Hip Hop News

The idea of “real hip-hop” is still a topic of discussion among purists. For years now, there have been plenty of predictions that hip-hop is “dying” but as we see, that couldn’t be further from the truth. We recently chopped it up with Peter Rosenberg, who recently released his debut album Real Late, about the state of the culture and the future of hip-hop.

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Rosenberg reflected on his infamous “real hip-hop” comments at Summer Jam that led Nicki Minaj and Young Money to pull out from their performance. It was “Starships” that was at the center of criticism but even Rosenberg admitted on Ebro In The Morning that he didn’t think that particular Nicki Minaj song was at fault for the commercialization of hip-hop as a whole. 

Rosenberg explained that he no longer thinks that hip-hop can ever fade away, even as it grows more popular. However, there was a particular moment when he did. The Hot 97 personality said that the first time he went to a Mac Miller show, he thought that he was witnessing the death of the culture as he knew it. 

“I thought it so many times that hip hop was on the verge of death. You know, like, I really have. When I went to my first Mac Miller concert and I saw all these white kids and a white rapper, I’m like Oh My God, and I talked to Mac about this. White rapper, white kids. Oh my God, what’s going to happen here now,” he explained, though he acknowledged that he was wrong about his perception at the time, especially since Mac Miller’s later work became an entry point for many to discover solid hip-hop acts.

“I had no idea that Mac, for a lot of those kids, would end up being sort of their entry into really good hip hop s***,” he admitted. “Maybe not all of them. Some of them just went and liked pop, I’m sure, afterward but some of them got into Vince Staples, some of them got into Earl Sweatshirt, got into Odd Future.”

Despite his jaded attitude, he said that hip-hop in its purest form remains as healthy as ever. “I guess I’m at a stage now where I’m thinking like, ‘Yes, words used may be different, and those who don’t know may get things wrong, but ultimately the well-being of Beats and Rhymes, as it were, I think is healthy.’”

Check out our full interview with Peter Rosenberg here. 

Timothee Chalamet and Kid Cudi’s friendship is still strong.

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On June 5th, Kid Cudi posted to his Instagram a gift he had received from longtime friend, Timothee Chalamet. The Beautiful Boy actor gave him an action figure of his character from the much anticipated 2021 film Dune. The long delayed film is set to be released on October 1st of this year.

On the side of the box, Chalamet wrote “To the true master of the universe. The moon man…Kid Cudi. With humanity, Paul Atreides.” Paul Atreides is the name of Chalamet’s character from the upcoming film Dune. Social media users were in awe over the exchange.

The Lady Bird actor and Day N Nite rapper have been friends for the past couple of years. They even spent Kid Cudi’s 2019 birthday together with Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, and Pete Davidson also in attendance. They were spotted hanging out on numerous occasions, including the March 2020 dinner for GQ Magazine. 

The two have also been fans of each other for quite some time. From speaking fondly of each other in interviews, to shouting each other out on social media, these two friends are consistently supportive of one another. Audiences can expect Chalamet’s upcoming film to drop in October. While fans can listen to Cudi’s latest project Man On the Moon III: The Chosen, which was dropped in December of last year. 

How do you and your friends show each other support? Sound off in the comments below.

Unfortunately for YFN Lucci, it seems like his legal problems only continue to grow. He surrendered himself over to authorities at the top of the year after a warrant was issued for his arrest in connection with the shooting death of a 28-year-old man. He was wanted on multiple charges by Atlanta police like murder and gang activity and initially denied bond. 

He was able to enjoy a small taste of freedom in February after being released on bond, albeit under very strict restrictions. Sadly for the rapper, his freedom was taken away from him again in May after he was named in a 105-count racketeering indictment surrounding the Bloods gang in Atlanta. After surrendering to authorities later in the month, Lucci’s lawyer is calling bogus on his client being listed in the indictment. 

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The 75-page RICO indictment lists a dozen individuals, including the entertainer, as being associates of the gang. In a recent interview, his lawyer, who has maintained Lucci’s innocence, explained that his status as an “associate” of the named gang in the indictment is all hearsay. He points out that despite Lucci’s status as an international recording artist, references to his music to create a case against him are simply unfair. 

He furthered that the indictment is “a little bit ridiculous.” His lawyer has previously said in a statement,  “He’s not a gang member. What he is is an internationally recognized musical artist that is a triple platinum winner, that has performed all over the United States and all over the world.”

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Following Lucci’s arrest, Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant noted his indictment sends a “significant message” to other ATL residents. “I think that it sends a significant message, a profound message that regardless of your status that the City of Atlanta and Fulton County in partnership is coming after you if you violate the crimes in our county, in our city,” Bryant explained.

He’s been denied bond, so it’s looking like he may have to remain behind bars until trial. We’ll keep you updated on any subsequent developments in the case.

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Austin McBroom is a massive YouTube star and Bryce Hall is on similar footing, although Hall is famous because of TikTok. On June 12th, these two men will be facing off in a boxing match that has been dubbed the “Battle of the Platforms.” Interestingly enough, McBroom has beef with Jake Paul, who has made allegations that Austin cheats on his significant other every single weekend. As a result, these two hate each other quite a bit, and recently, they were supposed to hash things out on Dave Portnoy’s “BFFs” podcast.

