Actor Michael Rainey Jr., best known for his PowerBook II: Ghost role, returned to his hometown of Staten Island to launch a groundbreaking $2.4 million financial literacy initiative in partnership with Equifax and The Recovery Education Foundation. The event at Port Richmond High School was electric as students cheered and expressed their excitement to meet Michael, who shared his personal journey and the importance of financial education. He specifically spoke to upperclassmen who are preparing to embark on the real world.
The initiative provides students with identity protection, credit monitoring, and a digital curriculum to prepare them for a financially secure future. The program’s launch is pivotal in empowering the next generation of leaders, offering practical tools and hope in today’s challenging economy.
Keke Palmer was Shannon Sharpe’s most recent guest on his Club Shay Shay podcast, hopping on the platform in an interview published Wednesday (November 20). Of course, they talked about their careers and their experiences a lot, as she mentioned a film she worked on in which she played a younger female character involved with an older man. “You like them older, huh?” Sharpe joked, which led to cackles from them both before Keke hit him with the ultimate clap-back: “That’s what Michelle said!” The interviewer and his colleagues started going ballistic, and she seemed quite proud of herself for the quip.
For those unaware, Keke Palmer referred to Shannon Sharpe’s viral and now infamous sex tape scandal that happened on Instagram Live. There are a few different possible interpretations of this, but basically, he accidentally went Live on the social media platform while he was having intimate relations with a woman he referred to as Michelle. They didn’t actually show up on the screen, but you could hear them in the livestream. Some thought it was fake, others thought he was being honest, but pretty much everyone found the Internet discussion that it provoked at least a little funny.
Elsewhere during her interview with Shannon Sharpe, Keke Palmer also discussed how hard her family had to work for her success and even providing for them at an early age. It was a pretty heartening discussion, especially considering how things look right now. During a recent People interview, she spoke on her relationship with Darius Jackson and how things got out of control with social media gossip and allegations in court. Fortunately, they seem like they’re at least in a better place right now, especially regarding their son.
You can check out the full Keke Palmer interview on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay YouTube channel. He might have a lot more content on the way very soon, including a seemingly teased part two to his explosive Katt Williams interview. That conversation kicked 2024 off with a bang, and we wonder if a sequel would cause even more hysteria or never live up to the original. Either way, we’re sure folks would tune in.
During a recent interview, Dutch-born engineer Koen Heldens recalled working alongside XXXTentacion on some of the late performer’s most popular songs. He detailed his recording process during a conversation with Studio Talks, as well as what he was able to learn. “When I heard ‘Jocelyn Flores’ for the first time, and it completely took me by surprise. I had this image of XXXTentacion as a face-tatted SoundCloud rapper, but the raw emotion in ‘Jocelyn Flores’ was completely different from what I expected. X also had another track for me to mix: ‘F**K Love’ featuring Trippie Redd. That’s how we started working together—almost by chance. X had a way of manifesting things quickly, and it felt like fate that I mixed ‘Jocelyn Flores’ on my birthday,” he began.
“In November 2017, we worked on A Ghetto Christmas Carol EP, which we completed in one weekend. I remember trying to clean up the 808s on the title track, but X and producer Ronny J insisted, ‘No, no, no, don’t clean it up! It’s supposed to feel like an electric guitar for white people but felt through the bass in the trunk.’ That experience taught me that sometimes being technically correct doesn’t serve the creative process—music is about emotion and feel,” Heldens continued.
XXXTentacion (C) attends BET Hip Hop Awards 2017 on October 6, 2017 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Thaddaeus McAdams/FilmMagic)
He went on, remembering how XXX FaceTimed him right after recording “Sad!” According to him, the Florida-born artist had a feeling it would be a hit. “He sent me the track and said, ‘I need the mix back in an hour.’ Naturally, I thought, ‘An hour? That’s impossible.’”
Ultimately, however, Heldens was inspired. “I immediately felt compelled to push the snare way out front—making it loud and prominent,” he said. “There was no second verse, despite some discussions about adding one, but it didn’t need it since the song didn’t follow a typical structure.”
50 Cent and Dame Dash have had a pretty comical back-and-forth this year. Sure, they don’t really like each other or what they have to say about each other, but it really doesn’t amount to much more than two rich people arguing about who’s richer and more successful. But there is always room for common ground, even if Fif just can’t hold back his sarcasm and trolling nature as much as he would like to. He actually offered some praise for the Roc-A-Fella executive via Instagram, shouting out the America Nu Network platform that Dame is now a part of.
