Hip Hop Community News Archives - Page 33 of 50

Meek Mill Takes to Twitter to Ask Fans if he “Fell Off”

June 14, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Most major hip-hop artists are used to getting unsolicited feedback from their fans, but rarely do they actively ask for it. On Wednesday, however, Meek Mill did just that, taking to Twitter to ask fans if they think he “fell off.”

The Philly-based artist posted: “Who think I fell off or don’t really think I got it with rapping anymore?….I’m fr I need answers and tell the truth I’m not taking it personal … I need to hear how people think before I do what I do! A social experiment! Answer if you a supporter of mines!”

Who think I fell off or don’t really think I got it with rapping anymore?…. I’m fr I need answers and tell the truth I’m not taking it personal … I need to hear how people think before I do what I do! A social experiment!

Answer if you a supporter of mines!

— MeekMill (@MeekMill) June 14, 2023

Responses to the tweet were mixed with some users saying that he needs to adapt his music to be more in line with current artistic styles while others said that he should stay true to his original style and perhaps go deeper on subject matter now that he is older. A few cracked jokes about other alternative income streams such as selling feet pics.

One thing that many were in agreement on was the fact that the only way the question can be answered is with the release of new music. Meek released his last studio album, Expensive Pain, in 2021. The album debuted and peaked at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart.

So far, Meek hasn’t responded to any replies. Perhaps he’s busy in the studio?

The post Meek Mill Takes to Twitter to Ask Fans if he “Fell Off” appeared first on The Source.

7 Shot, 2 Dead In VA High School Graduation Shooting

June 7, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Numerous news reports have confirmed that seven people were shot, including a graduate and his father who succumbed to their injuries after a suspected lone gunman opened fire at a high school graduation in Richmond, Virginia.

It was reported that an 18-year-old graduate and his 36-year-old father were killed in the shooting at the Altria Theater, while the other victims of the shooting were also all Black males.

Six other people were injured unrelated to the gunfire, including a 9-year-old, who was hit by a car during the riotous confusion.

Police have arrested a 19-year-old man who they say was involved in the shooting. Acting Police Chief Rick Edwards says that he is expected to be charged with two counts of second-degree murder and numerous other charges.

The post 7 Shot, 2 Dead In VA High School Graduation Shooting appeared first on The Source.

Federal Judge Tentatively Dismisses Copyright Lawsuit Against Dua Lipa

June 6, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Pop artist Dua Lipa and her team secured a significant victory in the copyright case against her filed by a little-known reggae band from Florida that had accused her of copying some of their work for her hit song “Levitating.”

In March, Artikal Sound System, an indie reggae band from Florida, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles against Dua Lipa and Warner Records in which they claimed copyright infringement from their 2017 song titled “Live Your Life,” claiming that it is “substantially similar” to “Levitating.”

The band claimed that Dua Lipa and her associates had plenty of access to the song. In official court documentation, they wrote that “‘Live Your Life’ was commercially released on CD Baby in 2017 and appeared on a variety of streaming services including Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, Amazon and Sound Cloud. The recording was and continues to be commercially available.” They also claimed that the song had been played at concerts and the band had sold hundreds of CDs with the song on it.

The band also claimed that one of Lipa’s co-writer had previously worked with a woman who was allegedly taught guitar by the brother-in-law of one band member. (No concrete proof was provided to verify this claim.)

However, U.S. District Judge Sunshine S. Sykes, the judge in the case, said that availability did not equal “access,” which is a key element in any copyright case.

In her ruling, Sykes wrote: “These attenuated links, which bear little connection to either of the two musical compositions at issue here, also do not suggest a reasonable likelihood that defendants actually encountered plaintiffs’ song.”

The judge further expounded on the idea of access, stating that there was no evidence that Lipa or anyone close to her had attended one of the band’s concerts or that they had penetrated the larger global music market enough to the point where the artist or members of her creative team would have been exposed to the song.

The judge gave Artikal Sound System until June 16 to refile their case.

“Levitating” was released in 2020 on Lipa’s second studio album Future Nostalgia, eventually peaking at No. 2 on the Hot 100 and becoming the longest-running top 10 song ever by a female artist on the chart.

Artikal Sound System’s song “Live Your Life” can be heard here for comparison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKfGeCLAsvI.

