Mary J. Blige is no stranger to giving back and she’s doing it once again. She’s part of a new scholarship aiming at helping make higher education more affordable for one lucky recipient. According to The Shade Room, she’s teaming up with Pepsi to award a substantial $30k scholarship to one lucky student at Hampton University. The news first broke a few days ago and the application period for the scholarship is underway now.
The Shade Room also shared some details on the academic award. “There are additional requirements to be a candidate for the Strength of a Woman scholarship. The sophomore woman must have full-time enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year with a minimum 2.5 GPA. Additionally, she must be studying “business administration, marketing, arts, finance, or creative design.” They also clarify that it won’t be Blige herself selecting the winning student, but Scholarship America. Check out all the info on the scholarship below.
Earlier this year Hot 97 joined many in the rap field by putting on a celebrating of the genre’s 50th anniversary. For their celebration they pulled out all the stops. They recruited Wu-Tang Clan, Mariah Carey, EPMD, Sean Paul, and of course Mary J. Blige. She’s no stranger to hanging out with rap royalty either. Last month she was in attendance at Nas’ 50th birthday party alongside Diddy, Slick Rick, Fat Joe, and more.
She also crossed paths with Nas earlier this year when they both performed at the Blue Note Jazz Festival. They took the stage alongside Chance The Rapper, Nx Worries, Cordae, De La Soul and many more for the impressive music lineup in Napa, California. She also put on her own even earlier this year. The Strength Of A Woman Summit featured some all-star contributors and seems to have laid some of the groundwork for her scholarship given the title. What do you think of Mary J. Blige’s new scholarship for female students? Let us know in the comment section below.
Mark Wahlberg has claimed that studio interference is the reason that his musical career never took off. “They continued to push me further in the opposite direction, that’s when I decided not to make another record and to wait out my contract. Could I have been Eminem? I certainly hope not. I like Eminem, I think Eminem’s really talented, but I’m trying to go a completely different route.” Wahlberg had had a #1 single in “Good Vibrations” as part of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. However, Interscope wanted Wahlberg to replicate the aggressive style and subject matter of the Detroit rapper.
He continued. “I wanted to make a record. I saw my brother making millions of dollars and I’m still struggling, so I kind of compromised a little bit.” Wahlberg told TheThings. At the time, Wahlberg had just been released from prison for the violent and unprovoked assault of two Vietnamese men. Meanwhile, his brother Donnie was finding success with New Kids On The Block.
Eminem Nearly Starred In The Fighter Instead Of Wahlberg
MONTAUK, NEW YORK – JUNE 11: Mark Wahlberg attends Flecha Tequila Brunch With Mark Wahlberg & Aron Marquez at The Surf Lodge on June 11, 2023 in Montauk, New York. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)
Speaking of links between Wahlberg and Eminem, it was revealed earlier this year that Wahlberg was once a second choice casting to the rapper. Sources revealed that Eminem was originally the first choice for Micky Ward in 2010’s The Fighter, directed by David O. Russell. “The first person that we thought would star in this film was Eminem. Eminem was going to be Micky Ward. That was a moment in time where he had come off of 8 Mile, and he was interested in making movies, and he wanted to do a boxing movie.” Also, he continued, “So that was something we pursued for a minute. And there was real life in that for a minute,” producer Todd Leiberman told the Hollywood Gold podcast back in February.
However, the role eventually went to Wahlberg. In a separate interview, Wahlberg also revealed that Christian Bale’s role was originally offered to Matt Damon. The film went on to receive seven Oscar nominations, winning two. Bale won Best Supporting Actor while Melissa Leo won Best Supporting Actress. Meanwhile, Wahlberg’s performance earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Drama. However, he lost out to Colin Firth in the King’s Speech.
Earlier this week, Ebony Magazine celebrated the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Their celebration included interviews with rappers like 50 Cent, Rick Ross, Busta Rhymes, and Lil Kim. They shared the results of Kim’s cover shoot to Instagram with a caption explaining their reasoning for choosing her. “When it comes to this Hip Hop Game, you don’t wanna bumble with the bee, and for almost three decades, Lil Kim has continued to show us why. From her days with Junior Mafia to now, she has always come correct with bars slicker than honey with an impeccable charisma that is impossible to duplicate.”
