Hip Hop News Archives - Page 101 of 15435

Diddy’s Federal Sex Trafficking Case Suddenly Assigned To New Judge

October 3, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Today(October 3), a notice in the court docket in Diddy’s federal criminal sex trafficking indicated the case was reassigned to Judge Arun Subramanian, who was first nominated by President Joe Biden in 2022 and took the bench in 2023.

Subramanian spent most of his career as a civil litigator of complex disputes at the law firm Susman Godfrey. Before joining Godfrey, he worked as a law clerk for the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Judge Andrew Carter, who denied Diddy bail in his last hearing, will no longer be on the bench during the incarcerated mogul’s criminal case.

There has been no reason confirmed as to why Carter excused himself from the case, but legal analyst Meghann Cuniff said that Judge Carter hinted at finding his replacement in Diddy’s case at his September 18th bail hearing.

“If I can’t try it, I’ll find a colleague who can if you want to set a trial date,” the judge told Diddy’s lawyer Marc Agnifilo.

Diddy was arrested for sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution in September. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Bad Boy mogul, whose real name is Sean Combs, could spend the rest of his life behind bars if convicted.

“For decades, Sean Combs … abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct,” his indictment explained. “To do so, Combs relied on the employees, resources and influence of the multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled—creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.”

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Tommy Richman (Reasonably) Denied Being ‘Hip-Hop’ And Fans Are (Understandably) Upset

October 3, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Hip-hop fans are understandably out-of-sorts with breakout Virginia singer Tommy Richman after he denied the “hip-hop” classification on social media.

After Richman tweeted, “I am not a hip hop artist,” Los Angeles DJ and radio host DJ Hed (who also co-hosts Uproxx’s podcast, The Bigger Picture) clapped back with a fiery response: “Fasho. So every Hip-Hop station playing [‘Million Dollar Baby’] or [‘Devil Is A Lie‘] should stop today.”

Richman tried to explain himself, reasonably pointing out, “I’ll say again, Im thankful for everything. I’m saying I don’t wanna be boxed in. I grew up on hip hop. But I’m a singer.”

Now, Richman certainly has a point; he’s more R&B singer than MC. But, as Hed noted, his most popular song has received its biggest push from hip-hop radio stations and playlists, while a number of hip-hop-associated acts have given him props and much-needed co-signs.

It seems Richman has found himself in a similar predicament as Post Malone, who was classified as a rapper early in his career, despite not doing much rapping vocally. As Post expanded his musical palette, accusations of being a culture vulture, combined with his own unfortunate statements, haunted his reception among some hip-hop fans. However, that didn’t stop Malone from becoming one of the biggest stars in America, with a slew of No. 1 albums, a juggernaut of a hit in “Sunflower,” and respect from across the musical spectrum, even as he recently shifted into country music.

Because hip-hop is equally regarded as a culture as much as a musical genre (which is often conflated with rap), there is an additional level to his rejection of the label that rankles hip-hop fans who have seen far too many outsiders of the culture use its trappings to succeed commercially before later ditching them to cross over. The fact that it was the hip-hop establishment that initially accepted and promoted Richman, though, makes any outright rejection on either side much more complicated than the young singer could capture in his initial tweet, which has since been deleted.

In its place is a new missive: “I meant to say I’m not SOLEY a hip hop artist.”

Lil Pump Sued By Man Who Alleges The Rapper Assaulted Him On Stream

October 3, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Do you remember the last big Lil Pump song? Neither do we. The rapper has become a lightning rod for controversy. So much so, in fact, that it’s overshadowed the reason he became famous in the first place. The only time we seem to hear about the Harverd Graduate, it’s because he said something outrageous or made a bold political statement. This latest headline, however, is because Lil Pump was accused of doing something outrageous. A man named Edwin Valenzuela is suing the rapper for allegedly beating him up during a live stream.

Lil Pump is being sued by Valenzuela over a live stream that took place on August 12, 2024. The latter is an Uber driver, according to In Touch Weekly. He transported Pump and YouTuber Vitaly Zdorovetskiy to a location to shoot an episode of Catching Predators. The premise of the streaming show, as outlined in the suit, is to catch pedophiles and then subject them to pranks and abuse as a result. “Public pranks that push the boundaries of comfort and legality,” the suit added. Valenzuela claimed Lil Pump and Vitaly proceeded to corner him. They allegedly read fake messages in which the Plaintiff “talked” to minors.

