Chopper, whose real name is Kevin Barnes and uses the alias Rodney Hill, was detained in Maryland, but was extradited to Las Vegas. According to jail records, Barnes was released on his own recognizance and will appear before a judge for a preliminary hearing on May 10.
Today, we say happy birthday to one of the original West Coasters, Too $hort, born on this date in 1966.
As one of Hip Hop’s first self-made businessmen, $hort started off his career pumping his own X-rated mixtapes out of the trunk of his car. Releasing fifteen albums between 1987 and 2012, Too $hort has made tracks with everyone from B.I.G. and 2Pac to Lil Jon and Pimp C. As one of Hip Hop’s most versatile emcees, he’s found himself featured on, and featuring, tracks with the world’s other most respected lyricists.
Hailing from Oakland, he is considered one of the pioneers of the West Coast style, with many of his early works charting several times in the Top 10 for Billboard. Years later, he relocated to Atlanta, experimenting with the “Dirty South” sound for several years post-2000, resulting in his most well known party starter, and recent hit, “Blow The Whistle”.
24 years ago on this date, Christopher Rios aka Big Punisher put out his first LP, Capital Punishment, on Loud Records.
Released by Fat Joe and the Terror Squad on Loud Records, Pun’s highly anticipated album showcased Pun’s unequaled lyrical ability, comedic punchlines, and his ever-evolving style that his son Chris Rivers has inherited from his pops.
Album highlights include joints like “You Ain’t A Killer”, “Super Lyrical” featuring The Roots’ Black Thought, and the platinum-selling album that propelled the album to a million sales, “Still Not A Player”.
Salute to Fat Joe, the Rios family, the Terror Squad and the entire Loud staff for this classic!
Several reports have confirmed that legendary UK Hip Hop DJ Tim Westwood is facing sexual misconduct allegations from seven women, all of whom are Black. Two of the women claim that Westwood used his status in the music industry in order to make sexual advances towards them.
A BBC Three documentary about Westwood titled Tim Westwood: Abuse of Power chronicles the allegations made against Westwood, with numerous women saying that he used his name to normalize unwanted sexual behavior. Four of the women even claimed that Westwood inappropriately touched them at music events.
With allegations going back as far as 1992 and as recent as 2017, the Black women who came forward with their story in Tim Westwood: Abuse of Power say that they were hesitant to make their claims public because of the fear that their allegations would be dismissed because of their race.
Westwood’s rep told UK’s The Guardian that the accusations against him were totally false and “Any suggestion that he acts, or has acted, in the way described would be false and seriously defamatory.”
TheSource.com will update this story as more details develop.
According to a recent report from SayCheese TV, YMCMB artist Mellow Rackz was beaten and pistol-whipped after meeting up with a guy in Los Angeles for a date.
The report says that Rackz and her security team were ambushed, with the robbers taking Rackz’ jewelry and purse. The report does not state specifics of the incident, such as the extent of her injuries.
Lat year, Weezy welcomed Rackz to Young Money with a party LIV Miami, where Mack Maine gifted the 20-year-old rapper with $100,000 in cash. Mellow Rackz was also given a Young Money chain before Wayne’s verse on “Seeing Green” played in the club.
TheSource.com will update this story as details develop.
Due to popular demand, the groundbreaking Tupac Shakur Wake Me When I’m Free exhibit has extended its dates in Los Angeles through Summer of 2022. Originally launched in January and scheduled to finish its Los Angeles run on May 1, the Shakur Estate-sanctioned exhibit has seen a slate of positive reviews and endorsements from celebrities, press and fans alike.
The exhibit has also announced a new initiative to open its doors to students, offering free tickets to any public school groups (grade school, middle school, high school) and their chaperones for the remainder of the exhibit’s time in Los Angeles. Visits must be scheduled in advance with the exhibit, more info here. To kick off the initiative, Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho visited the museum experience with more than 70 students from across the district. Superintendent Carvalho, the exhibit’s Creative Director Jeremy Hodges, and Rob Light (Head of Worldwide Music, Partner & Managing Director of entertainment and sports agency CAA) participated in a discussion with students following the tour.
“Inspired, powerful, meaningful: These are just a few of the words our students used to describe the exhibit Tupac Shakur. Wake Me When I’m Free after our visit,” Superintendent Carvalho said. “These students joined our test pilot for the Los Angeles Unified Cultural Arts Passport, a new program to provide all students with access to arts and cultural enrichment. I’m thrilled that the exhibit will extend its offer of free tickets to all public school student groups to visit and learn about Tupac Shakur’s life and legacy.”
Part museum, part art installation, part sensory experience, WMWIF showcases Shakur’s music, poetry and never before seen artifacts in a 20,000 square foot curated space akin to a contemporary art museum. Guests transition through a myriad of surround sound spaces, rich with rarities embedded in technology. WMWIF delves into the greater meaning of his activism, music, and revolutionary art. The attendees are educated and enlightened through a labyrinth of emotions as they take this journey through his extraordinary life.