But despite their high praise for the rapper fans in the comments were mostly focused on one thing. Her face in the cover image had all the trademarks of over-editing and many pointed out how amateurish it looked. In the comments, one of the photographers shared how the picture ended up the way it did. “Man, she wanted to be in creative control of the retouching so this is what we got.” Check out the post below.
Unsurprisingly, fans in the comments cracked jokes. “So Kim edited this on her phone and sent it back?” one comment joked. “She look like a IMVU character” and “She edited this on what? Like a flip phone? A sidekick? Wtf happened here?” other comments agreed. While nobody has officially confirmed how exactly the photo ended up the way it did that didn’t stop fans from speculating.
Last month, Lil Kim took part in another Hip Hop 50th Anniversary celebration and it also didn’t go over perfectly. She suffered a wardrobe malfunction during a performance and Yankee Stadium alongside dozens of rap legends. Thankfully, she didn’t seem phased at all by the incident and continued crushing her performance. What do you think of Lil Kim demanding creative control over her Ebony cover shoot? Let us know in the comment section below.
The Hip-Hop celebrations have been in abundance all year long but August was particularly busy. As different cities hosted concerts and events to celebrate Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary, D’USSE held a series of day parties across three different cities that specifically honored the women in the culture. The cognac brand, founded by Jay-Z, hosts an annual party in the summer but because of the milestone, they brought on Lakeyah, BIA, Lola Brooke, and Rapsody to host the celebrations.
Lakeyah, specifically, has been one artist who has continuously shown and proved with each of her releases. Although initially a poet, she proved to be a formidable rapper and singer through her recent releases. She’s yet to hit that massive mainstream stride that artists hope for but at the end of the day, she’s about two things: delivering quality music and putting on for the ladies. The former is something that Lakeyah reminisces of fondly when it comes to music from the early 2000s, especially since it didn’t feel like the antics and sales figures overshadowed the quality of music itself.
“Honestly, it is about the quality of the music. If we’re thinking back to like the 90s and early 2000s… I really didn’t pay attention to what people were doing at that point. Shit, I ain’t know nothing. All I know is that the music was good and that we were really enjoying it,” Lakeyah told HotNewHipHop.
Between the D’usse Day Party in Chicago and the release of a number of singles this summer, including “Want Em Hood” and “In Da Club,” Lakeyah’s kept busy. We caught up with her to discuss everything from her thoughts the new class of women in rap, sampling, and the advice Nicki Minaj gave her.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Lakeyah’s Proud To Be Part Of This Class Of Femcees
ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 9: Rapper Lakeyah performs onstage during “Lil Baby & Friends Birthday Celebration Concert” at State Farm Arena on December 9, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)
We’re in the midst of hip-hop 50 celebrations and you recently graced the stage for D’USSE Day Party that specifically celebrates the women in hip-hop. How do feel about your impact on the culture thus far?
Lakeyah: It really is. I love to be a part of, not only celebrating 50 years of hip hop but to be a part of this new wave of so many female rappers and we’re being celebrated. And yeah, I’ve been doing it for some years, but it still feels so surreal. Like I’m part of this big industry that’s so male-dominated. And I was like, all these girls that these labels want, and I’m just glad to be a part of every day.
It was a day party, right?
Lakeyah: Yeah, I did.
How do you feel about day parties vs. night outs?
I’m glad you asked that. I did my day party in Chicago, which I thought was dope that they put me in the Midwest because I’m from the Midwest. It was a lot of people who knew me. They were excited to see me. So I had a very good time. Everything was D’usse infused. From you know, the popsicles — I don’t even know if the chicken sandwich had D’usse in it because I was drunk. I was so drunk by the time I left. But, I love day parties, though. I’m a party girl in general, I don’t care what time we party, for real. I really don’t mind it.
The only reason I asked you that is because I interviewed you a few years back and you were mentioning how the City Girls took you out once you signed to QC.
I remember that night, that was super lit. They took me out, like trying to welcome me in and I definitely felt welcomed after that. We got really drunk together, I saw them perform. And I was like, this is about to be my lifestyle. So I loved it.
Was there anything that inspired you or even influenced you from that night? Or were there any pointers that you took away?
