mopreme also revealed he received a phone call from Diddy where the Bad Boy mogul denied any involvement in the death of the iconic Death Row rapper.

Speaking on The Art of Dialogue, Mopreme revealed the phone call happened “back in the day.”

“Puff called me back in the day,” Mopreme shared. “He was like, ‘I just want you to know I ain’t have nothing to do with your brother’s….. I know who you are, but we never met and I just want to call you man to man and let you know that I ain’t have nothing to do with your brother’s death.’”

Mopreme revealed that the phone call came after the Los Angeles Times released an article that pointed to Puff’s involvement. I told him I appreciate the call, but the truth has yet to come out, so we gon’ see.”

The post Tupac Reportedly Once Wanted to Sign to Bad Boy Records first appeared on The Source.

The post Tupac Reportedly Once Wanted to Sign to Bad Boy Records appeared first on The Source.

Tupac Reportedly Once Wanted to Sign to Bad Boy Records

by
a

Could you imagine Tupac on Bad Boy Records? According to Pac’s brother, Mopreme Shakur, it was possible at one point. Appearing on The Art of Dialogue, Mopreme broke it all down.

“We were cool with them at one point,” Mopreme said. “There was a point ‘Pac was considering going to Bad Boy before his relationship with Death Row. He wanted to be on a Black label. He wanted to be with his people. He wanted to be with the brothers. He supported Black business.”

Mopreme also revealed he received a phone call from Diddy where the Bad Boy mogul denied any involvement in the death of the iconic Death Row rapper.

Speaking on The Art of Dialogue, Mopreme revealed the phone call happened “back in the day.”

“Puff called me back in the day,” Mopreme shared. “He was like, ‘I just want you to know I ain’t have nothing to do with your brother’s….. I know who you are, but we never met and I just want to call you man to man and let you know that I ain’t have nothing to do with your brother’s death.’”

Mopreme revealed that the phone call came after the Los Angeles Times released an article that pointed to Puff’s involvement. I told him I appreciate the call, but the truth has yet to come out, so we gon’ see.”

The post Tupac Reportedly Once Wanted to Sign to Bad Boy Records first appeared on The Source.

The post Tupac Reportedly Once Wanted to Sign to Bad Boy Records appeared first on The Source.

Jenkins Dropped: Jeannie Mai Removes Jeezy’s Last Name from Her

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Jeannie Mai Speaks Publicly on Divorce from Jeezy: 'Give God Your Pain'

Jeannie Mai has dropped Jenkins, Jeezy’s last name, from her Instagram account. The TV host reportedly focuses on her daughter amid her split from Jeezy. The Jasmine Brand spotted the name change.

Jeannie Mai appeared on Sherri Shepherd’s Sherri Show and publicly commented on her ongoing divorce from Jeezy.

“It takes daily to sit and be quiet in your thoughts,” Mai said. “You give God your pain and he will give you his power. Just taking it day by day.”

She added, “And turning off everything really helps. I tuned into the voices that I needed to hear, that’s me and the truth.”

Last week, Jeannie Mai made a statement on Instagram, writing: “Sometimes, you need to take a break and disconnect. To Heal.”

Jeezy and Jeannie Mai still live together, despite the rapper and entrepreneur filing for divorce from the reality star.

According to TMZ, the household may be a bit awkward as the two don’t specifically interact and only cross paths in transition in and out the house. Both parties are maintaining that their priority is their one-year-old daughter, Monaco.

READ MORE: Jeannie Mai ‘Devasted’ by Jeezy Filing for Divorce, Hopes to Find a Resolution

Jeezy and Jeannie Mai’s seemingly sudden divorce now has additional detail. The split between the two celebrities is reportedly due to “certain family values and differences.”

According to Entertainment Tonight, an insider stated, “They had different views, and each felt like their needs weren’t being completely met.” Jeezy filed for divorce last week, citing their marriage is “irretrievably broken” in the court documents.

The filing was placed in the Fulton County Superior Court, and the two have already separated. There is a prenuptial agreement in place.

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jeezy is seeking joint custody of their daughter.

READ MORE: Insiders Shut Down Rumors That Jeannie Mai Cheated on Jeezy with Mario Lopez

The post Jenkins Dropped: Jeannie Mai Removes Jeezy’s Last Name from Her first appeared on The Source.

The post Jenkins Dropped: Jeannie Mai Removes Jeezy’s Last Name from Her appeared first on The Source.

