Hip Hop News

Ever since Skip Bayless left ESPN back in 2016, Max Kellerman has been filling his role on First Take. First Take is ESPN’s flagship debate show and it is primarily led by the talents of Stephen A. Smith, who has largely been responsible for carrying the network over the years. While Kellerman and Smith had solid chemistry at first, it appears as though things have taken a bit of a turn as of late. Smith and Kellerman don’t have the spark they used to have, and rumors have circulated about Smith’s discontent with his co-host.

With all of that being said, it was reported yesterday that Kellerman could be removed from First Take in 2022. In fact, if this were to happen, Kellerman would probably take on a bigger role at ESPN Radio, and he would then go on and get his own ESPN television program in the afternoons.

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At this point, there is still a lot that is unknown about Kellerman’s situation, however, fans are already giving their reactions on social media. For many, Kellerman was a welcomed addition to First Take, especially since he always had a good perspective on racism in sports. He was one of the few broadcasters who got it, and fans are certainly going to miss his commentary. Others noted that this is going to be a burden on Smith who will now have to go to greater lengths to carry the network.

Needless to say, we could be on the verge of a huge shake-up at ESPN, and fans are eager to see how this will all play out. You can find the reactions to the news, below.

Over 2,000 people have died from the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that devastated the southern region of Haiti this past weekend.

Per Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency, the death toll sits a 2,189 and continues to rise as search and rescue missions have been deployed all over the region. Still, dozens more remain missing while thousands of homes and buildings have been completely destroyed.

While a number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and local nonprofits have banded together to administer aid in the form of temporary shelter, food, and medical care, there is still dissatisfaction with authorities’ slower rollout of governmental aid, especially in the city of Les Cayes which was hit hardest.

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry declared that there would not be “repeat history on the mismanagement and coordination of aid,” alluding to the aftermath of the earthquake which primarily impacted the capital in 2010.

“As a judge, I must not have a political opinion. But as a man, as a man concerned about the situation of my country, nothing is working,” Les Cayes Judge Pierre Cenel told Reuters. “They didn’t do anything to prepare for this disaster.”

Memorably, billions of dollars in aid were raised for the Caribbean nation in 2010 with no noticeable change in infrastructure and social conditions since then. It is this lack of infrastructure that many attribute to the inefficiency of aid distribution this time around.

It might be a busy release night because Lil Baby has just announced that he has new music on the way.

The Hero has been teasing new music this week, following the release of his collaborative album with Lil Durk. The two rappers are heading on tour in a few weeks, but it looks like Lil Baby wants to release some more new music before they get started next month. Taking to Twitter on Thursday morning, the Atlanta native got his fans ready for another new music drop, saying the magic words.

“New music soon,” he wrote, adding a fire emoji for good measure. 

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For many artists, “soon” is a pretty mysterious term. It could mean that Baby is dropping tonight, and it could also mean that he’s never releasing music again. Fans are betting on the former though, looking forward to whatever he has coming our way.

Recently, Lil Baby attended Young Thug’s thirtieth birthday party, icing out the rapper with a myriad of new jewelry selections from Icebox. He also appeared in the music video for EST Gee’s “5500 Degrees” and spoke about why he tends to avoid speaking on controversial topics, explaining, “I don’t really catch what’s going on or what people are saying. I don’t really wanna just speak on situations, especially when I don’t know the whole backstory [because] something I say might get misinterpreted. So, I’m quiet as far as me posting.”

Who’s ready for new music from Lil Baby?

On Tuesday (August 17), Hip-hop visionary Missy Elliott took her Instagram followers on a trip down memory lane by sharing behind-the-scenes footage of her iconic Hype Williams directed music video for her single, “She’s a Bitch.” Acknowledging that she was indeed thousands of years ahead of her time, the “Get Your Freak On” rapper shared the following: 

“I was in the year 3000 in 1999. This video changed things visually in HipHop videos FOREVER. This is BTS footage of “She’s A Bitch.” This is called Fearless! The lights on the 3rd slide they were flown in from Germany, a technology never used before. The coming out the water we were really under the water. EPIC though. And when I look at this video I say, why did I used to move like that when I performed, like I was swatting flies off me or sumn. I was wildin but it was EPIC tho! 

At the end of her caption, Missy gives credit to her team, tagging video director Hype Williams, fashion stylist June Ambrose, celebrity makeup artists Billy B, Creative agency HiHat Productions, all of who are top-tier talent in the entertainment industry. 