Lil Pump Is Being Sued For Civil Conspiracy Assault

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Despite Valenzuela’s protests, he alleges Lil Pump and Vitaly started to beat him up. He alleges that Lil Pump punched him in the head and proceeded to kick him in the stomach once he fell to the ground. It gets worse. Valenzuela alleges that Pump and Vitaly urged him to eat a used condom by putting it on his ear. Furthermore, the suit claims that the rapper threatened to feed the Uber driver to gators. “Plaintiff was bombarded by verbal abuse, including racial slurs,” the suit claimed. “Defendants screaming in his face. All while being urged by an attorney to sign a release for a ‘gameshow.’”

Valenzuela is suing Lil Pump for civil conspiracy assault, false imprisonment, civil theft and battery. He is reportedly seeking unspecified damages. This is not the first time the Catching Predators stream has led to legal action. SportSkeeda reported that Vitaly was sued by a man who claims he was wrongfully called a predator during a June live stream. Conversely, the controversial YouTube star threatened to sue Offset when the rapper failed to show up to a Catching Predators shoot in August.

[via]

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JT’s “OKAY” Earns RIAA-Certified Gold Plaque

October 3, 2024 by newhiphopnews

JT remains at the top of her game, as her Billboard Hot 100 single “OKAY” is now RIAA-certified gold. Following her headlining City Cinderella Tour, JT (Quality Control Music/Motown) received a gold plaque for “OKAY” in Los Angeles from Quality Control’s Pierre “P” Thomas and Kevin “Coach K” Lee. JT’s unrelenting work ethic has paid off this year, as many publications lauded the Miami superstar for her project City Cinderella.

Essence glorified the project in their review, saying: “The City Cinderella soundscape is contemporary and nostalgic, blending classic Miami influences with modern forces,” while Billboard noted City Cinderella is an impressive manifesto for the next stage of JT’s career. Chart-wise, City Cinderella enjoyed a splashy debut, entering at No. 3 on Billboard’s Top Rap Albums and debuting at No. 5 on the Top R&B / Hip-Hop charts.

Check out JT’s documentary below

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Freebandz’ Lil Wookie Returns With New Video “2 Real”

October 3, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Wookie releases single and discusses lessons learned from Future and Casino

Explosive local Atl star Lil Wookie has been cementing his place in Atlanta’s hip-hop scene. The popular Freebandz affiliate was tapped to lead the next generation of Future’s globally successful label by his brother and CEO, Casino. He’s been on the motivated Wookie to go harder for his dreams and his family. Wookie is back with a catchy new single and visual, “2 Real” which samples Plies and is produced by SquashBangers.

Discovered by Casino, Wookie has been immersed in Atlanta’s hip-hop culture since his early childhood. When he was little, Wookie would overhear his uncle Lil Bo (of the legendary Atlanta rap group The Eastside Boyz) and Lil Jon preparing their rhymes. These moments inspired Wookie to rap. Wookie’s dad soon discovered his son’s ability to rap and encouraged him to write his own raps.

Rapping became Wookie’s life path, and he would even sneak out of the house on school nights to perform at nightclubs, all in pursuit of his dreams. When Freebandz Casino realized how Wookie was serious about rap, he immediately embraced him professionally. Casino has been his mentor to this day.

Wookie’s music has a raw sound with a gritty cadence. He possesses a unique skill set among today’s rappers, as he is capable of writing lyrics, freestyling, and using the “punch-in” method.

Due to his distinctive abilities, Wookie’s wordplay is frequently quoted on Genius.com. His lyrics range from fun, upbeat vibes to serious street tales, showcasing his versatility. In an era of payola and bots, Wookie has amassed over 5 million organic streams before releasing an EP, LP, or album.

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DDG Confirms Breakup From Halle Bailey With Heartfelt Statement

October 3, 2024 by newhiphopnews

DDG and Halle Bailey seemed like a perfect match. The rapper/YouTuber and singer went public with their romance in 2022, and a year later, they started a family. Sadly, the relationship appears to have come to an end. DDG, born Darryl Dwayne Granberry Jr., confirmed the split to the world on October 3rd. The musician posted a lengthy statement on Instagram, assuring fans that he and Bailey are still best friends and plan to co-parent their son.