Jenkins Dropped: Jeannie Mai Removes Jeezy’s Last Name from Her

by
Jeannie Mai Speaks Publicly on Divorce from Jeezy: 'Give God Your Pain'

Jeannie Mai has dropped Jenkins, Jeezy’s last name, from her Instagram account. The TV host reportedly focuses on her daughter amid her split from Jeezy. The Jasmine Brand spotted the name change.

Jeannie Mai appeared on Sherri Shepherd’s Sherri Show and publicly commented on her ongoing divorce from Jeezy.

“It takes daily to sit and be quiet in your thoughts,” Mai said. “You give God your pain and he will give you his power. Just taking it day by day.”

She added, “And turning off everything really helps. I tuned into the voices that I needed to hear, that’s me and the truth.”

Last week, Jeannie Mai made a statement on Instagram, writing: “Sometimes, you need to take a break and disconnect. To Heal.”

Jeezy and Jeannie Mai still live together, despite the rapper and entrepreneur filing for divorce from the reality star.

According to TMZ, the household may be a bit awkward as the two don’t specifically interact and only cross paths in transition in and out the house. Both parties are maintaining that their priority is their one-year-old daughter, Monaco.

READ MORE: Jeannie Mai ‘Devasted’ by Jeezy Filing for Divorce, Hopes to Find a Resolution

Jeezy and Jeannie Mai’s seemingly sudden divorce now has additional detail. The split between the two celebrities is reportedly due to “certain family values and differences.”

According to Entertainment Tonight, an insider stated, “They had different views, and each felt like their needs weren’t being completely met.” Jeezy filed for divorce last week, citing their marriage is “irretrievably broken” in the court documents.

The filing was placed in the Fulton County Superior Court, and the two have already separated. There is a prenuptial agreement in place.

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jeezy is seeking joint custody of their daughter.

READ MORE: Insiders Shut Down Rumors That Jeannie Mai Cheated on Jeezy with Mario Lopez

The post Jenkins Dropped: Jeannie Mai Removes Jeezy’s Last Name from Her first appeared on The Source.

The post Jenkins Dropped: Jeannie Mai Removes Jeezy’s Last Name from Her appeared first on The Source.

Will Smith’s Kids Reportedly Wish Pieces of Their Family ‘Remained Private’

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will smith family Google Search

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s kids are reportedly upset some items of the A-List couple couldn’t remain private. According to Entertainment Tonight, Willow and Jaden Smith “feel bad for their dad with all the recent headlines about their parents.”

A source detailed, “They know he has been going through a lot lately and this isn’t helping. They wish some of their family’s private matters remained private.”

Regarding Smith’s condition, Will is reportedly “trying to stay busy and has been hanging out with his good friends and his kids.” Adding, “Will loves Jada and feels like he has always had her back and always will. He has been trying to be supportive, while also taking care of himself.”

We now have an official statement from Will Smith after a week of Jada Pinkett Smith detailing the inner depths of their marriage.

Except it’s a troll.

Will Smith has an official quote out regarding various reveals from Jada Pinkett Smith across the media last week. The New York Times quoted the A-list actor in another interview with his wife.

“When you’ve been with someone for more than half of your life, a sort of emotional blindness sets in, and you can all too easily lose your sensitivity to their hidden nuances and subtle beauties,” Smith said.

Smith added a letter to another appearance of an estranged wife, which will be on the On Purpose podcast hosted by Jay Shetty.

“I applaud and honor you. If I had read this book 30 years ago, I definitely would’ve hugged you more,” Smith wrote. “I’ll start now. Welcome to the Authors Club. I love you endlessly. Now go get some Merlot and take a rest.”

Last week, Jada Pinkett Smith revealed that she could have been Tupac’s wife. Sitting with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson for the All the Smoke podcast, Pinkett Smith revealed that Pac proposed to her while he was locked up in Rikers Island.

“Seeing him there, the condition that he was in and having to leave him there,” Pinkett Smith said. “He was in bad shape. And so, when he asked me to get married, he was at Rikers

“I knew at that time that he needed somebody to do time with him, which I was gonna do anyway. He didn’t have to marry me to do that. I’m here. He needed a rock. Because of our friendship and everything we had been through together, he just wanted to feel that solidified foundation.”

Pinkett Smith believes that Tupac would have divorced her as soon as he exited prison. You can hear it all from her below.

In a separate interview, Jada Pinkett Smith officially stated what many across Hip-Hop believed was in her heart: Tupac was her soulmate.

