Hip Hop News

There was a deadly weekend of shootings in Virginia Beach back in March, and sadly, Pharrell Williams’s cousin was one of the victims. We previously reported on 25-year-old Donovan Lynch being shot and killed by a Virginia Beach officer, and more information about the altercation is being shared now that Lynch’s father, Wayne Lynch, has filed a federal lawsuit.

According to NBC News, it was on March 26 when Donovan was spending time with a friend at a restaurant when police were investigating three separate shootings in the oceanfront area. The slain man’s father reportedly states in the lawsuit that Donovan didn’t pose a threat to police and was “unlawfully” killed by an officer named Solomon Simmons.

It’s reported that while Donovan and his friend were at the restaurant, they heard gunfire. They decided it was time to leave so they began walking to their vehicles and it was there that they were confronted by Officer Simmons. The lawsuit also reads that Donovan wasn’t named as a suspect to whatever event Simmons was summoned to, thus suggesting either the officer didn’t properly identify himself and-or he did not take the time to properly identify Donovan.

“Immediately, unlawfully, and without warning, Officer Simmons fired his police-issued firearm at Mr. Lynch, shooting him twice and killing him,” the lawsuit reportedly states. “At all relevant times, Mr. Lynch was not speaking or acting in a manner that would suggest that he posed any threat, let alone a deadly threat, to Officer Simmons or anyone else.”

The lawsuit also alleges that the “shooting was motivated at least in part by Mr. Lynch’s race as a Black man.” Authorities claim that Donovan was armed at the time he was shot and they reportedly shared a photo of the firearm they say belonged to him. They accused Donovan of “brandishing” the weapon before being killed.

Wayne Lynch has named both Simmons and the City of Virginia Beach in his lawsuit. He is seeking $50 million in damages. Check out a portion of a previous press conference with Wayne Lynch below.

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There will certainly be more shared about this story in the coming days, but it’s being reported that a settlement has been reached in the helicopter case that involved Kobe Bryant, his teen daughter Gianna, and seven others. In January 2020, nine people lost their lives after the helicopter tragically crashed in California, and later, a lawsuit was launched by Vanessa Bryant and several others representing the deceased.

According to Los Angeles’s ABC7 News, a confidential agreement was reached “with the company that operated the helicopter involved in the crash,” Island Express Helicopters. Pilot Ara Zobayan was also named in the wrongful death suit as a defendant.

Handout / Getty Images 

On Tuesday (June 22), it’s reported that all parties filed court papers showing a “joint notice of settlement and joint request to vacate discovery deadlines.” The reported documents read: “Plaintiffs and Defendants jointly report that they have agreed to settle their claims in the above-entitled action.” The settlement amount was not included in the papers and a court still reportedly needs to give the final approval before this case is officially completed.

For Father’s Day, Vanessa shared a loving family photo with a sweet message to her late husband. “To the best girl dad~ Happy Father’s Day, Papi. We love you forever and always, always and forever. Love you always, Nani, Gigi, B.B, Koko, and VB.”

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Nowadays, it seems as if everyone is getting themselves involved in liquor brands. We’ve recently watched Kendall Jenner unveil her 818 Tequila brand and most recently, Michael B. Jordan has reportedly diversified his portfolio with J’Ouvert Rum. It’s another way for celebrities to capitalize on their notoriety as they open up new streams of revenue, but quickly, Jordan was tacked with cultural appropriation allegations.

A description of the rum reads, “Derives from the Antellian Creole French term meaning ‘daybreak,’ J’OUVERT originated in the pre-dawn streets of Trinidad, as celebration of emancipation combined with Carnival season to serve as the festival informal commencements. Crafted on those same islands, J’OUVERT Rum is a tribute to the party [starting].” 

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Following the viral controversy, Nicki Minaj emerged with an opinion, and it has been widely accepted, especially considering her Trinidadian roots. She reposted a comment from someone that was angered over Jordan’s rum’s moniker. “J’Ouvert also known as jouvay originated in Trinidad with the festivities of Canboulay, which was a time when sugarcane fields caught on fire and slaves were still forced to harvest the remainding crops before complete destruction.”

The historical event is honored at Carnival and people believe that their history is being used to sell alcohol without proper tribute or consideration. In the caption, Nicki added, “I’m sure MBJ didn’t intentionally do anything he thought Caribbean ppl would find offensive— but now that you are aware, change the name & continue to flourish & prosper.”

Check out her post, and a few responses, below.

The Icy holiday Bentley that Quavo gifted Saweetie last December has been the topic of conversations after the Rap couple called it quits. There have been rumors that the Migos rapper sent for the car to be repossessed, but it’s unclear if Saweetie gave the vehicle back or if Quavo asked for it to be picked up. Either way, it looks as if it is definitely no longer in her possession because The Neighborhood Talk exclusively reported on the news that it’s up for sale.

According to the outlet, Jake’s Motorcars, a used car dealership in San Diego, Calif., has the pale blue, customized ride on display. 

Amy Sussman / Staff / Getty Images

The Neighborhood Talk also shared comparison photos that showed Saweetie inside of the car where the custom “Icy” interior can be seen, and it’s the same as Jake’s Motorcars. For anyone looking to cop the luxury whip, it’s available for $279K, but as we previously reported, Saweetie looks to have replaced the Bentley with a new Rolls Royce.

In a recent interview with Complex, Saweetie was asked if she believed that gifts should be returned after a breakup. “I mean… If it’s mine, it’s mine,” she said. Check out some posts below. 

A few statements made by Deb Antney earlier this year are back at the forefront now that French Montana has finally addressed them. Ms. Deb is known for helping to craft the careers of some of our favorite hitmakers from Nicki Minaj to Waka Flocka, and during her February appearance on Drink Champs, she told a story of how Guwop finessed French Montana out of $5,000.

“French didn’t really make it that well in Georgia,” she said at the time. “Gucci didn’t like French. Because the first time he went into the studio to do a song with him, he paid Gucci $5,000 to get on a feature. And he was just sitting in the studio and Gucci was gone out the backdoor. Gucci just took the money and left.”

Eugene Gologursky / Stringer / Getty Images

She later stated that in order to make sure that things were good with French, she just paid him his money back and that was that. Recently, French Montana caught up with Miami’s 99Jamz radio station and SupaCindy asked him point-blank about Deb’s story.

“I never did a verse with Gucci where he took my money and never did the verse,” said French. “I think it was like, twelve years ago. He did do the verse… I don’t know where people got that story from. Me and Gucci is good. Me and Gucci never had a problem.” The rapper added that he doesn’t like to reply to stories such as these because often, people attempt to drag him into controversies.

“There’s something said about me every day, so, I be trying to stay in a positive way,” he concluded. Check out Deb Antney’s video, as well as French Montana’s response, below.

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