Hip Hop Community News

One of the big 3, J. Cole recently opened up about his first encounter with Drake’s music and how it impacted his own artistic journey. That’s a cool thing to say, albeit many months after all that went down and rocked the Hip Hop landscape.

In a conversation on his audio series Inevitable, co-hosted with Dreamville co-founder Ibrahim Hamad, the 39-year-old rapper recalled discovering Drake’s music on MySpace, long before Drake was the global superstar he is today.

Myspace. Remember, Myspace? Off topic but those were the days. Before all the toxicity on social media. Before the unattainable was force fed onto your feeds. A simpler time.

“It was one dude in particular that I remember seeing on MySpace,” Cole began. “He was this light-skinned R&B-looking nia, but he had raps.” Cole describes how Drake’s sound, which blended neo-soul with rap, immediately stood out to him. He was especially impressed by the smooth, confident tone Drake conveyed in his music. Despite being relatively unknown at the time, Drake’s tracks were getting massive plays—something Cole couldn’t ignore. “I was like, ‘Who is this nia?! How does he have 20,000 plays in a day?!’” Cole recalled.

Get this, the way it was said at this point Cole didn’t yet know that Drake was also an actor from the popular show Degrassi. He was drawn in by songs like “Sooner Than Later” and Drake’s freestyle over Kanye West’s “Say You Will” beat, titled “Say What’s Real.” Cole was particularly struck by Drake’s skill on the track, saying, “He fking destroyed that sht. I was blown away at how much he bodied that fking beat. I was like, ‘Yo, he’s f*king phenomenal.’”

But what’s real was hearing Drake’s music put Cole in a reflective, even conflicted, mental space. “For so long, I felt confident in the fact that I was the only one occupying that space, the only one with that perspective and that sharp of a pen,” Cole explained. “I was like, ‘That’s gonna be my thing, that’s what’s gonna separate me from the pack.’” But when he heard Drake’s music, he realized there was someone else out there who was thinking the same way and working just as hard. “I was like, ‘There was someone else out there the whole time that was working maybe just as hard as I was,’” Cole said.

The realization changed his approach to his own work. Cole shifted his mindset going into the production of his 2009 mixtape The Warm Up. “I’m not even anybody yet. And this ni*a’s off to the races with hits, like cultural-shifting sht,” Cole said, reflecting on how Drake was already making waves. At that point, Cole had to rethink his initial vision for The Warm Up, which he had originally planned to be a mixtape full of freestyles, much like Kobe Bryant’s relentless dedication to his craft in basketball.

Drake has often spoken highly of J. Cole, calling him a “GOAT” and even mentioning that Cole would be involved in his wedding. The two have since collaborated on several tracks, including “In the Morning,” “Jodeci Freestyle,” and more recently, “First Person Shooter” and “Evil Ways.” They also toured together in late 2023 and early 2024, before their respective feuds with Kendrick Lamar became a topic of conversation.

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Guess buddy can’t post his kids born day while awaiting trial without being accused of nefarious intentions. Probably what happens when there’s a line of accusers piling up.

Here’s what we know … Diddy is facing fresh accusations from federal prosecutors, who claim the music mogul is using social media to manipulate public opinion and sway potential jurors in his upcoming trial. The charges against Diddy, which include racketeering, sex trafficking, and transporting individuals for prostitution, have already placed him under intense scrutiny. Now, prosecutors are accusing him of orchestrating a media campaign from behind bars in an attempt to obstruct justice.

According to court documents obtained by our friends at TMZ, prosecutors point to a video posted on Instagram earlier this month by Diddy’s seven children as evidence of his calculated media efforts. The video shows his youngest child, Love, singing “Happy Birthday” to him, accompanied by the caption: “Happy Birthday Pops, we love you!”

While the post initially appears to be a touching family tribute, prosecutors argue it was a staged effort to manipulate public perception. From his jail cell at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, Diddy allegedly coordinated with his family to ensure the video gained widespread attention and elicited an emotional response from viewers—particularly potential jurors. Prosecutors claim Diddy closely monitored the engagement on the video, even discussing its impact on jury sentiment with his family.

This, they argue, is part of a larger, ongoing campaign by Diddy to influence the legal proceedings against him. Prosecutors accuse the rapper of using his platform to undermine the integrity of the judicial process and sway public opinion in his favor.

The allegations are particularly serious as Diddy is facing a range of charges that could result in significant jail time. Prosecutors argue that his social media actions are just one example of why he should remain in custody while awaiting trial. They also highlight concerns over his financial resources, which they argue make him a flight risk. Furthermore, they point to his alleged history of violence and attempts to contact potential witnesses and victims, accusing him of witness tampering in an effort to weaken the case against him.