Speaking with journalist Christal Jordan at RollingOut, Pinkett revealed that Tupac was her soulmate and believed they shared past lives.

“There is all kinds of definitons of soulmates,” Pinkett Smith said. “If there is such a thing as past lives I definitely think Pac and I have traveled a few together.”

Pinkett Smith says she never regretted attempting to make a romance because there was no chemistry between the two.

You can hear more below.

The post Will Smith’s Kids Reportedly Wish Pieces of Their Family ‘Remained Private’ first appeared on The Source.

The post Will Smith’s Kids Reportedly Wish Pieces of Their Family ‘Remained Private’ appeared first on The Source.

WATCH: New York Liberty Mascot Impresses Cardi B with ‘Bongos’ Dance Challenge

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New York Liberty Mascot Impresses Cardi B with 'Bongos' Dance Challenge

Ellie, the New York Liberty mascot, has ate Cardi B up. In celebration of the Liberty’s win in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, Ellie and a couple of the team’s dancers did the dance breakdown from Cardi and Megan Thee Stallion’s “Bongos” video, leaving Cardi impressed.

Last month, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion officially delivered the first performance of “Bongos.” Hitting the VMAs, Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B took the stage to a tropical background with muscular men actually playing bongos. The dancers flanked the two, making the VMA moment full of energy.

The dynamic duo previously received significant recognition at the 2021 “VMAs” when their iconic hit single, “WAP,” earned them five nominations, including “Song of the Summer,” “Video of the Year,” “Song of the Year,” “Best Collaboration,” and “Best Hip Hop.” “WAP” made history as the first female rap collaboration to debut at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, spent four weeks at the top spot, and was certified 8x platinum in the U.S.

You can see the official “Bongos” video below.

The post WATCH: New York Liberty Mascot Impresses Cardi B with ‘Bongos’ Dance Challenge first appeared on The Source.

The post WATCH: New York Liberty Mascot Impresses Cardi B with ‘Bongos’ Dance Challenge appeared first on The Source.

WATCH: Will Smith Drops ‘OFFICIAL STATEMENT’ Troll Video on Instagram

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Will Smith 1024x679 1

We now have an official statement from Will Smith after a week of Jada Pinkett Smith detailing the inner depths of their marriage.

Except it’s a troll.

Will Smith has an official quote out regarding various reveals from Jada Pinkett Smith across the media last week. The New York Times quoted the A-list actor in another interview with his wife.

“When you’ve been with someone for more than half of your life, a sort of emotional blindness sets in, and you can all too easily lose your sensitivity to their hidden nuances and subtle beauties,” Smith said.

Smith added a letter to another appearance of an estranged wife, which will be on the On Purpose podcast hosted by Jay Shetty.

“I applaud and honor you. If I had read this book 30 years ago, I definitely would’ve hugged you more,” Smith wrote. “I’ll start now. Welcome to the Authors Club. I love you endlessly. Now go get some Merlot and take a rest.”

Last week, Jada Pinkett Smith revealed that she could have been Tupac’s wife. Sitting with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson for the All the Smoke podcast, Pinkett Smith revealed that Pac proposed to her while he was locked up in Rikers Island.

“Seeing him there, the condition that he was in and having to leave him there,” Pinkett Smith said. “He was in bad shape. And so, when he asked me to get married, he was at Rikers

“I knew at that time that he needed somebody to do time with him, which I was gonna do anyway. He didn’t have to marry me to do that. I’m here. He needed a rock. Because of our friendship and everything we had been through together, he just wanted to feel that solidified foundation.”

Pinkett Smith believes that Tupac would have divorced her as soon as he exited prison. You can hear it all from her below.

In a separate interview, Jada Pinkett Smith officially stated what many across Hip-Hop believed was in her heart: Tupac was her soulmate.

Speaking with journalist Christal Jordan at RollingOut, Pinkett revealed that Tupac was her soulmate and believed they shared past lives.

“There is all kinds of definitons of soulmates,” Pinkett Smith said. “If there is such a thing as past lives I definitely think Pac and I have traveled a few together.”

Pinkett Smith says she never regretted attempting to make a romance because there was no chemistry between the two.

You can hear more below.

The post WATCH: Will Smith Drops ‘OFFICIAL STATEMENT’ Troll Video on Instagram first appeared on The Source.

The post WATCH: Will Smith Drops ‘OFFICIAL STATEMENT’ Troll Video on Instagram appeared first on The Source.