“Dame run his mouth to much but check out America NU. I don’t like the s**t he said but I don’t care to see him f***ed up !” 50 Cent wrote of Dame Dash on IG, reposing a video of Dame promoting the network to some passerby and paparazzi. In fact, this is the second piece of pretty good news that he received as of late, as he’s finally getting his Roc shares taken off his hands. Of course, we’re sure Dame would’ve rather had it under better circumstances, but it’s a legal dispute that at least won’t give him much of a headache any further.
Beyond trolling Dame Dash every once in a while, 50 Cent is also busy these days cooking something up with Big Meech, although we don’t know what it is. Meech is finally out of prison after a life that led to 50’s BMF series, so we’re sure that they have a lot to talk about and hash over now. We’ll see what they end up bringing to fans, if it has anything to do with that TV show, or if they will do something completely different. In any case, we’re quite excited.
Meanwhile, 50 Cent hasn’t really spoken on Dame Dash’s Roc-A-Fella shares, or on how Drake allegedly backed out of the auction. He probably has some hot takes on it, but maybe he’s saving those for when he isn’t feeling as nice towards him. They probably aren’t at the end of their back-and-forth saga, with plenty more to troll over and a whole lot of endeavors on the way. But it’s nice to get a break.
Quando Rondo’s come-up has been littered with strife and controversy, much of which has continued to hover over his head in recent years. And while the public narrative hasn’t necessarily always been on his side, he’s made efforts towards changing that and having people see things from his point of view. His 2023 album, Recovery, felt like a reflection of everything that he’s seen and done while looking toward a better path. His follow-up, 2024’s Here For A Reason, embraces these hardships as learned lessons and blessings to help him navigate this next chapter of his life.
Unfortunately, the circumstances of these realizations surround real-life consequences. In December 2023, the rapper was arrested and charged on federal drug charges, which he pleaded guilty to earlier this year. He’s currently on house arrest as he awaits his sentencing. However, within the past year or so, Quando Rondo has made strides in denouncing his previous gang affiliation and vowing to be a better role model for the kids in his community. Part of that is leading by example, as he describes on “Life Goes On” rapping, “Young n***as ’round here beefin’ ’bout the color of a bandana/ That’s why I put my flag down and I picked up a Quran.” Though he doesn’t believe his spirituality has altered his creative process, he does believe that it’s brought him a sense of peace.
“[Islam] gave me some of the best energy I ever had,” Quando Rondo explained to HotNewHipHop over a Zoom call from his home. It’s here where he has been recording music and establishing a presence on the livestreaming platform Twitch where he streams gameplay of NBA 2K and GTA 5. In fact, he began rubbing shoulders with a few of the most prominent figures in that world. In the past year, he appeared on a livestream with buzzing streamers Konvy and FazeLacy. Previously, Quando Rondo live-streamed with Duke Dennis, and as we spoke, he attempted to line up a second round of NBA 2K with the AMP member.
We caught up with Quando Rondo before the release of Here For A Reason to discuss this newfound outlook on life, his appreciation for Lil RT, and his aspirations outside of music.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Via HNHH
HotNewHipHop:The title of each of your projects feels like a statement. 2023, you released Recovery and now, you’ve dropped Here For A Reason. What’s the significance of this title?
Quando Rondo: I mean, sh*t is self-explanatory. Here For A Reason. Been through a lot but still here.
How deep into the project were you before you landed on this title?
I already had the title that I wanted to go with from the very jump, to be honest with you. I had that title in my mind. Well, I had the saying “here for a reason” in my mind for a couple of months before I even started recording. After you release a project, it’s like you already own to the next, thinking about what you are about to do next. So I had that in my mind a little bit, like sometime after dropping Recovery.
There are no features on this project, either. What was the decision behind that?
Man, I never really worked with other artists, like from the beginning, if you go back and look. It’s never really been my thing. I really love to work by myself.
Your music already has a spiritual tone, and the album contains plenty of references to your grandmother’s prayers. Is there a piece of advice from her or even a prayer that stuck with you?
You know, I was raised in a praying house with a praying family. So, I was taught that prayer works. After I go through something, I talk to my grandma and she pray. I feel alright after that.
You also mention how Islam has helped shape your new outlook on life. One line in particular, you mention how you “put the flag down and picked up a Qu’ran.” How has Islam played a role in helping you find that inner peace?
Man, they had a lot to do with it, because you got to think about it: the majority of the Muslim brothers that you’re going to meet, or you see when you go to the Masjid and in public, they let go of their problems. So that’s the type of energy that it gave me. It just gave me good peace and energy. Taking my shot and being a part of Islam, it just gave me better energy. It gave me some of the best energy I ever had.
How has the Muslim community influenced your approach to music?
Ain’t no difference. I still work the same. I had the same process as I did in the beginning.
On the song “Point Of View,” you discuss the public’s perception of you and how you feel misunderstood. Do you feel like that perception around you is changing?