From that night, I was just super excited to be a part of the industry because I’m like, I can make money from just being a party girl; people coming to see me and watch me perform, and to be a part of the label at that point. Because, you know, it felt like family. And some pointers I took away from it… Honestly, they let me perform that night, I remember. And I remember like, when I left, P was like, ‘Don’t hold your phone or your purse in your hand no more,’ and I got cussed out for everything that I did wrong. And like, the day after that I was like, ‘Okay, I gotta practice when I go out on stage.’ So I took a lot of pointers from that night, for sure. I learned a lot of stuff.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 24: Lakeyah attends House of BET – Day 3 at Goya Studios on June 24, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET)
You recently locked in with Gloss Up, Lola Brooke, Flo Milli, and Latto. I wanted to know, out of all of the women you’ve collaborated with, who do you think challenges you the most lyrically in the booth?
Sh*t, honestly, let me think… You know who I was most shocked by? Flo Milli. Because during that year, when I started dropping my little EPs, I really wanted to work with more women. I wanted to be more collaborative with my music because I work with a lot of men because I want to stand out. Like when I’m working with men, and I want people to know like, ‘Oh, she’s a real rapper.’
So when I listened to Flo Milli’s music it’s bar full, don’t get me wrong, but I feel like it’s very fun. You know you can really have fun you listen to Flo Milli but when I put her on that specific song, I didn’t know how she was gonna come and she really ate it up and it had me questioning if I should change my verse. I’m like, damn, she really went hard. She really was going at it with me and I respected that, for sure.
We’re seeing a lot of women in rap but as someone who always Who are your top 5 women rappers of all time?
Okay, this is good. Nicki Minaj, for sure. I’m gonna put Trina, I’m gonna put Lauryn Hill, for sure. Tink, I think she’s a rapper to me. She’s an all-around artist. Tink and Dreezy, for sure.
Is that in order?
The first three are in order.
Hip-hop is still the biggest genre but the numbers game became a large part of the discourse. It doesn’t seem like that concerns you too much but I wanted to find out your thoughts on the increased interest surrounding the sales and streaming figures.
I love that people are so intrigued with how much people are doing because it really shows who has a solid fan base and who’s getting supported and all that stuff. But honestly, I don’t think there needs to be this many A&Rs out right now, telling people what they did and what they could have done better. Honestly, it is about the quality of the music. If we’re thinking back to like the 90s and early 2000s, yeah, we — I don’t know. I really didn’t pay attention to what people were doing at that point. Shit, I ain’t know nothing. All I know is that the music was good and that we were really enjoying it. We were coming home after school to watch the music videos on 106 And Park and stuff. Like, we were really enjoying music. I really want to hear the art.
I just heard Nas say something like that, like, “I don’t want to hear any more trends.” And though, being honest, as an artist, you do sometimes have to be like, “Oh, that’s what they want to hear.” I got to be able to give that to them. But I think I want to get back to what he was speaking about and really just hearing the art and people just being genuine in their music. So that’s how I feel about it.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 19: Lakeyah Danaee Robinson performs at YouTube Shorts HBCU Homecoming Celebration on October 19, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for YouTube)
Another discourse over the summer has been surrounding the lack of a #1 single or #1 album on the Billboard charts. Some people have stated that it’s a sign that hip-hop is dying and losing its grip etc. What do you make of that statement? And do you think that the numbers indicate anything about how hip-hop thrives?
I don’t know but I know Hip Hop isn’t dying, and I do believe it’s gonna be another number one situation. We have people dropping albums this fall. I believe, yeah, Nicki’s dropping an album this fall. Everybody is about to be in their album mode again. So I definitely think it’s gonna be another number one. And I don’t think numbers have anything to do with it. No, because we just got to get back to the quality of music, for sure. Because honestly, it’s not going to just take one person to change that. There are so many people doing the same thing. Everybody just has to beat themselves in this shit.
One thing I’ve appreciated about your recent releases is that you’ve been using some really incredible samples lately. Even though the sample-driven records have been hit or miss lately — at least, to me. But, the samples you’ve used have been like huge bangers during the 2000s whether from Gorilla Zoe or J-Kwon. Do you feel pressure when you use these records considering they hold a lot of weight in that era?