Uplifting the community once again, GRAMMY® Award-nominated multiplatinum hip-hop superstar Quavo and apparel brand, Legends proudly present the 2022 annual Huncho Day celebrity charity football gameon Saturday April 30, 2022 at FCF Campus at Pullman Yards. Becoming a legendary event in its own right, the yearly game has consistently attracted some of the most recognizable names in sports, music, and entertainment as it benefits various causes. This year, proceeds from sponsorships, corporate contributions, and ticket sales will be donated to the Tender Foundation and The Quavo Cares Foundation, a 501(c)3.
Regarding the big game, Quavo commented, “This is my favorite day of the year! There’s nothing better than getting together with friends and family and playing a little ball for the community. Hope y’all come through. See you on the field!”
Renowned for its star power, this year’s Huncho Day only ups the ante. Tyreek Hill, Quavo, Mecole Hardman, Richie LeCounte, Offset, DK Metcalf, Alvin Kamara, Cam Newton, 2 Chainz, and many more will suit up for the big Celebrity Charity Game. The day also includes a High School Youth Game (Huncho Teamvs. Cam Newton’s Team) and two FCF Evening Games—Evening Game 1 (Shoulda Been Stars vs. Glacier Boyz) and Evening Game 2 (Knights of Degen vs. 8oki). The games will stream live with play-by-play commentary courtesy of Greg Mescall andRyan Shazier.
In previous years, Huncho Day has played host to everyone from Justin Bieber, Jack Harlow, MGK, and Gucci Mane to Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Terrell Owens, Odell Beckham, Willie McGinest, and more.
Huncho Day remains close to Quavo’s heart. He played quarterback in high school and has found a way to give back to youth in Atlanta with this unforgettable day of sports, education, music, and the arts.
Stay tuned for more from Quavo soon! Don’t miss Huncho Day.
It seems that former Source magazine owner Benzino can’t get 50 Cent to climb in the ring to settle their differences, so former pop star Aaron Carter looks to be Benzino’s next target.
Celebrity Boxing’s Damon Feldman reported that Carter is slated to fight the Love And Hip Hop star, with the contracts already signed. According to Feldman, the main event boxing match is set for June 11 in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
The public back and forth isn’t enough to get Fif to lace up the gloves; despite the claims of federal snitching, Fifty has been silent since the mathc has been announced.
This is Carter’s second match, which he hopes to redeem himself from his first loss against Lamar Odom.
No word on the fight’s purse, but it must be a lot for Carter to want to come back for seconds.
On this day in Hip Hop history, OutKast, the duo that helped pioneer putting southern Hip Hop on the map, released their debut classic LP, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik.
This Dungeon Family masterpiece recorded by Andre 3000 and Big Boi paved the way for Atlanta and the rest of the Dirty South to have their unique voice in Hip Hop. Before this album, there weren’t many hit records coming from anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line. Peaking at #20 on the Billboard 200 and being certified platinum less than a year after its release, this album’s achievements speak for themselves.
Produced completely by OutKast and Organized Noize, this project was like none before it. Its sound is perfectly described as southern rap. From the dialect to the instruments used to the references, everything about this album screams Atlanta. The smooth blues and marching band influenced beats blend with Big Boi and Andre 3000’s flows, creating something new that rippled the tide of an industry saturated with G-Funk or New York Hip Hop.
Both commercially and critically this album was immensely successful. It peaked at #20 in the Billboard 200 and #3 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop charts. This album was also the reason OutKast received the Best Newcomer Award at the 1995 Source Awards, which as we all know was met with controversy to say the least. Regardless of the haters, this album came at the beginning of the career of two rappers who changed the game forever.
Over the weekend at a concert at South Carolina’s Colonial Life Arena, DaBaby has gotten himself into another scuffle and this time it was his own artist.
No reports have explained what transpired before blows were thrown, but a now viral video shows someone who appears to be DaBaby unsuspectingly swinging on a bigger man who is reportedly Wisdom Awute, an artist on DaBaby’s Billion Dollar Baby Entertainment. Only a few punches were thrown between the two men before security intervenes, but no police were called and no report was filed in the incident.
With all of the legal trouble the North Carolina is facing, that can only be good news because DaBaby has more than his share of cases to face. A man was recently shot on his property, but t he rapper claims self defense. Also, he is still facing legal ramifications because of the bowling alley scuffle, but that case seems to have stalled due to the details involved.
Some may not remember, but 21-year-old Awute was alleged to be the shooter in a June 2021 shooting in Miami Beach, where DaBaby was questioned and released. Awute, along with another assailant, was charged with attempted first-degree murder with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault.
What do y’all think happened?