“She’s a Bitch” currently has more than 8 million views on Youtube and is one of hip-hop’s most futuristic visuals to date. Since the onset of her introduction to hip-hop as an artist, with the unforgettable garbage bag ensemble in the music video for “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” Missy Misdemeanor Elliot has set trends and not shied away from taking creative risks. As writer Biance Guilone reminds us, “It’s practically impossible to visualize the quintessential 90s hip-hop music video without a Supa Dupa Fly-era Missy materializing in your brain. The fisheye lens views, the futuristic settings, and the insane outfits are inseparable from Missy’s verses, and were a crucial component of Missy’s forward-thinking rap manifesto.”

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The BTS footage shows off the video’s choreography, the shooting of a few scenes, and includes interviews that provide insight into the innovative technology used throughout the music video. Unlike today, where artists can shoot music videos straight from the iPhones, Missy was in her prime when music videos had massive seven-figure budgets. “She’s a Bitch” is one of the most expensive rap videos of all time, costing around $2 million to make.

In 2019, MTV honored Missy Elliot with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, making her the first female rapper to win the award and only the fourth Hip Hop act to do so. Watch Missy’s “She’s a Bitch” video below. What’s your favorite Missy music video?

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While chopping it up with DJ Vlad in a recent interview, former Hot Boys rapper Turk thew fans for a loop when he admitted that he and his close New Orleans friends used to show each other affection in seemingly strange ways. “Every male has some type of gay game with their homeboy,” the rapper told Vlad. “It is just like, somebody hitting somebody on the ass when they playin’ basketball. That don’t mean they gay.”

Turk’s comments on VladTV were of course related to the infamous Lil Wayne and Birdman kiss that has previously led fellow Hot Boys member Young Buck to clarify that Baby “never played with” him and Juvenile like that. In Turk’s latest interview, he admits to kissing Birdman, and similar to Young Buck’s comments in 2020, he says they were all a part of “gay games.”

Further along in the interview, Turk explained that it’s not an intimate kiss, and it’s never an issue for men who are secure with their sexuality. While he claimed that it wasn’t something that he would do now at his current age, Turk said, “But if you not no real nigga, you won’t understand that. You won’t understand the love niggas have for their homies.”

Shortly after sending social media into a frenzy with his comments about kissing his homeboys as part of a “gay game” to show them love, Turk was spotted with fellow New Orleans rapper Kevin Gates. In the video, Turk says, “Real niggas do real shit, man.” And as he says that at the start of the video, Kevin Gates laughs while putting his arm around his fellow NOLA rapper and gives him a kiss, saying, “I love you to death, you know that big dog.”

The clip contradicts Turk’s recent comments about refraining from jokingly kissing other men now that he’s older, but he reiterates some of the points that he addressed in the VladTV interview. “Stop playing!” Turk tells the camera. “Niggas in New Orleans, we rock different, man. Y’all wouldn’t understand this shit.”

After kissing Turk, Kevin Gates chimes into the conversation with a bit of wisdom. “Those who mind don’t matter,” he explains. “Those who matter don’t mind.”

This summer, the Hip-Hop community has now witnessed two male-on-male kisses from prominent Hip-Hop artists: Lil Nas X’s BET Awards kiss and now, Kevin Gates and Turk’s friendly kiss. Do you think that the New Orleans rappers’ actions will prompt more open discussions about homophobia in Hip-Hop? Or will fans simply clown them for kissing each other on video?

Could there be trouble in paradise for one of hip-hop’s favorite couples? As several blog sites have noticed, City Girls’ rapper JT is no longer following her boyfriend, rapper Lil Uzi Vert, on Instagram. While this doesn’t mean that they’ve broken up, it could mean that they’re moving through a rough patch in their relationship.

Fans have been commenting about JT unfollowing Lil Uzi on Instagram, wondering if this could mean the end of their relationship. They’ve seemingly been dating for over a year, despite only going public a few months ago. During the time they’ve been official, they have become one of music’s preferred couples, displaying all kinds of PDA on different red carpets and showing their goofy sides to the public. That might all be over, though.

On Lil Uzi’s side, the rapper doesn’t follow anybody on Instagram, acting as somewhat of a lone wolf. It’s possible that JT blocked Uzi as a temporary means of getting some space, or something else. 

Just a few days ago, JT bought Uzi a new car for his birthday, and Uzi returned the generosity by copping her a series of diamond necklaces.

Johnny Nunez/Getty Images

Similarly, G Herbo and Taina Williams faced breakup rumors after it was revealed that they no longer followed each other on social media. A few days after the rumors subsided, Herb addressed the speculation, claiming that his fiancée blocked him during an argument before restoring his access to her page. Hopefully, this is the same sort of thing.