Hip Hop News

Kanye West might remain one of the most influential people in the world but his likeability rating has taken a blow. Debuting his blonde hair next to Donald Trump at the Trump Towers was a red flag but it was his appearance at TMZ in 2018 that made many of his fans and peers denounce him. He claimed, “slavery was a choice.” It didn’t necessarily derail his career and he went on to release five albums as part of the Wyoming sessions but even after offering an apology of sorts, it became stained on his career. 

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During a recent interview with Vlad TV, CyHi The Prynce attempted to add context to Kanye’s claims, after recently explaining why ‘Ye aligned himself with Trump. “I’ll say this, nobody’s taking my mom or dad,” CyHi explained. “And I’m just gonna be Kumbaya. That’s a thing about ‘Ye. He looks at his people like kings, warriors. Great men. Men of Honor,” he continued. “He can’t understand how Lebron, 6’9″, 270lbs, let a European that just got off the Black Plague, wiped out 75% of Europe, can come colonize. They don’t even have enough soldiers to you know have a real war with us. He can’t understand how those people were taken by just these small group of people on a boat.”

CyHi added that Kanye West looked at the situation deeper than what has been taught in the history books, citing Mansa Musa of the Mali empire. “We have to look at the earth and humanity in its entirety before we can ever say who is right and who’s wrong.”

Check out the full interview below.

Kevin Gates is one of the most consistent figures in Southern Hip-Hop. Six years following his hit singles like “Really Really” and “2 Phones,” the Baton Rouge rapper has still been keeping a firm grip on his musical output and pleasing fans with every release. Just last week, the Only The Generals Part II secured the number two position on YouTube’s Top US Artists Chart, right below fellow Louisiana artist NBA YoungBoy. Apart from his music, however, Kevin Gates is also known for his unique sense of style, and his latest fit is definitely turning heads.

In the photo posted by DJ Akademiks, Kevin Gates is spotted at Saks Fifth Ave with a fan, but his choice of footwear quickly steals the show. The pair of shoes would put Kanye West’s futuristic sneakers to shame, as the peculiar leather shoes tightly hug Gates’ feet and give him an alien aesthetic by cutting between his first and second toes.

Naturally, social media reacted to Kevin Gates’ eccentric shoes with an onslaught of roasts. Under Akademiks post alone, one user wrote, “Let’s not normalize wearing those” while another joked, “He got them master splinter 3000.” Of course, fans also took to Twitter to get their jokes off, with one saying “Kevin Gates is a menace to society for this.”

Kevin Gates has a history of going off on fans for mocking his appearance, so tread lightly with any Kevin Gates jokes let loose on social media. 

Another upcoming rapper’s life was taken due to gun violence, a horrific trend that seems to be plaguing hip hop. According to Chron, 28-year-old Houston rapper Xavier “Obe Noir” Roberson’s body was identified downtown following a shooting early Monday morning.

Witnesses who heard the gunshots ring out in the distance reportedly recalled seeing Obe run down the street as a vehicle drove around the block, seemingly chasing him. Two unidentified males exited the vehicle and fired several shots at Obe, who then collapsed in the street. 

Houston native, Trae The Truth responded to the young rapper’s death in an Instagram post. 

Trae wrote, “Damn ….. Just lost My Niece Lyric Days ago, Now I just got the call bout you Zay…. U aint Deserve The way they done You…. Rest Easy King …. @obenoir.”

Trae’s post in homage to the young rapper included a snippet of his 2020 song, “It Aint Fair” which featured Obe Noir, Jackboy Dee, Big Tony, and more. Although Obe released multiple mixtapes and EPs, his one studio album Longway was released in 2018. His latest single, “Need To Know” was released in January. 

Like his fellow Houstonian, Obe was also an activist and explored entrepreneurship in his community earning the name, “Nipsey Hussle of East Texas.” He was an excellent basketball player. In 2018, Obe led the Portuguese club Titanes de Barranquilla to a title in their debut season and was voted MVP of the championship tournament.

This marks yet another rapper being shot in Texas in recent times. In November, rapper Mo3 was shot and killed on an interstate in Dallas. Three days later Boosie BadAzz was shot in the leg at a strip mall, followed by Benny The Butcher being shot in the leg at a Walmart.

Our condolences go out to Obe Noir and his family.

When it comes to hip-hop’s legendary producers, you’d be hard-pressed to find Timbaland not named in a vast majority of top-ten lists. Boasting a discography that includes collaborations with legendary artists like Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Nas, Jadakiss, Drake, 50 Cent, Aaliyah, Justin Timberlake, and many more, it’s gotten to the point where Timbo could easily be content to ride off into the sunset reflecting on a job well done. Yet music remains the man’s driving purpose, and the idea of a game without The King is hardly what you’d call favorable.