I most definitely feel like that is going to change. You know, tables turn and bridges burn. To explain that song, man, I feel like this: everybody has their own point of view when it comes to anything. In that song, I was just explaining my point of view. Like, you gotta see this from my point of view.
Do you feel like people are seeing your point of view these days?
I mean, with being an artist and not knowing my fans personally or seeing each and every one of my fans, I can’t really answer that. But I hope that people out there who see shit from my point of view too. In life, you have to always put yourself in the other person’s shoes. When a situation or anything comes to me, I always look at it from both angles. You have to.
You released a statement to the city of Savannah apologizing and vowing to be a better role model. How did you feel about the reception to that statement, both from the city and online?
I felt good about it, bro. That’s a statement that I issued. You got to know that I feel 100% good about what I said, and I mean everything I say.
What other plans do you have to uplift your community?
Man, I have a plan to bond at least 10 people out of jail for the Thanksgiving holidays. I know that the label Atlantic Records is 100% behind me. But you know, they do stuff on a planned schedule, and, I ain’t got no patience. Neither do people that are in jail. So I really just is going to choose the day out this week, probably, and just do it myself.
You sampled 50 Cent on “Could’ve Been Me.” What was the process like getting that sample cleared and did you speak to him directly?
Not directly, but through the label, we got it cleared. I’d really like to talk to him, because I want to be in a movie. I got a story.
Are you trying to get your own movie or appear in the Power universe or something?
I’m trying to get him to write a movie about my life. Eventually, yes, I’d play a role. But you know, from the beginning, they gotta be a young lookalike.
Who would you ask to play that role if you had a choice?
Now, that’s something I can’t answer because we would have to go through 500-600 different pictures of people from all over the world who are young, who we feel like really look like me–[look like] younger pictures than me, bro. That’s something I can’t answer. Who’s liked and who’s needed are two different things, sometimes. Man, this business. So on a business note, I’d approach it like who’s needed at the moment?
Who do you think would be needed for that role? If you had a choice.
You know what’s crazy? Lil RT could probably play me.
What are your thoughts on his online presence and antics?
I ain’t gonna lie, I like lil’ bro, and it be so many fans like, “Quando Rondo looks like an older Lil’ RT,” and I’d be looking at the little n***a like, “I like this lil’ n***a.”
Have you been able to link up with him yet?
No due to house arrest and stuff like that, and me being in my own little shell.
You haven’t hit his DMs or anything either?
No, that’s a young man. I don’t know if he works his Instagram and stuff, and I’m a grown ass man. I just don’t see what type of conversations we can have if it ain’t about making something happen.
Before we bounce, I did want to just know what the significance of “Many Men” as it relates to your life.
Think about it: “Many Men” reflects my life. “Many Men wish death upon me.” That’s real. I mean, that ain’t hard to notice. That ain’t hard to see but I’m gonna come out just like the person who made that song.
The first time that I heard that song–I can’t really say that. I was young. I knew nothing about no music and job at the time. Going back later in life listening to it, I thought about the trials and tribulations I’ve been through, the song meant a lot to me. It’s a forever song, that’s a longevity record.
You’ve been diving into the gaming industry and livestreaming. What’s been the most gratifying part about growing a community this way?
Man, I just like playing the game. I like 2k and GTA 5. I’ve been streaming, been playing the game, but it’s like I had stopped doing it for a couple of years. I wish that I kept the hustle going on. I wish I had stayed consistent with streaming and playing the game, because maybe, I wouldn’t have been in a lot of situations, and maybe, I would have been on a way higher level in the streaming world, just like I am in the music world. It’s nothing like having both.
I saw you link up with Konvy and Lacy recently. They aren’t necessarily hip-hop per se but the streamers have developed some sort of footing within hip-hop. What are your thoughts about the position streamers currently play within hip-hop?
You gotta think about it. The gaming people are damn near getting bigger than the rapper or the artist. Look at Kai Cenat, Duke Dennis. I actually played the game with Duke Dennis a couple of years ago. We got a video on YouTube. We played 2k together a couple of years ago. Hold on, I’m trying to see right now. Oh, Duke Dennis still plays the game. I’m going to try and DM him.
Outside of music and streaming, what else do you have planned?
Chilling, for real. Just trying to stay out of the way.
Recently, it was announced that “Inside The NBA” is headed to ESPN sometime in the not-so-distant future. This left fans with many questions, including whether or not Stephen A Smith will have any part in it. The network’s content president Burke Magnus addressed this question during a recent chat with Sports Illustrated. According to him, it’s not likely.