Despite these claims, Diddy is making another attempt to secure his release on bond. This is his third attempt to secure a $50 million bond after two previous requests were denied. His legal team is pushing for his freedom, but prosecutors are firm in their opposition, arguing that his release would pose a danger to the public and jeopardize the integrity of the trial.

As the legal proceedings continue, Diddy’s efforts to influence the public and jury pool through his social media presence are adding another layer of complexity to his already high-profile case. Whether his latest attempt for release will succeed or if the court sides with prosecutors remains to be seen.

The post SEE IT: Latest Diddy Accusation Alleges He’s Using Kids BDays on Socials to Influence Future Jury appeared first on .

Here’s breaking-ish news in Diddy’s epic legal case.

In a significant development, a judge has ordered prosecutors to destroy copies of the rapper’s handwritten notes that reportedly were seized during a recent raid on his jail cell at the notorious federal lockup he’s being held awaiting trial.

Get this, the notes, which Combs’ defense team argues are protected by attorney-client privilege, were obtained during an October 28 search of his cell at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center.

Now, that’s usually a no-no.

But when a Manhattan federal court hearing went down on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian gave clear instructions to prosecutors that they had to “get rid of them” while he considers the defense’s argument that the notes are confidential communications between Combs and his legal team.

What’s more, Judge Subramanian clarified that a separate team within the U.S. Attorney’s Office, responsible for screening documents for privilege, could keep a copy of the notes for review. That’s interesting. There’s nuance to all of this chaos.

As expected, Combs’ legal team had previously raised alarms about the raid, arguing that it violated his constitutional rights. A hard argument to prove but who knows.

Check it, they described the search as “outrageous,” claiming it infringed on Combs’ right to a fair trial and protections against self-incrimination. Attorney Marc Agnifilo referred to the incident as a “complete institutional failure” and stressed that the seizure of Combs’ legal notes was an unlawful breach of his rights.

The so-called search itself was part of a broader “safety and security initiative” at the detention center, which had been scheduled before Combs’ September arrest. Sounds like a smoke screen but we really do not know.

Prosecutors claim the search resulted in the discovery of several personal items, including a manila folder labeled “legal,” a notebook, and an address book. While some materials were submitted for review, prosecutors assert that the notes, which touched on business matters and family concerns, do not fall under the category of privileged legal communications.

Diving in, prosecutors also allege that Combs’ notes include references to paying off potential witnesses and gathering damaging information about them, actions that could amount to obstruction of justice. This claim further complicates the defense’s argument for attorney-client privilege.

Bringing you fully up to speed, a hearing on Combs’ bail request is scheduled for Friday, and the legal battle over the notes continues as the court decides whether they will be used in the preparation for his trial. Meanwhile, the judge has ruled that the notes should not be used by prosecutors to determine whether Combs should be granted bail. Makes sense. Let’s see how it all unfolds.

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Now TikTok has entered the toxic Diddy chat. Several so called TikTok influencers have reported they received surprising visits from private investigators. Okay. The revelation sparked speculation about a larger investigation connected to music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. Well, duh.

Get this, TikToker Samson Crouppen (@samsoncrouppen1) posted a video on Monday showing two investigators arriving at his Los Angeles home. According to Crouppen, the investigators questioned him about whether he had been paid to create content related to Diddy. He denied any such arrangement and expressed confusion over their inquiry. What’s more, the investigators reportedly pressed him further, repeatedly asking if financial incentives had influenced his posts about the music mogul. Wow. So now if you post content related to someone under fire, then you might get pulled up on by private investigators? What world is this?

Check it, in response to the incident, Crouppen filed a harassment complaint with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), further drawing attention to the unusual nature of the visit.

It did not stop there, another influencer, Amala Ekpunobi (@amalaekpunobi), shared her own similar experience. Ekpunobi claimed that the same investigators approached her and offered money in exchange for information about anyone allegedly paying her to create content related to Diddy. Ekpunobi, who has posted multiple stories discussing the rapper, also denied any payments and revealed that the investigators mentioned targeting at least ten other influencers as part of their probe.

As you can expect, the legal battles surrounding Diddy continue to attract public attention. Influencers have found themselves unexpectedly caught up in the controversy, but if they don’t want the smoke then maybe they should find something else to post. Now private investigators are probing their social media activity for possible connections to the music mogul’s ongoing legal issues.

Wild times.

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November is Hip Hop History Month, a time for us to reflect on the pivotal moments that have shaped the Hip Hop genre and culture at large. 

One of those pivotal moments that will probably stand out forever is the release of Cardi B’s classic banger, Bodak Yellow. 