Definitely. I think first things first for me is that even if the sample is very obvious in the production, I just want to make sure I’m doing justice to the beat. Because I’m a rapper rapper, I just really want to rap. I don’t really want to make no hooks or anything. So I really want to make sure that I’m giving it what it was given to us. And that’s my favorite era of music, the early 2000s in general, whether it was hip hop or R&B. So that has a huge thing when I’m grabbing my samples.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with samples but like you said, it’s been hit-and-miss. I feel like you really have to do justice to the songs and make sure you’re not ruining these songs. You know, because people will say that like ‘What was the point of you doing that?’ And I come from like doing KeyMixes and remixes of people’s songs when I was like sitting in the car just grinding. When I’m doing samples it’s like, this is really me, it’s my space, this is what I’m good at doing and it’s very easy to me. I like hearing people’s opinions though, I play for my close friends, my team, and my sister. My sister likes real hood music. We are from Milwaukee so if she gave me to pass on that, I feel like I did good [laughs].
How do Coach K and P feel about the samples you use?
Yeah, I’m not gonna lie, P specifically, loves it when I sample music. He loves that they sound so good, but on the business side of things, it’s like alright, now, let’s stop sampling. So I understand where people are coming from because it’s like, you really do as an artist have to create your original sound, which I’ve done with my Midwest style — “Big FlexHer,” “Female Goat.” But when I’m in my like, Southern bag and stuff, I really do like to sample those songs that came from the South like “Hood Figga,” and “Tipsy.” One of my songs “Poppin,” the sample was “Chickenhead.” So yeah, I like to balance it and he loves it.
Coach K is more — I’ma be honest, he loves my R&B stuff. And that’s why I love to balance it and I won’t ever leave that side of me because so many people love being different. You know, I’m versatile. I love that I can do everything.
Will there be a full R&B project from you in the future?
Hell yeah. I’ve been talking about it with my internal team. Like, what do we do next? Like, this is my favorite time of the year, when it’s about to get cold. Everybody n***as leaving them — no shade to them, I’m sorry. Everybody n***as is going through it. Like, relationships are going through it at this point. I can really be the voice for my girls. Obviously, the money gets better around this time. Homecoming scenes, and we’ve got Fashion Week and stuff. So this is my favorite time of the year and I love to put music out around this time of the year. Last year, I did some R&B stuff around this time of the year. Before that, “Too Much” came out and that’s one of my biggest songs today. And I’m definitely thinking about a full R&B project.
ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 30: Lakeyah attends BET Hip Hop Awards 2022 on September 30, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia.(Photo by Prince Williams/ Filmmagic)
I know you finally got to meet Nicki Minaj and you mentioned that she dropped a lot of game on you. What was the best piece of advice she gave that you applied to your craft, whether on the creative or business side?
I would definitely say it was both of them because the piece that I took away was really — like I was just speaking of being yourself completely when it comes to your look, your sound, you know, what you stand for. You really have to be an artist that people can really gravitate towards just for being you. And you don’t want to blow up for faking it for years. You want to feel like ‘oh, people love me for me. And I can go outside and I don’t have to put on a costume.’ So I feel like that’s something that I took away from our conversation, for sure.
And you know I had to ask, has there been any conversation surrounding a collaboration in the future?
We manifesting it. No, no, we are manifesting it. The rest of our conversation is very private.
Fair enough. Milwaukee’s blown up as a hub for hip-hop. Why do you think more people are interested in Milwaukee now than before?
We really have our own culture. I’m gonna be honest, I don’t use the Milwaukee sound very often because I’m very versatile. I moved to Atlanta when I was 18. You know, I’ve been a part of the industry for three years, and I’ve been doing different things and trying different things. But Milwaukee has its own culture like they do their own thing. And especially in this generation, everything is about fun and I think that’s perfect from where I’m from, because we don’t take anything serious. I mean, like, it’s really funny. Like the dances that they create, and the type of music that they create. I love it and I think other people will too.
Final question but what is your prediction for the next 50 years of hip-hop?
I think that it’s going to be so many different sounds because hip-hop is very open to — it looks different now. So I think it’s gonna be so many different sounds. It’s gonna be way more women because the door is broken down now. It’s not going to be any gatekeepers anymore. And we just gonna keep getting stronger. And I definitely think like, there’s going to be a number one rap out from a woman. Yeah, very soon.
Lil Wayne recently rocked the stage at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards; in fact, he graced fans with two separate performances. One was a medley of one of his biggest contemporary hits, “Uproar,” and his new single “Kat Food.” However, the other saw the New Orleans MC join LL Cool J, Run-DMC, Nicki Minaj, and more legends of the game to celebrate hip-hop’s 50th anniversary. Not only was it a special moment for him, but one that also proves that, no matter how deep you are into your career, you can still get stage jitters. During his appearance on Undisputed with good friend Skip Bayless, Weezy recalled the experience.