“We have no plans to do that,” he began. “And that’s because, frankly, the construct of the deal really doesn’t — that’s not how it was conceived. What is conceived is that Turner, as they have always done with this show, with this cast, with the people involved behind the scenes, are going to continue to do what they’ve always done. And we’re going to distribute it on the ESPN platform. Frankly, that’s exactly what we want. We don’t want to change it, we don’t want to interject new talent into it. We don’t want to really do anything to it.”
ESPN Content President Confirms There Are “No Plans” To Put Stephen A Smith On “Inside The NBA”
Stephen A. Smith in 2021. Tori Lynn Schneider / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Magnus’ clarification comes just a few days after Smith reacted to the news of “Inside The NBA” moving to ESPN for the upcoming season on The Stephen A. Smith Show. “Major credit goes to Commissioner Adam Silver and ESPN President James Pitaro for bringing this deal to life, allowing a much-loved show to remain in circulation, even as streaming rights shift hands,” he said at the time. “It’s fantastic to see the show still produced in Atlanta by the folks from TNT, now airing on ESPN and ABC.”
“This doesn’t affect me at all with ‘First Take’ and other projects I have going on,” he continued. “Plus, I’m thrilled for my friends—the hosts of ‘Inside the NBA.’ Ernie Johnson is a remarkable human being, and Shaquille O’Neal is like a brother to me. Kenny Smith and I go way back, and of course, Charles Barkley is someone I hold in high regard.”
As Sean Combs prepares for what will likely be the celebrity trial of the century, in May 2025, his high powered legal team is making new allegations against the prosecution. According to court documents obtained by our friends at TMZ, the mogul’s attorneys claim the government has been “mischaracterizing and concealing critical facts,” including accusing them of editing the infamous 2016 hotel surveillance video that reportedly shows the Bad Boy mogul assaulting his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.
Now get this, Diddy’s defense team argues that the prosecution possesses a more complete version of the video but altered the sequence of events to make the footage appear more damaging. They claim the editing was done to present the “most powerful evidence of danger and obstruction” in their case against him. Diddy’s next bail hearing is scheduled for November 22, with the mogul having been denied bail multiple times since his arrest.
That’s a big accusation. Let’s see how it unfolds …
ICYMI, the surveillance footage, which we’d all like to forget or unsee, was filmed on March 5, 2016, at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles, shows – TRIGGER WARNING – Ventura exiting a hotel room and walking towards the elevators. In the video, Combs—wearing only a towel—runs after her, grabs her by the neck, and throws her to the floor. He then kicks her twice while she lies motionless. The video also shows Combs retrieving items from the floor near the elevators, briefly dragging Ventura by her sweatshirt, and walking away. Later, Ventura picks herself up, and Combs returns, shoving her and throwing an object toward her before leaving the scene.
Ventura, who settled with Combs privately and has not commented on the footage, had previously filed a complaint about the incident. Her attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor, called the video “gut-wrenching” and said it further confirmed “disturbing and predatory behavior” by Combs.
The case is still developing, and while Diddy’s legal team claims the prosecution has manipulated evidence, the video remains central to the ongoing legal proceedings.
This just gets darker and more complicated by the minute. Stay tuned.
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.
Katt Williams has told many tales this year regarding the “exposure” of celebrity culture and whole lot of other antics and hot topics. But folks understand that he might embellish the truth here and there, especially when it comes to his own experiences and stories. For example, the comedian has referenced his alleged stint in a U.S. Marines boot camp when he was underage, claiming that they kicked him out when they realized he was too young. However, now the Marines reportedly told CBS News that they have absolutely no record of this. Ironically enough, though, if he was underage, then maybe that’s why they didn’t have any record of it, so this doesn’t kill his allegations completely.
Elsewhere, Katt Williams is explaining some other of his comments, such as his bashes of Diddy on Club Shay Shay. “Because P. Diddy be wanting to party, and you got to tell him no!” he told GQ. “I did. […] So when I was a young man, Tupac was my favorite artist. I loved Tupac. And I felt like we were kindred spirits. So if I hear you responsible for knocking my n***a off — I don’t give a f**k what job I end up being in, I don’t care how things go, if I can get a way to get you, that’s what I’m all about.”
In addition, Katt Williams explained how he didn’t like to see Diddy “walking around scot-free” amid his allegations. “‘Cause you a demon, and I know demons are powerful, but I know why they’re powerful. It’s cold spiritual warfare going on out here in the real world. And part of my job is to not lose focus on that.”
So with all this in mind, Katt Williams going (or not going) to a Marine boot camp when he was young isn’t the main point of attack here. People are obviously more interested in what he has to say about other superstars, and what he might tell Shannon Sharpe next. So we’ll see what other wild conspiracies or salacious celebrity gossip cuts through, and what else these scandals and antics will bring to light.
