Rapper and actor Coolio, real name Artis Leon Ivey Jr., has died at the age of 59. Coolio achieved major success in the mid 90s, with his iconic song “Gangsta’s Paradise” reaching Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks in 1995 and earning him a GRAMMY the following year.
According to TMZ, his longtime manager told reporters the Tommy Boy artist went to use the restroom at a friend’s house on Wednesday afternoon and did not come out for an extended period of time, eventually being found on the floor unresponsive.
Friends called paramedics, who pronounced Coolio dead on the scene. While no official cause of death has been announced, EMT’s suspect he may have suffered cardiac arrest.
The Compton-raised entertainer sold over 17 million records worldwide, and acted in dozens of films, Dangerous Minds.
UPROXX, the youth culture & music destination, will launch Fresh Pair, on Wednesday, 9/28 at 12pm PT/ 3pm ET. This brand-new series stars hip-hop legend Just Blaze and sneaker customizer to the stars Katty Customs. In the series, the co-hosts sit down with some of the biggest names in culture, to talk about their careers and personal journeys through the prism of a 1-of-1 custom shoe, made just for them.
Season One guests include Jadakiss, The Game, T.I., Redman, EL-P, Jim Jones, Styles P, and will.i.am.
Police just identified a suspect in the killing of rapper PnB Rock at a Los Angeles restaurant earlier this month and asked the public for help in locating him.
Authorities say Freddie Lee Trone shot and killed PnB Rock, whose real name was Rakim Allen, as Allen was dining with his girlfriend at a Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles restaurant located in the 100 block of West Manchester Avenue on Sept. 12.
The suspect then removed some of Allen’s property and demanded items from his girlfriend before fleeing the restaurant in a waiting vehicle.
Police believe a social media post may have tipped Trone to Allen’s location.
Police say Trone should be considered armed and dangerous.
Anyone with information on Trone’s whereabouts can call detectives at 323-786-5146. Those who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
An up-and-coming female rapper from Memphis, TN was gunned down after she posed in Instagram photos with loads of cash.
Police say aspiring rapper Lotta Cash Desto was shot and killed during an armed robbery in Houston, Texas early Saturday.
Desto, real name Destinee Govan, was driving a Porsche SUV with a 20-year-old female passenger at around 2:30 a.m. when a 4-door sedan pulled alongside the SUV at a red light.
Police say two men hopped out of the car and exchanged gunfire with Govan, 25, who was shot multiple times and robbed. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The female passenger was transported to a local hospital with a single gunshot wound.
Police say officers found Christian Isaiah Williams, 24, in a nearby parking lot suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was transported to a hospital, where he was charged with murder, according to Fox26 News. He remains hospitalized.
Police say evidence left at the crime scene linked Williams to the double shooting. The second gunman is still at large.
Govan was known for her collaborations with mentor Lil Uzi Vert on her rap songs “Lunchroom” and “Vegas.”
Govan often posed in Instagram photos with real cash and diamond jewelry. Police issued a warning to aspiring rappers posing with real cash on Instagram can get you killed.
Oakland Hip Hop legend Too Short made an appearance on the 85 South Show podcast and delved into his first time meeting late cultural icon Tupac Shakur and the evolution of Shakur following him embarking on his solo career after leaving Digital Underground. Short spoke candidly about keeping his friends away from ‘Pac, citing that they may have a negative impact on the then burgeoning star.
The “Blow The Whistle” star said “I’ve been platinum before most n***as. Shock G was the leader of Digital Underground, but 2Pac was the little homie in the crew.” He continued, “But 2Pac started coming of age, and I looked at him, I liked the n***a. But I’m an East Oakland n***a, right? And I seen him, he used to always keep his little thing, he was not a punk. He was ready for whatever. He was a real one.”
Too Short told the story to maintain the theme that he was concerned about ‘Pac’s well being, saying, “But I was like, ‘I cannot bring this n***a around my homies ‘cause it’s going to be like oil and fire.’ When 2Pac got to L.A., he went 10,000 mph. I knew it! I was like, ‘I cannot bring this n***a around my homies,’ so I literally made a conscious effort to not ever bring 2Pac to — he found his way to Richie Rich; he gave ‘Pac the town.”
On this date in 1999, Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man and Def Quad standout Redman collaborated on their first full-length studio album entitled Blackout! on the Def Jam Recording imprint.
Serving as a prequel to their 2001 blockbuster silver screen debut in How High, Red and Meth’s debut album, which was originally to be titled Amerikaz Most Blunted, debuted on No. 2 of US Billboard 200 and sold over a quarter-million copies in its first week.
The 19-track album failed to disappoint, churning out singles like “4 Sessions” featuring Queens legends LL Cool J and Ja Rule, the RZA-produced “Cereal Killer” and “Run 4 Cover” which featured Meth Wu cronies Street Life and Ghostface Killah.
Salute to Red and Meth for their timeless collaborations, especially this one that set the pace for their inevitable popularity that you see today!