“We did catch you the other night on the VMAs. You lit it up. How did it feel to you? You were among legends, but you are the legend of legends. What did it feel like on stage?” Skip Bayless asked. “Nervous as usual,” Lil Wayne answered. “Same way I feel as always, nervous. Had to open it up, so I just wanted to make sure I ain’t mess up. Hit every beat, make sure I was on point. Yeah, that’s what I was worried about.
“Oh, yeah, I heard about that,” Lil Wayne said with a laugh when Bayless asked about Taylor Swift loving his performance of “Walk This Way” from the front row. “Just to be up there with those legends, I was like ‘What?’ Literally, Skip, as I’m up there and I could hear myself singing ‘Walk This Way’ that was unbelievable. To hear myself singing, and knowing who I’m up there with. No one else was singing the ‘Walk This Way’ part. No one else was singing it. When I heard it was just me, I was like ‘Yeah.’ I owned it, yeah.”
Meanwhile, Tunechi also made sure to keep feeding fans alongside his big shows, even if it was through a feature. He recently treated Nas and Hit-Boy’s sixth collaborative album in three years, Magic 3, to a feature verse on the track “Never Die.” All in all, there seem to be more reasons than ever to celebrate the Young Money mogul these days- and that’s never a bad thing. Stay logged into HNHH for the latest news and updates on Lil Wayne.
Nas clearly heard all the jokes. For years, the rap veteran has been maligned — perhaps unfairly, although likely not — for having bad taste in beats. For rushing his projects as they neared deadlines. For giving halfhearted effort to the preternatural gifts he’d been given. For never truly living up to the bar set by his seminal 1993 debut, Illmatic. And sometime during the music industry shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he decided he’d had enough of the critiques.
That was when, after he was jokingly called out by Big Sean, Nas decided to get serious. A chance meeting with Fontana producer Hit-Boy spawned not only the greatest creative chemistry he’s shared with a producer since that groundbreaking debut but also an astonishing six full-length albums comprising two separate trilogies in the next four years. The finale of this collaborative project, Magic 3 , dropped on Thursday, Nas’ 50th birthday.
Now, I’m not here to break down the new project or review it; if you’ve heard the five albums prior, you know what to expect. You either like it or it’s not for you. But I have to say I don’t think we have really talked enough about how incredible this whole moment has been — what it represents for both artists’ careers, for hip-hop music, or the culture at large. So, let’s talk about it. Nas and Hit-Boy’s four-year run should go down in hip-hop history as the best of what this genre can be; it should be an instruction manual for artists to follow for years to come.
At the time Nas announced the first King’s Disease album produced by Hit-Boy, he was coming off of yet another creative slump that saw his legacy reeling from the dreary The Lost Tapes II and the disastrous Nasir. Not to mention, he’d been accused of some rather nasty behavior by ex-wife Kelis; he had some work to do to get back into the public’s good graces. For an artist who’d once been lyrically derided by Jay-Z for his fitful work ethic, no one could have expected the burst of output to come.
(“Four albums in ten years, n***?” isn’t actually that bad when you think about it, but compared to his prolific rival, looked pretty bad, especially considering the reception of those albums.)
On its face, the decision to link up with Hit-Boy could have seemed to an outsider to be confusing at best, if not downright cynical. Here you had two artists who were opposites in almost every way you could think of: East Coast/West Coast, old-school staple/new-school hitmaker, one recovering from back-to-back duds, the other, still celebrating his most recent beat placement winning a Grammy for one of LA’s most-revered late rap titans, Nipsey Hussle. Nothing about it made sense; maybe that’s why it worked.
For Nas, Hit-Boy’s production was a jolt of both fresh air and much-needed consistency, providing a diverse array of complementary soundbeds for Nas’ complex, time-tested flow. He also plugged the weathered veteran into a whole new world of contemporary collaborators, allowing him shake off the mantle of disgruntled old head and instead play the role of the sage mentor, the voice of experience guiding his successors’ generation with a steady hand and just enough burst to keep up with the kids.