The post Federal Judge Tentatively Dismisses Copyright Lawsuit Against Dua Lipa appeared first on The Source.

Wendy Williams’ Son Accuses Her Manager and Others of Enabling his mother as she battles addiction issues

June 6, 2023 by newhiphopnews

While it has been widely reported that Wendy Williams is no longer hospitalized, her son Kevin is apparently still very concerned for his mother’s health and well-being….as well as the company that she has been keeping.

In a rare interview, Kevin Hunter Jr., 22, spoke to The Sun about his concerns surrounding his mother’s inner circle- namely her manager Will Selby. Hunter said that Selby and others have been not only taking advantage of Williams’ wealth, but also enabling her to drink despite an ongoing battle with severe alcoholism.

Following the cancellation of the Wendy Williams Show in 2022, Williams had reportedly gone to rehab for a few months, but also allegedly relapsed last spring. Last month, she had been reportedly hospitalized for about two weeks as a result of her alcoholism and other health struggles.

Hunter said that no one from Wendy’s team had informed him that Williams had left the hospital or even told him of her whereabouts.

In The Sun interview, Hunter explained that he was very concerned for his mother’s health, saying: “There are a lot of people who are very aware that there is an issue with her drinking, and how that issue may be helped, but I think these people are taking advantage of it while allowing it to play out to make it look like they aren’t causing the issue.”

He also said that her circle believes that she needs to continue to earn money so that they can profit from her financially. He said that “what’s been made more important by the people around her is that while her health may not be great, she needs to keep on earning income, and in my opinion that should not be a priority at all. And whoever has been hired – they are taking advantage of someone who needs to get better.”

So far, reps for Williams have not issued a public statement.

The post Wendy Williams’ Son Accuses Her Manager and Others of Enabling his mother as she battles addiction issues appeared first on The Source.

Black Mother Of Four Shot And Killed By Unidentified White Neighbor In Florida, No Arrest Made

June 6, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Several reports have confirmed that a Black mother of four children, all under the age of 12, was shot and killed by white woman over a verbal dispute. The alleged shooter has yet to be identified, charged or arrested.

Ajike “AJ” Owens, 35, was approached by the unidentified white woman, who began hurling racial slurs at Owens and her children as they played in a field near their home in Ocala, Florida. According to reports, the children realized that they left an iPad near the field, which the white woman stole from the field. When the children went back to retrieve the iPad, the woman threw the iPad, breaking the screen. When Owens went to the home of the woman to talk to her to get her children’s iPad back, she was shot and killed through her neighbor’s door.

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods refused to give the same account of what happened between the neighbors, saying that the shooting appeared to be the culmination of a feud between the neighbors. He also stated that sheriff’s deputies had to be called to the address six to eight times in less than three years.

“Somebody threw something at my child, I’d be pissed off,” he said. “What parent wouldn’t be? Who wouldn’t be upset at that, regardless of whether they intentionally threw it at them or not? I wish our shooter would have called us instead of taking actions into our own hands. I wish Mrs Owens had called us in the hopes we could have never got to the point in which we are here today.”

Sheriff Woods did not identify the shooter’s name, age or race, but added she was being “cooperative”.

Woods said the investigation, when complete, would be presented to the Marion County State Attorney’s office, which would decide if charges will be filed.

The post Black Mother Of Four Shot And Killed By Unidentified White Neighbor In Florida, No Arrest Made appeared first on The Source.

Billie Eilish tells Critics Shaming her Appearance to “Suck my Absolute c***”

May 29, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Pop star Billie Eilish is undoubtedly one of the biggest successes of her generation, but that hasn’t made her immune from criticism about her appearance, which has changed over the past several years as she emerged into adulthood. Over the weekend, she took to IG to slam those who have shamed her appearance and called her a “sellout” amongst other things.

The Happier than Ever singer, who at 21 has been performing for over eight years, has received criticism about her changing appearance as her look has gradually changed from “tomboy” loose clothing to more feminine and fitted attire. She’s also changed her hair up over the past few years, prompting some people to label her a “sellout” to mainstream expectations of traditional beauty, especially after her recent Vogue cover (in which she was wearing lingerie and sporting blonde hair) and her MET Gala appearance where she donned a tight lacy black dress.

