Hip Hop News

Over the years, the YBN Crew has altered quite significantly from the lineup many of us were introduced to them as. Cordae was the first of the most popular members of the group, the others being YBN Almighty Jay and YBN Nahmir, to drop the YBN name from his stage name in August 2020. 

Insisting that regardless of any name changes they’re still brothers at the end of the day, no one could anticipate that Nahmir and Jay would eventually be trading insults online. Jay later explained that there was an “almost two-year” beef between the two of them, resulting in Jay’s confession about wanting to drop the YBN name for months now. 

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“I BEEN GOING BACK AND FORWARD WITH MY LABEL FOR MONTHS TRYNA GET THIS ‘YBN’ SHIT OFF MY NAME ON SOCIAL MEDIA,” he wrote. “I’M ALMIGHTY JAY!”

In the heated exchange on Instagram live between the two of them, Jay said to his former crew member, “He already know I’m gonna beat his ass. He continued, “I might as well get paid to beat his ass and I want to do it in front of everybody. I’m the one trying to make the fight happen, how am I nervous? You don’t know how bad I want it to happen. You thin as hell, you know I’ma punch a hole through your ass.”

Nahmir replied fired back, “I been tryna beat your ass, just like I beat your mans and them up. When y’all see cuz hurt with all them black eyes, n-ggas ain’t hit cuz with bottles this time. Tell n-ggas to drop a location in Houston we gon’ pop out.”

In a follow-up video, Jay explained they haven’t been cool for almost two years now. Right now, it’s not clear when he’ll officially go as just Almighty Jay. 

The power of TikTok shined in 2020. The idea of going viral has transitioned to the social media app which has been a catalyst in introducing new talent. However, the dangers of the app became a topic of conversation, especially under the Trump administration. Trump signed an executive order that attempted to block TikTok, WeChat, and Alipay from app stores in the U.S., citing potential threats to the American people’s privacy.  

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Joe Biden revoked the executive orders issued by Donald Trump earlier today, though insisted that there will be apps that undergo investigation. Biden’s new executive order offers guidelines for investigating apps that could potentially compromise national security. 

“The administration is committed to promoting an open, interoperable, reliable, and secure internet and to protecting human rights online and offline, and to supporting a vibrant global digital economy,” a senior administration official said on Wednesday. “The challenge that we’re addressing with this EO is that certain countries, including China, do not share these commitments or values and are instead working to leverage digital technologies and American data in ways that present unacceptable national security risk.”

Biden’s order calls on federal agencies, including the Commerce Department, into investigations into how Americans can be protected from the collection and sale of personal information to foreign entities. 

It looks like TikTok will continue to dominate the world of social media in the foreseeable future. 

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In hip-hop, retirement announcements are simply part of the process. All too often, artists spark concern by confirming that the end is coming, with Young Dolph having previously done exactly that back in March. Yet as history has come to showcase, a rapper cannot simply go quietly into the shadows. The alluring call of the studio is simply too strong, and before you know it, they’re back in the booth putting together a comeback album. 

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Today, Young Dolph has come forward to confirm that he’s been indeed cooking up some new music, taking to Instagram to share a snippet of his upcoming handiwork. “New music comin soon,” he captions, teasing a banger fueled by ominous pianos and uptempo drums. “These n***as ain’t fuckin with me,” he repeats, driving home the disparity between himself and the rap game at large. “I drop the location she pull up in thirty minutes now she suckin’ on me / I don’t need nobody to do nuthin for me n***a, I’m bussin for me.”

The snippet wraps before he can really get going, but it certainly sounds like a promising return for Paper Route Frank. Though he didn’t share a release date, it seems as if Dolph is gearing up to deliver a new album, his first since teaming up with Key Glock on Dum & Dummer 2. Check out the snippet below, and be sure to sound off if you’re looking forward to Dolph’s comeback.  

Yung Bleu claims that his upcoming star-studded single is going to be our summer anthem. The new single, titled “Baddest,” features 2 Chainz and Chris Brown, and given the fact that it drops on Friday, June  11, we’ll be finding out very soon. The “You’re Mines Still” singer took to social media to promote his new single earlier today, excitedly announcing the drop along with a snippet of the song on his Instagram.

2 Chainz showed his support on Instagram as well sharing, “This shit right here is a vibe. Toni happy to be apart of it @bleuvandross @chrisbrownofficial @hitmaka dropping FRIDAY.”

The song is produced by Hitmaka, who has credits for other summer bangers such as “1942” by G-Eazy featuring Yo Gotti, YBN Nahmir and PnB Rock’s “I Like Girls” featuring Lil Skies.

After landing a feature from Drake on “You’re Mines Still” in December 2020, r’n’b-rap singer Yung Bleu has been riding the wave of the success to make big connections across the industry. His newest collaboration with 2 Chainz and Chris Brown is only a glimmer of what Yung Bleu has in the works.

In March, the singer posed in the studio with Grammy award-winning singer H.E.R. More recently, Chloe Bailey from Chloe and Halle posted a cover of the radio-favorite love song, that ultimately led to Yung Bleu linking up with the singer for a studio collaboration in May. Yung Bleu has also posted a flick with Kelahni, captioning the photo, “Dinner with gang @kehlani! Big sounds,” suggesting the “Distraction” singer will add to his impressive lineup of features from some of the hottest female singers, too.

“Baddest” will be released everywhere on Friday at midnight. Preview the song below, and let us know if you’re hype for the release.

There was once a time when Drake and Chris Brown were essentially sworn enemies but fortunately, that beef has been squashed. According to PageSix, the two artists were spotted at Quincy Brown’s 30th birthday party in Los Angeles. Sources close to the situation say that Drake was among the last to show face at the event, pulling up to the party around 4 a.m. Meanwhile, Chris Brown had been enjoying himself at the party and apparently, trying to “dance battle” everyone.