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Today marks a special occasion for Timbaland — his forty-ninth birthday — and we’d like to take a moment to celebrate all of the music he has given us throughout the years. You’d be hard-pressed to find a rap fan who doesn’t have a favorite Timbaland beat, be it one of his countless rap classics or one of his many timeless R&B jams. One need only run a quick YouTube search of Timbaland in the studio to see how excited his collaborators get when he begins to work his magic — from Jay-Z, to Busta, to Kanye West, all of them share the same awestruck reaction.

WATCH: Busta Rhymes & Timbaland in the studio 

It goes without saying that hip-hop’s innovators deserve their credit while they’re still here, and the fact that Timbo continues to lead by example as both a creative and a businessman should be inspirational to anyone looking to make their own mark in the game. And seeing as he and Swizz Beatz recently signed a massive deal with Triller, expect him to continue to innovate in new and exciting ways. Happy birthday Timbaland! Share your favorite beats in the comments below. 

Surpassing Burger King for perhaps the most controversial moves made during Women’s History Month, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has recently signed a long-reaching anti-abortion bill that heavily suppresses women’s reproductive rights. According to Complex, the bill, known as SB6, outlaws the procedure in almost all cases, except when it is necessary to save the mother’s life. With SB6 notably not allowing abortion in cases of rape or incest, Governor Hutchinson has made an extremely bold move, but according to the politician, the law is intentionally unconstitutional and meant to force the United States Supreme Court to revisit 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade. 

“I will sign SB6 because of overwhelming legislative support and my sincere and long-held pro-life convictions. SB6 is in contradiction of binding precedents of the U.S. Supreme Court, but it is the intent of the legislation to set the stage for the Supreme Court overturning current case law,” the politician said in a statement.

Governor Hutchinson continued his statement, saying, “I would have preferred the legislation to include the exceptions for rape and incest, which has been my consistent view, and such exceptions would increase the chances for a review by the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Many people are concerned with the passing of SB6, and community leaders like the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas executive director Holly Dickson have publicly spoken out against the governor’s decision to sign the sweeping abortion ban. On the matter, she told the Arkansas Times, “Once again, Arkansas politicians have made it their business to dictate people’s personal medical decisions, violate their personal autonomy, and block them from care.”

“This extreme abortion ban is cruel and unconstitutional and it will have accomplished nothing but cause stress for patients while ignoring the pressing challenges Arkansans face,” Dickson continued. “Abortion is legal in all 50 states, including Arkansas, and we’ll fight as long as it takes to keep it that way. Governor Hutchinson, we’ll see you in court.”

Stay tuned as this major political move will surely have national implications in the near future. 

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Following the explosive new Oprah interview featuring Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, the entire world has been in awe, but no one has been more pressed to talk about it than Piers Morgan. Earlier this week, Piers Morgan took to Good Morning Britain to air out the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and he was subsequently dragged by one of the show’s guest speakers as well as called out by one of his GMB colleagues for his biased coverage of Meghan Markle. After a rough start to this week, Morgan stormed off the set of GMB and announced that he was cutting ties with the show.

It doesn’t appear that Morgan is taking the split well, however, as the former Good MorningBritain host has been spamming his social media accounts with some unflattering posts. Citing free speech as a defense for continuing to speak on Meghan Markle, Morgan slams Oprah’s interview with the alienated British royals by casting doubt on the validity of Markle’s statements.

The controversial broadcaster also hinted at his unprofessional outburst on the set of Good Morning Britain, claiming that he is responsible for the show’s allegedly historical ratings. Check out Morgan’s petty social media rant below.

There’s been a unique approach to the way Cam’ron’s marketing his new product Pink Horse Power. The rapper has been documenting his apparent affair with a neighbor in his condo building. It began when she went on social media where she essentially revealed where he lived, adding that she’d have Cam’s babies. The relationship developed and it was a few weeks ago when Cam revealed that they slept together through a now-deleted snippet of their sex tape (no nudity was actually shown).

Unfortunately, it seems that things took a turn for the worse after that night. Cam took to Instagram today where he revealed that his phone’s been ringing off of the hook from “29 C” who just happens to be the neighbor. “It’s been going on since 8 this morning,” he said before addressing the loud knocks at the door. “You can’t do this, yo. You can’t do this,” he yelled. The neighbor continued to knock, demanding that he opens the door. Cam then started threatening to call security. “First of all, why are you calling me when you’re outside the door?!”

The snippet cut to the rapper filming himself as he tried to get to his vehicle only to find the woman standing right next to it in the parking garage. “Nope, nope,” he says repeatedly after she spots him. 

Check the video out below.