On her IG story, she wrote the following over a closeup of her face:

“I spent the first 5 years of my career getting absolutely OBLITERATED by you fools for being boy ish and dressing how i did & constantly being told i’d be hotter if i acted like a woman [laughing emojis] and ow when i feel comfortable enough to wear anything remotely feminine or fitting, i CHANGED and am a sellout….and “what happened to her” oMg iT’s nOt thE sAmE billie she’s just like the rest bla blah….you guys are the true idiots. LOL. I can be both you f***ing bozos. LET WOMEN EXIST :))))”

Billie Eilish Instagram 1 — Image Courtesy of Billie Eilish Instagram

She then added a second photo where she wrote ““FUN FACT! did you know that woman are multifaceted!!!!!??? shocking right?? believe it or not women could be interested in multiple things.”

Billie Eilish Instagram 3 — Image Courtesy of Billie Eilish Instagram

She followed that photo up with another up close photo in which she wrote:

“Also that femininity does not equal weakness???!!!! omg?! insane right? who knew….and also totally unheard of and insane to want to express yourself differently at different times.”

Screen Shot 2023 05 29 at 3.42.14 PM — Image Courtesy of Billie Eilish Instagram

Her final photo of the set was a close up of her laughing in which she wrote:

“Suck my absolute c— and b— you women hating a— weirdos.”

Billie Eilish Instagram 4 — Image Courtesy of Billie Eilish Instagram

Eilish is just the most recent female celebrity to experience criticism about her appearance. Ice Spice received criticism about her appearance when she joined Taylor Swift onstage recently, Lizzo took to TikTok to clap back at “body shamers” last month, Doja Cat was recently accused of “uglifying” herself, and more.

The post Billie Eilish tells Critics Shaming her Appearance to “Suck my Absolute c***” appeared first on The Source.

Future’s Freewishes Foundation Opens STEM Lab For Atlanta Students

May 26, 2023 by newhiphopnews

To support and prepare marginalized students to succeed in STEM, the Freewishes Foundation, in partnership with the 2K Foundations, will have a soft opening of their S.T.E.A.M lab today.

May 26th, 2023….Students in Atlanta just got an innovative boost to their educational options thanks to Future and his Freewishes Foundation. The Freewishes Foundation is opening a sleek and innovative STEM lab!

To eradicate the educational gap in tech and science amongst marginalized students and minorities, The Freewishes Foundation’s S.T.E.A.M lab will support all students who wish to pursue careers in STEM.

The “I Am a Dreamer” S.T.E.A.M lab has come to fruition with the support of the 2K Foundations. The lab will be located at Bessie Branham Park in the Kirkwood (Atlanta) area where Future grew up.

Under-served communities often struggle with inadequate technological infrastructure in their schools. This disparity has created a tremendous educational gap in which many students cannot strive. In the tech-driven innovative world that we live in, it is impossible to compete without the necessary educational tools. Grammy Award Winning Artist, Executive, and Philanthropist, Future and his Freewishes Foundation wanted to change the disparities in education.

“It’s important that all students receive access to STEM education regardless of their background. Our Freewishes Foundation, with the support of the 2K Foundations has helped make this possible in our Atlanta community. We’re thankful for their commitment to support our initiative,” said Future.

The dedicated spaces for hands-on learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics have become more prevalent as schools and educational institutions recognize the need for specialized spaces with appropriate resources and tools. Students in STEM labs benefit from access to laboratories that challenge them with active learning and hands-on problem-solving skills. The in-depth education and utilization of technology position them for success in college and their careers. As Wilburn noted, there is an extreme gap in access to STEM education which impacts marginalized communities.

Unfortunately, STEM education is less accessible in marginalized communities where many public schools struggle to receive basic funding for their regular curriculum.

“We are creating a science technology, engineering, art, and mathematics lab as an extension of Freewishes educational initiative,” shared Freewishes Executive Director, and Future’s sister, Tia Wilburn. “We wanted to add art because both Future and I support creativity. Our objective in providing educational opportunities is to ensure inclusive and quality education for all students regardless of income and background. There is a major gap in STEM education that impacts marginalized communities, and we want to close that gap so that no child is left behind,” said Wilburn.