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Drake and Chris Brown briefly encountered each other, the source said. Drizzy reportedly dapped up the singer briefly during his 20 minute stay at the party. Of course, since their beef has been dead for a few years, it didn’t seem to be an issue for Quincy Brown to celebrate the special day with both artist present.

Unfortunately, it seems that their brief encounter probably didn’t result in any conversation surrounding new music. After squashing their beef, Chris Brown enlisted Drake for the single, “No Guidance” which became a summer smash. They also ended up performing the song together at OVO Fest in 2019, marking Breezy’s return to Canada for the first time in years. 

Drake’s currently working on his forthcoming album, Certified Lover Boy that fans expected would hit earlier this year. Perhaps, the delayed release gave Breezy enough time to submit a verse.

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Sportsinsider.com recently did a brief analysis of the social media-sports-intersecting landscape, and found that, across 24 states, Lebron James received more hate on Twitter than any other NBA player. The expansive study of over 70,000 tweets tracked posts with negative mentions to accrue data, resulting in the map seen below.

One of the self-proclaimed king’s hardest critics, sports commentator Skip Bayless took a jab at him on Twitter after seeing the stats, saying, “A national poll finds that the most hated player in the NBA is … LeBron James. No surprise here. Can’t wait to discuss on tomorrow’s Undisputed. I’m told Shannon is out of his mind over this.”

On Undisputed, Fox Sports commentator Chris Broussard stated he believed the survey results were the results of racial bias. He told Shannon Sharpe, “I looked at the map…of where people hated LeBron the most, and it was pretty much all the red states. It was the middle of the country, the upper, Northern Midwest…places like that where they aren’t feeling LeBron James.”

The study results prove nothing groundbreaking, as Lebron James has faced hate since the beginning of his NBA career in 2003. Any reasoning behind the results is mere speculation without further analysis of the study.

Kyrie Irving came in second place with 18 states, while James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Russel Westbrook placed low on the list. Check out the map below, and let us know what you think — accurate or nah? 

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Die-hard fans of the Los Angeles Lakers were probably quick to direct their anger at Drake following their unexpected first-round exit against the Phoenix Suns, but perhaps it wasn’t the Toronto artist’s fabled “Drake Curse” that sent LeBron James on an early vacation. It might have actually been J. Cole’s fault, as his name-drops on The Off-Season seem to have jinxed several professional basketball players.

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According to Bolavip, every NBA player that Cole mentioned on his recent chart-topping studio album has been eliminated from the NBA playoffs. Steph Curry and Dennis Smith Jr. were shouted out on “9 5 . s o u t h” and “a m a r i,” respectively, and they both failed to even reach the playoffs. Curry and the Warriors couldn’t claw their way out of the Play-In Tournament, and Smith Jr. and the Detroit Pistons finished the season at last place in the Eastern Conference.

Two other players that received huge mentions on The Off-Season were Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant and Washington Wizards point guard Russell Westbrook, in “m y . l i f e” and “a m a r i,” respectively. Both Morant and Westbrook were eliminated during the first round of the playoffs, but neither of their teams was projected to make deep playoff runs anyways.

Bolavip‘s conspiracy theory strengthens, however, when considering Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazer‘s devastating defeat at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. One of Lillard’s post-game interviews from the NBA Bubble last summer was prominently sampled in “p u n c h i n ’ . t h e . c l o c k,” and lo and behold, the Trail Blazer point guard’s playoff heroics were surprisingly not enough to save him and his team from a first-round elimination.

The most convincing proof that J. Cole may have actually jinxed NBA players on The Off-Season is LeBron James’ career first of being sent home during the first round of the playoffs. On “1 0 0 . m i l,” Cole rapped, “Can’t leave the game yet, feel like LeBron,” and LeBron and the Lakers were quickly defeated in six games by the Phoenix Suns. 

What do you think — is it just a coincidence or would LeBron and the Lakers still be powering through another championship run had it not been for J. Cole’s latest album?

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Silento, known for his signature hit “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),” has unfortunately been on a downward spiral in the last few months, reflected in his numerous run-ins with the law. Last September, he was arrested in Los Angeles after reportedly storming out of his family home and chasing his alleged girlfriend with a machete. After failing to appear in court, a warrant was then issued for his arrest. 

The next month, he was once again arrested for reckless driving and told officers that former POTUS Trump had texted him asking for help. In February of this year, he was then arrested for allegedly murdering his cousin Frederick Rooks in Atlanta, requesting a $25k bond from a judge. According to news reports, Silento will have to remain behind bars until his trial after being denied bond by a judge in the murder investigation. 

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TMZ reports that the rapper appeared in a hearing on Wednesday (June 9) in DeKalb County, GA where a judge cited his mental health as a titular reason for denying the bond request. His history of illness, as well as his history of not taking medications, make him a danger to release back into the community on bond while the case is still open. 

Additionally, the judge noted concerns about the rapper’s history of being in denial of the mental health issues he faces, citing an instance where he once left a California mental health facility. They added there was no telling what other acts he may commit if he refuses to take his meds, therefore making him a serious risk. 

Prosecutors explain that even his grandparents were in strong opposition to him being granted bond. Silento’s defense team have aimed to paint a more favorable photo of their client, calling him a local treasure that urged kids to stay away from drugs and alcohol, adding that his problem stems from his bipolar disorder and other mental health issues he’s been battling for some time. 

The judge didn’t agree, however, and Silento will remain behind bars for now until his trial. We’ll keep you updated on subsequent developments. 

DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office via Getty Images

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