DDG claimed that lots of discussion went into the decision to break up. “We believe it’s the best path forward for both of us,” he wrote. “I cherish the time we’ve spent together and the love we’ve shared.” The rapper and YouTuber made it very clear that there are no hard feelings between him and Bailey. In fact, the former couple consider themselves to be best friends. “We are still best friends and we adore each other,” he added. “We cherish the bond we’ve built and the beautiful moments we’ve shared.” He also requested that the fans of both be supportive during this difficult transitional period.

DDG Alluded To Relationship Woes In A 2023 Song

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There have been rumors swirling that not all was what it seemed between DDG and Halle Bailey. In 2023, the former released the song “Famous.” The lyrics on the song allude to Bailey kissing her Little Mermaid co-star Jonah Hauer-King during the press tour for the Disney film. This was something that rubbed the rapper the wrong way, evidently. “Filmin’ a movie, now you kissing dudes. You know I love you a lot,” DDG rapped. “I don’t give a f*ck if that sh*t for promo / I don’t wanna see this sh*t no more.” Other lines allude to DDG being “insecure” about his relationship.

There were also allegations that DDG was being unfaithful to Bailey during their relationship. The rumors swirled because DDG’s ex, Rubi Rose, tweeted: “Having ur b*tch [wear] my clothes is crazy lol,” which of course led to speculation that she was referring to the rapper. To make matters worse, Rose shared a few screenshots of alleged DM conversations in which DDG asked about her location. “Nobody cheated on nobody,” DDG tweeted in response, seemingly putting an end to the allegations. Now, unfortunately, the relationship has come to an end as well.

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50 Cent Reveals Why Eminem Turned Down “The Biggest Tour In The World”

October 3, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Eminem may be one of the biggest musical superstars in the world, but even he’s too grounded to find the prospect of a world tour too appealing. At least, that was the case years ago according to a new story that 50 Cent shared with CBS Mornings‘ Michelle Miller. According to Fif, he once proposed to Em that they and Dr. Dre go on a massive joint world tour together, and it looks like this would’ve been at the height of their powers. However, as the G-Unit mogul explained, it seems like the Detroit legend had a very personal and wholesome reason to turn it down, even if 50 didn’t see it that way back then.

“‘We’ll be on super arena stages, just me and you,’” 50 Cent recalled telling Eminem. “‘Then if we bring [Dr. Dre] on some dates, so we do different things. We don’t need nothing else. It’ll be the biggest tour in the world.’ He said, ‘I just don’t want to go and come back and Hailie’s grown.’ I thought he was crazy because I was like, ‘He just don’t want to go.’

50 Cent Speaks On Why Eminem Turned Down Joint World Tour With Him & Dr. Dre

“Cause I was trying to convince him to go on the tour at that point,” 50 Cent went on. “And then… I was at Hailie’s wedding. She got married and I’m like, ‘This is what he’s talking about.’” In fact, here’s what 50 said about Eminem’s daughter’s wedding in a Haute Living interview. ““I wish I had a daughter, I do, I wish I had a daughter,” he admitted. “I wish I had that [father-daughter] relationship. For female children, their dad is the first man they fall in love with. Male children go to their mom; I’m a mama’s boy myself.

“It was unbelievable, the wildest thing for me, period,” 50 Cent continued his remarks. “I was like, ‘Yo, bro, this is cr*zy. We’re getting old. Your baby is grown. What the f**k is going on?’ I was having a moment myself over there. I told [Eminem], ‘You said it was OK to cry? Because I’m crying.’ I couldn’t believe it went that fast.”

[via]

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Young Thug RICO Trial Sets New Record After Judge Denies Motion For Mistrial

October 3, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Young Thug’s YSL RICO trial continues, and recently, it even set a new record. Earlier this week, Judge Paige Reese Whitaker denied the defense’s motion for a mistrial. It was far from the first time a judge had done so in the case, however. X user The Blvck Law Student notes that YSL defense lawyers have already filed a whopping 45 motions for mistrial, all of which have been denied. This is reportedly the first time in U.S. history this has happened.

Judge Whitaker’s ruling arrived after she went off on the state in an explosive courtroom rant. “I don’t want to malign the prosecutor standing in front of me right now, so I’m not going to say the possible things it could be,” she said at the time. “But it is baffling to me that somebody with the number of years of experience that you have, time after time after time, continues to seemingly and purposefully hide the ball to the extent you possibly can, for as long as you possibly can.”