No doubt, artists like A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Anderson .Paak, ASAPs Ferg and Rocky, Big Sean, Blxst, Don Toliver, Fivio Foreign, Lil Durk, and 21 Savage had grown up revering Nas’ contributions to hip-hop music. But Nas’ generation has proven … less than generous in issuing accolades, advice, or acknowledgment to their successors. Instead, there has been a slew of gruff admonitions, gatekeeping, and laments about the “state of hip-hop.” Nas himself had been accused of the same when he released Hip-Hop Is Dead in 2006.
So, for him to make that effort to bridge the generation gap — aided by Hit-Boy, who provided the connective glue to make such tricky collaborations stick — is meaningful to both his career and the fabric of rap as a whole. Yes, it helped Nas to quell speculation that his music is no longer relevant — some of which even came from one of his future collaborators, 21 Savage — but it also provided a Golden Era parallel to what Gucci Mane’s been doing in Atlanta as a godfather of trap rap.
It showed that hip-hop doesn’t HAVE to be just a “young man’s game” (if anything, I wish he’d included more women’s voices to prove it’s not only a man’s game, either). It showed that the vets don’t have to dismiss the kids in their own twilight; in fact, by embracing subsequent generations, the older artists get to hang on to their golden years just that much longer. And it showed that the best approach for anyone isn’t just to chase trends or follow the market, but to find the spark that comes from doing what you love out of inspiration, not obligation.
And it’s wild to think that we have Hit-Boy to thank for lighting this fire under Nas; aside from both being cast aside by a certain superproducer who couldn’t be bothered to dedicate his time, resources, and appreciation to them for their collaborations with him, both had incredible bounces back as a result. Hit-Boy got even more prolific while working with Nas, churning out enough material for collaborative projects with Dom Kennedy, Dreezy, Music Soulchild, and even his own formerly incarcerated father.
Thanks to Hit, Nas gets to have the last laugh, and thanks to Nas, Hit’s name is buzzing more than ever. Their collaboration resulted in the producer taking home even more Grammys hardware and the rapper bringing in his first-ever trophy despite his 30-plus years of hip-hop prominence. It was, as they declared with the title of their second trilogy, Magic. Now, we can’t wait to see what comes next for them both.
Cardi B’s gotten her fair share of flack for her place within hip-hop, whether those conversations are legitimate or purely speculative. For example, many take issue with her requesting assistance in writing her material, which doesn’t fit the authentic and personal rap formula. Another big point of contention came up at the 2023 MTV VMAs, where she stood by the Bronx as the genre’s origin and people thought she was personally appropriating that accolade. These topics stir up a lot of conversation online, and the 30-year-old often jumps in to address them. This time around, it was on The Neighborhood Talk‘s Instagram page’s comments section, and she came to set the record straight.
“Ya just be wanting to disagree with everything I say but facts are facts like google it,” Cardi B wrote. “Where did hip-hop start at.. THE BRONX!!! Where I’m from? Not the Caribbean island hip-hop came from talking about the struggle and thats something I def lived so how that’s not my culture??? How can you tell me what I do or what I lived.. culture is literally the environment of what you came up in.”
Elsewhere in another post, the proud Bronx native tied these comments into the perception that she’s less valid as an MC because of other writers being on her tracks. “I started music before LHH and wrote about MY struggles and life as a dancer,” Cardi B expressed. “Go listen to them mixtapes. Also, I went to school for musical theatre and technology.. just because somebody might help me with a hook means nothing. Look at all ya fav artists credits they all do receive some type of help.”
Meanwhile, that’s not the only criticisms that she responded to this week. The “Bongos” hitmaker thinks that Joe Buddenhas a personal problem with her, as shown by his critique of her latest single with Megan Thee Stallion. Although the rapper and media personality said that people took his words too far when reporting on them, he stood by his thoughts. For more news and the latest updates on Cardi B, stay up to date on HNHH.
Last night the Video Music Awards took place and Nicki Minaj served as the host. She actually doubled as MC for the night and also a performer, taking part in the show’s 50th-anniversary tribute to hip-hop. She was a fitting choice after serving as one of three MCs for the night last year while also giving a major performance. Nicki was last year’s winner of the night’s biggest honor, the Video Vanguard award. This year that award went to Shakira and she also brought an absolutely massive performance to the stage.
While all seemed mostly well during the show on camera, a new clip from backstage tells a different story. “not Nicki Minaj almost throwing hands before her VMA performance,” the caption of a newly shared video reads. Though the clip is short, you can pretty clearly see that Minaj is bothered by something and appears to be close to getting physical with somebody backstage. All night there seemed to be videos popping up from backstage of artists letting their anger out. Lil Wayne had his security prevent MTV cameras from filming him holding hands with a mystery woman. Even Megan Thee Stallion and Justin Timberlake seemed to get into it in a viral clip, though they ultimately shut down any beef rumors in a TikTok.