On this day in Hip Hop history in 1993, Oakland trio Souls of Mischief released their underrated debut album 93 Til Infinity. Hailing from Oakland’s Hieroglyphics camp, which is led by Del Tha Funky Homosapien, these conscious adolescents put together an LP that, despite their “inexperience”, held it’s own against the work of East Coast artists thriving in New York’s backpacker, boom-bap scene. After a quarter of a century, this album is regarded by real Hip Hop purists as a classic.
Quietly peaking at #84 on the Billboard 200 chart, this album is the crown jewel of the Hieroglyphics collective and ranks among some of the most timeless albums of the time. Critically, this album was highly regarded by journalists and other artists as well. It’s a genre-defying subject matter, jazz, and funk-infused production, and unique style apart from anything else in California made this album stand out (even if it didn’t have the sales to show it). The majority of the album’s success was a result of its lead single “’93 til Infinity” which peaked at #72 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Three-Episode Anime Content Documents Some of Lil Baby’s Most Emblematic Memories Inspired by Scents From the No 1. Men’s Grooming Brand
Today, AXE® premieres a series of animated digital vignettes starring award-winning artist, Lil Baby. Featuring three episodes in total, each piece takes fans on a fragrance-led journey through some of the rapper’s most distinct memories associated with iconic AXE scents. Drawing inspiration from some of Lil Baby’s favorite childhood animated series, as well as Japanese anime, each story is depicted through vibrant animation that feels straight out of a comic book.
Smell is said to be the strongest sense associated with memory and recollection, and has the ability to trigger vivid autobiographical memories. Here, we see this coming to life with each episode opening with Lil Baby sharing thoughts on the Apollo, Cool Ocean and Phoenix AXE fragrances, leading to him reminiscing on unique memories associated with each scent.
“I’ve always been a big fan of anime,” said award-winning artist, Lil Baby. “So having AXE turn some of my intimate memories and thoughts into an animated mini-series is kind of surreal, and I hope fans enjoy it as much as I did.”
Lil Baby takes fans on a scent-inspired journey through some of his most personal memories, showcasing the rapper like never before – touching on his first performance, his ambitious mindset at an early age, and his transition from budding rap artist to mogul. Intertwined throughout most of Lil Baby’s stories is the power of fragrance and the impact it has on his superstar persona and self confidence.
“Anime is hugely popular with our audience, including Lil Baby himself! This inspired our team to create three distinct versions of Lil Baby in a way his fans haven’t seen before. They visualize how the fragrances have always been a part of his journey in a fun and engaging way” said Caroline Gregory, Global Brand Director, AXE at Unilever
Each episode features traditional character animation, 2D motion graphics and countless unique background designs combined while referencing footage from Lil Baby’s biographical documentary to create an authentic likeness.
To watch the series, fans can visit AXE’s YouTube channel HERE and follow @AXE on Twitter, TikTok and Instagram for additional All Axecess related content.
According to several confirmed reports, Los Angeles rapper Kee Riches was shot to death in a triple shooting that happened in Compton. He was only 23 years old.
The report states that police arrived on the scene and found Riches, 29-year-old Robert Leflore Jr. and an unidentified woman suffering from gunshot wounds.
Riches and Leflore were both pronounced dead at the scene. The unidentified woman was taken to a local hospital where she was listed in stable condition.
This killing comes just weeks after the PNB Rock murder at Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles in South Central. Following the Roscoe’s shooting, Ice T tweeted, “If you NOTICE, LA rappers don’t wear a lotta Jewelry, […] Me, Snoop, Cube, Dre, Game, Kendrick. The list goes on. It’s not cause we’re broke. LA is just a Dangerous place, rapper or not. Why test the streets.”
The REVOLT Summit x AT&Treturned to Atlanta, GA on September 24 and 25for its fourth iteration of specially curated panels, workshops and more aimed to empower young Black artists and leaders.
The two-day experience kicked off with hosts Pretty Vee and Fly Guy DC welcoming the local Atlanta community. The day continued with insightful conversations led by today’s cultural leaders, including an exclusive live viewing of the financial literacy series, Assets Over Liabilities, which featured a conversation with Master P, Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings.
The Summit continued with additional panels such as Beyond The Rim, a one-on-one conversation with Dennis Rodman that discussed mental health, The Future of Cannabis, where moderator Mouse Jones spoke with Bobby Shurmda, Al Harrington, Berner and The Cannabis Cutie on the booming marijuana industry that has historically boxed out Black Americans. Detavio Samuels, CEO of REVOLT, also led the Future of REVOLT Keynote which discussed the future of the Black-owned multimedia company.
The day also included amazing live performances by Lakeyah, Baby Tate, and Nardo Wick. Attendees also tuned into Cancel Culture, an insightful conversation with Amber Rose, Nene Leakes and Ray J moderated by Jason Lee, before the night ended with electrifying performances by Rich Homie Quan, DreamDoll, Big BossVette, and Rob49.
On Sunday, an impactful panel exploring the future of community, was led with a keynote conversation with Social Justice Leader and Movement Strategist Tameka D. Mallory, discussing the future of our fight for freedom, justice, equity and civil rights.
The day was full of can’t miss moments, including an insightful conversation with REVOLT, CEO Detavio Samuels and an exciting panel with The Crew League season 4 host Trinidad James.
Sunday also included amazing live performances by Lakeyah, Baby Tate, and Nardo Wick.