YSL Defense Lawyers Have Reportedly Filed 25 Denied Motions For Mistrial

Young Thug’s RICO Trial Sets New Record After Judge Denies Motion For Mistrial — Hip-hop artist Young Thug arrives at a release party for his new album “PUNK” at Delilah on October 12, 2021 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)

“This case is being made much more difficult for everybody because of the haphazard way in which it is being presented,” Whitaker also added. Needless to say, she’s fed up, as everyone else involved in the trial likely is at this point. It’s already broken a different record for being the longest trial in Georgia’s state history at 141 days at the time of writing.

What do you think of Young Thug’s YSL RICO trial setting a new record? What about the judge denying the defense’s motion for a mistrial earlier this week? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

[Via]

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Luke Bryan Speculates On Why Beyonce Isn’t Getting Her Respect In Country Music

October 3, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Many Beyonce fans have a bone to pick with the country music community, specifically with the lack of prizes and nominations at events like People’s Choice Country Awards and the Country Music Awards this year. Moreover, they believe that she’s not getting the respect she deserves only because of her usual association to other genres, as well as claims of racism. After all, COWBOY CARTER has proven to be culturally, critically, and commercially successful. However, country artists have their own perspective. During an appearance on Andy Cohen’s podcast, star Luke Bryan theorized as to why this disconnect might exist, and what the Houston superstar could do to change that.

“It’s a tricky question because, obviously, Beyoncé made a country album and Beyoncé has a lot of fans out there that have her back,” Luke Bryan suggested. “And if she doesn’t get something they want, man, they come at you, as fans should do. I’m all for everybody coming in and making country albums and all that. […] A lot of great music is overlooked. Just because she made one … just ‘cause I make one, I don’t get any nominations.

Luke Bryan Speaks On Beyonce

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“Everybody loved that Beyoncé made a country album. Nobody’s mad about it,” Luke Bryan continued. “But where things get a little tricky – if you’re gonna make country albums, come into our world and be country with us a little bit. Like, Beyoncé can do exactly what she wants to. She’s probably the biggest star in music. But come to an award show and high-five us and have fun and get in the family too. And I’m not saying she didn’t do that… But country music is a lot about family.”

Ironically enough, Luke Bryan will host the Country Music Awards this year, his fourth appearance as the ceremony’s guide. Of course, Beyonce could continue to make country music as she sees fit – and with whoever she wants – while showing off her love of Levi’s jeans. Yet the way that Bryan speaks on the matter could parallel how other communities feel about artists that are not like them engaging in their craft. There’s also a long and complicated history about the exploitation of Black genres and art forms that is too important for this sole article to cover. But it’s a worthy question to ask.

[via]

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Karlissa Saffold Has Change Of Heart After Blasting Chrisean Rock Over Son’s Birthday Post

October 3, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Earlier this week, Karlissa Saffold took to social media to put the mother of one of her grandsons, Chrisean Rock, on blast. She accused her of trying to throw shade at another one of her grandchildren’s parents, Jaidyn Alexis, with a seemingly innocent birthday post. Chrisean shared a series of sweet photos alongside her son, Chrisean Jesus, and wrote a heartfelt caption wishing him a belated birthday yesterday. The only problem is that it was Jaidyn’s actual birthday yesterday, and Saffold thinks Chrisean was trying to steal her moment.

“This why I know there’s no good spirits because why do this on Jaidyn birthday? I rebuke you satan for using these people for destruction and distraction year after year,” she wrote. Luckily, it looks like Saffold has had a change of heart after a bit of reflection.

Karlissa Saffold Says Chrisean Rock Should Be Able To Celebrate Her Son Whenever She Wants

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Today, she hopped on Instagram to take what she said back, and to claim that Chrisean is welcome to celebrate her child anytime she wants. “After a long night of thought prayer and soul searching you guys are very right,” she explained. “She should be able to post and enjoy her child every day of the year especially after missing his first birthday. I really don’t know what got into me. Happy birthday to them both and may God bless them with many more [kiss emoji].”

For the most part, fans agree with Saffold, and are glad to see Chrisean making the most of her newfound freedom with her son. What do you think of Karlissa Saffold having a change of heart after calling out Chrisean Rock? Do you agree that Chrisean should be able to celebrate her son whenever she wants? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

[Via]

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