During her performance last night, Nicki treated fans to a tease of her upcoming albumPink Friday 2. The project is slated to release later this year and was led off by a heartfelt new single earlier this month. “Last Time I Saw You” had already connected with fans racking up 13 million streams and debuting at number 23 on the Hot 100.
Last week, Nicki shared a funny video to social media gearing up to host the show. In the clip, she’s seen smoking in bed and advocating for how much it helps her find clarity. What do you think of Nicki Minaj appearing to look mad backstage at the VMAs last night? Let us know in the comment section below.
Lil Wayne and Nicki Minajheld it down at the VMAs on Tuesday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. There’s no doubt the two became fixtures at the annual award show throughout its history, delivering memorable moments and sound bites that have lived on in the years that followed. However, on Tuesday night, their presence was surely felt from the moment the show began. Lil Wayne entered the stage to perform a medley of songs including “Uproar” and his latest single, “Kat Food.”
As for Nicki Minaj, she served as the host for the evening. However, her appearance certainly wasn’t limited to that. While she did get to guide fans through the evening, she eventually hit the stage where she performed her new single, “Last Time I Saw You,” and debuted an unreleased song from the upcoming Pink Friday 2 titled, “Big Difference.” Still, she hit the stage later on to pay homage to hip-hop’s major milestone.
With Hip Hop 50 celebrations still underway, the VMAs came through with an impeccable way to honor the music that’s shaped its history with appearances from Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj. The tribute closed out Tuesday night’s festivities, dedicating the final moments of the VMAs to the evolution of the culture. Along with Wayne and Nicki, LL Cool J also headlined the performance while DMC, Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five accompanied them on stage.
The performance kicked off with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five delivering a stellar performance of “The Message.” Then, Doug E. Fresh, who hit the original Dougie, and Slick Rick came out to the stage. Nicki Minaj came out to perform “Itty Bitty Piggy” — clearly a fan favorite by the way the crowd finished each bar. Nicki then dove into “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” afterward before the VMAs transitioned to Lil Wayne who performed “A Milli.” LL Cool J leaped into “I’m Bad” and “Mama Said Knock You Out” before sticking around for DMC’s performance.
Did Lil Wayne just shade the Vice President? While performing at Kamala Harris’s Hip-Hop 50 celebration, Wayne dropped a performance of “Mrs. Officer”. Peaking at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2008, it’s a beloved piece of Wayne’s catalog. However, is there a deeper meaning to this performance? Obviously, the song is about Wayne getting it on with a female police officer and references N.W.A.’s “Fuck Tha Police”. But before she was a senator and later VP, Harris had a relationship with law enforcement. She served as both San Francisco DA and California AG. Furthermore, she was widely criticized for her vocal pro-cop stance.
“Hip hop is the ultimate American art form,” Harris said at the event. “Born at a back to school party in the Bronx, raised on the streets of Philadelphia, Chicago, Oakland and Atlanta, hip hop now shapes nearly every aspect of America’s popular culture and it reflects the incredible diversity and ingenuity of the American people.To be clear, hip hop culture is America’s culture. It is music and melody and rhyme. Hip hop is also an ethos of strength and self-determination; of ambition and aspiration; of pride, power and purpose. Hip hop is a declaration of identity. It says I love who I am. I represent where I come from, and I know where I’m going.”
While Kamala Harris was living it up with Hip Hop royalty, former President Donald Trump was attending almost the polar opposite of a Hip Hop 50 event. Trump was in Ames, Iowa for the annual Cy-Hawk rivalry game between Iowa and Iowa State. Before the game began, Trump visited Iowa State’s chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho, an agricultural fraternity. He went on to attend the football game, supporting the hometown Cyclones. Unfortunately for Trump, the Hawkeyes would come away with a 20-13 win.
As Wayne, he’s been recently revealed to be adamantly humble about his place in the hip hop pantheon. “We’ve argued over the years. He say JAY-Z the G.O.A.T., I say he the G.O.A.T. My lil’ bro the greatest rapper of all time. He know how I feel about that,” Juvenile claimed of Wayne.