As Portnoy told Logan Paul in a separate episode of the podcast, things got pretty heated between Jake and Austin, which led to a bit of a temper tantrum from the younger Paul brother. In fact, Portnoy claims Jake slashed two of the tires on McBroom’s Lamborghini, and he even slashed the tires on a separate vehicle.

Based on McBroom’s story, Paul eventually apologized for the outburst, however, it seems like the two have actually agreed to a fight. This would be a surprising development, especially when you consider how Paul is set to fight Tyron Woodley in August. Paul has moved past the need to fight YouTubers, and a fight against McBroom would definitely be a regression.

Regardless, Paul seems to consistently be embroiled in drama and considering it gets people to talk about him, we doubt he minds it.

Mac Miller passed away back in 2018 after experiencing a fatal overdose. After it was revealed that he had accidentally ingested counterfeit oxycodone laced with fentanyl that led to his overdose, three accused drug dealers were indicted in October of 2019 on federal drug distribution charges. 

“These defendants allegedly continued to sell narcotics after Mr. McCormick’s death with full knowledge of the risks their products posed to human life,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna. Now, after two years of delays, Cameron James Pettit, 28, Stephen Andrew Walter, 46, and Ryan Michael Reavis, 36 will finally be heading to trial in the fall. 

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The three men were charged with providing the Pittsburgh rapper with cocaine, oxycodone, and Xanax back in 2019. Prosecutors say that, at the time, the pills that Pettit gave Miller were counterfeit and laced with fentanyl. They further allege that Walter supplied the pills to Pettit and used Reavis as his runner. 

Just two days before his fatal overdose, Miller picked up multiple different substances supplied by Pettit. His high-profile passing led to an immediate investigation from the DEA, who eventually charged Pettit, Reavis, and Walter for running the drug ring that delivered the substances to his Los Angeles home. 

“It has become increasingly common for us to see drug dealers peddling counterfeit pharmaceuticals made with fentanyl. As a consequence, fentanyl is now the No. 1 cause of overdose deaths in the United States,” Nick Hanna said in a statement regarding the indictment. 

All three men have been held without bail in Los Angeles for over two years. A trial date is currently set for November 16, 2021.  

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Tinashe’s departure from the major labels has allowed her to deliver far more creatively fulfilling music in recent times. Though there are benefits to having the backing of the major label machine, Tinashe is doing just fine on her independent grind, especially since she can release music more frequently. This week, she returned with some sunny California vibes with her new single, “Pasadena” ft. Buddy. Needless to say, it was a necessary addition to this week’s R&B Season playlist.

It’s been over a year since OVO signee Roy Woods released his last EP, Dem Times but he’s continued to slide through with new music since then. While fans are hoping for a new full-length  release this year, he came through with a serious vibe with his new single, “Touch You.” His unique blends of R&B and dancehall, once again, proves only fitting for these times.

Rising R&B star Foushée had summer 2020 on smash with Sleepy Hallow’s “deep end” as well as her recent appearance on Lil Wayne’s post-Trump pardon single, “Ain’t Got Time.” Now, she’s returned with her new project which includes appearances from Lil Yachty and more. Steve Lacy assists on the highlight, “candy grapes” which we also included on this week’s playlist.

Other additions on this week’s R&B Season playlist include new music from Q, Lucky Daye, and more.

Back in 2001, the Los Angeles Lakers were unstoppable. With Shaq and Kobe Bryant on the same team, the Lakers eventually cruised to three-straight NBA championships. The second of those titles was against Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers. This 76ers team is highly-regarded as one of the weakest teams to ever make the Finals, however, they had Iverson carrying them on his back, which led to some incredible postseason moments. 

In Game 1 of that series, Iverson infamously led his team to a win, before eventually losing the next four in a row. During this Game 1 win, Iverson came through with one of the most disrespectful gestures in NBA Finals history as he stepped over Tyronn Lue who had just fallen over while trying to contest one of Iverson’s shots.

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Today is June 6th and it just so happens that this is the 20th anniversary of the play. For years, this has always been a large part of Iverson highlight reels and it’s truly surreal that this happened so long ago. Over the course of the last few years, Iverson has made it a point to say that he meant no disrespect to Lue and that he truly loves the Clippers head coach.

Regardless, this is one of the most iconic moments in NBA playoff history, and you’ve got to appreciate it on its birthday. 

Julio Jones requested a trade from the Atlanta Falcons just a few weeks ago and since that time, the team had been looking for trade suitors. On Sunday, the team was able to pull off the perfect trade for their needs as they sent Jones and a sixth round pick to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a second and fourth round pick. It was a massive trade that will certainly shake up the rest of the NFL heading into next season.

While things didn’t end on phenomenal terms between the Falcons and Jones, the team was still classy enough to put together a tribute for the star player. In the video below, you can see some of Jones’ best moments with the Falcons, all while the team wrote “Because of you, 11 will always mean more.”

Now, the Falcons will have to be without the best wide receiver in the history of the franchise. This is certainly a sad reality for Falcons fans, who have seen their team regress year after year since going to the Super Bowl just four years ago.

As for the Titans, they now have one of the most potent offenses in the league, and it’s going to make for an interesting season.

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