The post Future’s Freewishes Foundation Opens STEM Lab For Atlanta Students appeared first on The Source.

Oakland City Council Approves Renaming MacArthur Boulevard to ‘Tupac Shakur Way’

May 25, 2023 by newhiphopnews

During a momentous meeting held on May 16, 2023, the Oakland City Council made a unanimous decision to pay tribute to one of the city’s most iconic and influential figures by renaming a significant stretch of MacArthur Boulevard. The resolution passed by the elected officials commemoratively designates the portion between Grand and Van Buren Ave. as “Tupac Shakur Way,” recognizing the enduring legacy of the legendary rapper and activist.

The initiative aims to honor Tupac Shakur’s remarkable contributions to Oakland and the broader Bay Area community. By retaining the existing street name and adding an honorary designation, the city seeks to celebrate the profound impact of Shakur on the region’s cultural and social fabric. The additional honorary street name will be accompanied by commemorative plaques and/or signs, as a permanent reminder of Shakur’s enduring influence.

In a statement addressing why she brought forward this resolution, Councilmember Carroll Fife says:

“This street renaming reminds us of Tupac Amaru Shakur’s life, legacy and contribution to Oakland, California. With what seemed to be ef ortless skill, this Black Panther Party Cub influenced hearts and minds while highlighting the contradictions of the brand of “American exceptionalism” that “has money for wars but can’t feed the poor”. In addition to his theatrical and literary contributions, we recognize his social commentary; one that is just as relevant today as it was 30 years ago. Tupac will be remembered as one of the greatest of all time by his family and fans; touching countless lives of people all over the world, spanning several decades. I am honored to bring forward this resolution along with LeRoy McCarthy and Heterodoxx Inc. and look forward to a continued partnership with the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation to ensure the Shakur legacy lives on and that we build a world where roses no longer have to grow through concrete because we’ve broken down those obstacles and softened the ground for all beauty to bloom with ease.”

In a statement, The Tupac Shakur Foundation says:

“We want to thank The City of Oakland, Councilmember Carroll Fife and LeRoy McCarthy of Heterodoxx Inc. for all the hard work in bringing the Tupac Shakur Way street naming to life. We hope that this street sign resides at the intersection of Love, Courage, Compassion, Honor and Community. These are important virtues for me, my family and The Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation. We look forward to peace, healing and building new legacies, here on Tupac Shakur”

Notably, the Tupac Shakur Foundation has generously volunteered to cover the costs associated with this commemorative act. The foundation, established to carry on the artist’s philanthropic endeavors, will bear the financial responsibility for renaming and installing the commemorative signage.

Residents, admirers, and fans of Tupac Shakur can eagerly anticipate an event scheduled for September 2023. The ceremony will include the unveiling and placement of the new signage along MacArthur Boulevard. As the date approaches, the community is encouraged to stay tuned for additional information, ensuring they don’t miss this historic moment.

The decision to rename MacArthur Boulevard to “Tupac Shakur Way” not only pays homage to a beloved local icon but also serves as a testament to the enduring impact of his artistry, activism, and cultural contributions. By honoring Shakur’s memory profoundly, the city of Oakland reinforces its commitment to preserving and celebrating its rich history and diverse heritage.

The post Oakland City Council Approves Renaming MacArthur Boulevard to ‘Tupac Shakur Way’ appeared first on The Source.

Is The Black Lives Matter Organization Going Bankrupt?

May 25, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Several reports have confirmed that Black Lives Matter’s investment accounts lost over $10 million in value, forcing them to report a very significant loss. BLM, a non-profit organization, had a 88% drop in public donations and experienced an $11.75 million drop in net assets.

The nonprofit’s latest Form 990 shows that a loss of just over $961,000 was logged on a securities sale of $172,000. The disclosures suggest a year of missteps for the foundation, as well as a dramatic drop in donations

In 2021, Patrisse Cullors resigned from her position as executive director due to allegations that her and her team were pocketing donations. Now, the organization’s executive board is being head by Cicley Gay, a philanthropic strategist who has filed for bankruptcy seven times since 2005.

The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (BLMGNF) was started by organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement, which first emerged in 2013 following the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

The post Is The Black Lives Matter Organization Going Bankrupt? appeared first on The Source.