Make no mistake, Bodak Yellow not only skyrocketed Cardi’s career but let’s just say it how it is, this heater shifted the landscape of female rap, forever. 

We broke down Bodak Yellow and Cardi’s journey as it applies to the track into a few sub categories so let’s break it down …

Cardi on the come up:

Before Bodak Yellow, Cardi B was on her way to being the biggest name since Nicki Minaj pretty much restarted and redefined what it meant to be a female rapper. Cardi was coming up in a different time, already a popular figure on social media, known for her well, unapologetic and candid persona. She became a larger-than-life presence. Cardi had already built a following on the Gram and gained notoriety as a star on the reality TV show Love & Hip Hop: New York. Then Cardi dropped Bodak Yellow in June 2017 that her career took a dramatic turn toward superstardom. Talk about a moment.

Bodak Yellow’s production:

The record was produced by Laquan Green and J. White Did It, the Florida-based producer who crafted what will always be seen as a hard-hitting, trap-influenced track that would carry Cardi B’s memorably bars to the top of the charts. The production was minimalistic but highly effective—pounding bass, sharp hi-hats, and a hypnotic piano loop. Get this, these elements all set the stage for Cardi’s confident, brash almost defiant delivery. The track’s hook, was a catchy AF chant, that had EVERYBODY rapping along.

Bodak Yellow on the charts:

Bodak Yellow was nothing short of a major breakthrough on the charts. In September 2017, the song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Like think about that. Cardi was literary from the projects and made her way to fairly big reality show then dropped a number one song. The made Cardi B the FIRST solo female rapper in history to top the chart. Unreal and flowers for days. The achievement was insanely monumental —not just for Cardi, but for the entire genre and growing sub genre of female rap that only Nicki had elevated in recent memory. Yes, flowers to Nicki, again but this is Card’s moment. But check this, prior to Bodak Yellow, no female rapper had reached #1 with a solo single since Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)” in 1998. And respectfully Ms. Lauren can not be defined as only a rapper, she so much more. But

The song stayed at #1 for three weeks, but its success continued for months, staying on the Hot 100 for over 50 weeks. Sheesh. Cardi’s chart performance made history in several ways: Bodak Yellow became one of the longest-charting rap songs by a female artist and set the stage for the broader acceptance of female rappers in mainstream hip hop. Cardi had crossed over from reality TV fame to bona fide hip hop royalty. Cardi B’s success was a clear signal that the rap world was ready for a new wave of female talent—and she was leading the charge. Like we said, undeniable.

Cardi B’s trajectory after Bodak Yellow:

The success of Bodak Yellow launched Cardi B into the global spotlight. Before the song’s release, she was already a rising star, but Bodak Yellow cemented her status as one of the most dominant figures in hip hop. Cardi quickly became a force—releasing her debut album, Invasion of Privacy, in 2018, which went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, making her the first woman to win that category solo. 

Bodak Yellow also opened the door for more mainstream collaborations with artists like Bruno Mars (Finesse Remix), Migos (Motorsport), and Drake (Girls Like You). Then after, more women in rap, such as Megan Thee Stallion, and Doja Cat, have since build upon Cardi’s trailblazing success in their own rites and in many ways bigger than Cardi, if we’re being honest. 

Influence on the rap and the rise of female empowerment within the culture:

What made Bodak Yellow so groundbreaking wasn’t merely its chart success; it also signified a shift in how female rappers were perceived in the larger rap culture. Cardi used her platform that kicked in door after door, to push against traditional gender norms, celebrating her sexuality and independence without fear of judgment. That part. 

Bodak Yellow became an anthem of sheer female empowerment in a vibe that traditionally was only reserved for men. The song showed that women in rap didn’t need to conform to anyone’s expectations but their own. It was a declaration of ambition, and confidence— see all these traits resonated with fans, especially young women, who felt seen and heard in a genre that often sidelined them. That part, again!

Lasting legacy of Bodak Yellow:

In the years since its release, because damn it’s been a few years, Bodak Yellow is affirmed as one of the most iconic rap songs of the late 2010s. It has been certified Diamond by the RIAA, signifying over 10 million units sold in the U.S. alone. Not only did the track help redefine female representation in hip hop, but it also paved the way for a more diverse, inclusive, and varied sound in the genre. What’s more, Cardi’s success proved that rap wasn’t just for one type of artist—it could be for anyone with the talent, the drive, because she certainly has that and the vision to make a lasting impact.

In celebrating Hip Hop History Month, it’s clear that Bodak Yellow marks one of the most transformative moments in the history of rap, and Cardi B’s place in that history is firmly secured. Bodak Yellow through Cardi B, was a game-changer—pushing boundaries, breaking records, and reshaping how we view women in hip hop – forever. 

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