Rick Carlisle Steps Down From Mavs Head Coach Job

Earlier this week, it was reported that Luka Doncic and various other Dallas Mavericks players were fed up with Rick Carlisle and that they were upset with some of the things that were happening in the front office. While team owner Mark Cuban was quick to push back against these claims, it seemed as though the writing was on the wall in Dallas. With the team looking to push further in the playoffs, Carlisle was starting to wear thin in the locker room, and today, the story reached its climax.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Carlisle stepped down as the head coach of the team, despite still having two years left on his contract. This news came as a bit of a shock to some in the basketball world, although the Mavs will now have to act quickly. While Cuban is upset with the decision, it seems like Doncic already has a new head coach in mind.

“I truly love Rick Carlisle. He was not only a good coach but also a friend and a confidant. Our relationship was so much more than basketball. And I know that won’t ever change,” Cuban said.

Doncic has the ability to sign a supermax extension in the offseason and if he doesn’t do it, there could be an even bigger storm brewing in Dallas. With Carlisle gone, perhaps Doncic will be more inclined to commit five more years of his future to the team that drafted him.

Rick Carlisle

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Exclusive: Jim Jones Has A Summer Banger On Deck

New York rapper Yung Cassius is doing big things to make sure the summertime weather stays blazing hot. The hip-hop artist chopped it up with the SOHH Squad this week to dish on his must-see “Brand New” music video but during the conversation he let loose a huge announcement involving Dipset’s Jim Jones. Cassius didn’t […]

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Queen Naija Details The Struggles She Faced Transitioning From YouTube To Music

With a top-10 album and multiple singles that have topped the R&B charts, Queen Naija is a star. There was a point not too long ago, though, where she was a YouTuber facing struggles while trying to make music work as her primary vocation. She speaks about that part of her life in the newest Backstage episode.

Opening up about how public perception of her was an issue initially, Naija reveals she had doubters who didn’t think she was capable of doing more than YouTube.

“My name is Queen. I look at my name as royal, I look at myself as powerful,” she says in the clip. “But as soon as you start to get a name for yourself, people dig up dirt about you. Saying very cruel things: I’m not built for the industry life, I need to get media training, I need to talk better.” Thankfully, she has found herself more and more able to deal with critics, saying, “In this industry, you can’t care about what people think, and it’s hard for me. I literally want everybody in the whole world to like me, but the truth is they won’t, and that’s something I’ve had to overcome.”

Naija has certainly persevered through a lot and proven she is able to adapt to different situations: Shortly after signing a record deal, she toured in support of her self-titled 2018 EP while she was eight months pregnant. It’s her level of dedication that is helping Naija make her way to the top.

Naija tells her story best, so watch her do just that in the video above, in which she also talks about scrapping what was originally going to be her debut album.

Morray Prays For Forgiveness Of His ‘Mistakes’ In His Reflective New Video

It’s a big week for XXL Freshman. After the long-running hip-hop bible announced its annual list yesterday, a number of its participants capitalized on the moment to drop new music or videos. Coi Leray popped up in Earthgang’s “Options” remix video yesterday, DDG shared his “Hood Melody” video today, and Morray, who rose to prominence behind his song “Quicksand” and subsequent appearance on J. Cole’s “My Life” with 21 Savage, put out the video for “Mistakes” from his debut mixtape Street Sermons.

In the video, the Fayetteville native visits a church confessional booth to croon about his rags to riches tale, as well as showing off some dance moves in a separate performance scene and watching a private screening of protest footage in a trap house with a butler and gourmet dinner. The elegant dining situation is contrasted in a side-by-side shot of his old table setting in a shot reminiscent of fellow North Carolinian Toosii’s recently released “What It Cost” video.

While “Quicksand” was Morray’s breakout hit and his notoriety increased thanks to his placement on J. Cole’s album The Off-Season, the rising star has also drawn attention for his videos for “Trenches” and “Nothing Now.”

Watch Morray’s “MIstakes” video above.

Cardi B Shows Off Birkin Collection To New Migos Song

The self-proclaimed Birkin Bag Bardi is back with another reminder that she’s stashed an insane number of the coveted Hermes bags. Cardi B took to the ‘Gram on Tuesday to give an update on her impressive collection of the it-bag.

Cardi placed the new track “Jane” by Migos in the background of the video to support her hubby Offset’s new Culture III release. The video switches frames on beat with the lyrics to the chorus, “She want a Birkin, I told her, ‘Work it.'”

In the video, Cardi poses all over her house in various luxurious outfits coordinated with the rainbow assortment of bags.


Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

This post comes after Cardi’s similar post last week of her singing along to her feature on Culture III, “Type Shit”. The star paired the video with a set of blog-worthy photos to promote the song and hype up the Migos due to her family ties.

Back in October 2020, Cardi showed off the status of her collection while looking back at it in a viral Instagram post. 

Offset most recently gifted his wife a Birkin for Mother’s day, and Cardi has likely added to her collection on her own since then. 

A fan joked in the comments of The Shade Room’s repost of the video saying, “Saweetie has 24 hours to respond.” 

Could this be the start of a new celebrity challenge? 

Check out the video below. 

RJ Payne Drops “Leatherface 3: There Will Be Blood” Ft. Redman, Havoc & More

Philly emcee RJ Payne has come through to deliver his brand new mixtape Leatherface 3: There Will Be Blood, an unsettling and grimy journey into the depths of the underground. Drawing inspiration from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre films, Payne’s alter ego of Leatherface is a perfect encapsulation of his merciless lyricism.

On this latest twelve-track offering, Payne connects with a solid repertoire of supporting players, including Redman, Havoc, Ras Kass, Inspectah Deck, Flee Lord, Ransom, Vanderslice, and more. The project’s aesthetic is established off the bat, with the Reggie Noble-assisted “Blood Everywhere” putting Payne’s lyrical chops on full display — a pattern that never truly lets up.

Production-wise, Payne tends to favor dark gritty instrumentals, and he makes short work of them with a relentless flow and clever bar-work. There are plenty of punchlines to go around, and fans of lyricism will find much to appreciate throughout There Will Be Blood’s thirty-six-minute runtime. On the subject of vibe, this one captures a similar spirit as the Circle Of Tyrants album did back in 2005, with Payne’s approach and subject matter reminiscent of early Ill Bill. Should you look back on those works fondly, do yourself a favor and queue this one up right now.

For those who have opted to explore Leatherface’s basement, sound off with your favorite tracks and lyrics in the comments below. 

Alexis Skyy Curves Akbar V’s Apology For Coming At Her Special Needs Daughter

Love & Hip Hop cast members Akbar V and Alexis Skyy got into an altercation while leaving a club, which has continued to play out into a full mess on social media. 

Akbar V took the physical fight to another level by coming for Alexis Skyy’s disabled daughter who had nothing to do with the argument.

Akbar bluntly stated in a video rant, “You got a braindead baby. Your baby ain’t got a f***ing brain, b*tch you got a r*tarded child, and you mentioning my children.” She even took it further by attempting to blame Alexis for her daughter’s condition, suggesting drug use by saying, “While you was pregnant, you was in Miami on a boat snorting powder.”

 
Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Social media did not take Akbar V’s behavior well at all and shamed her for even bringing a child into the drama.

After the backlash, Akbar took to social media to apologize, noting that her behavior was unacceptable. She said that she is willing to change by stating, “I’m going to therapy and really about to heal myself…lay lay I apologize and to any other special needs kids that I offended.” 

Alexis Skyy screenshotted the apology and shared it with the caption, “Apology Not Accepted – Sincerely Alaiya Mother.” Fans applauded Alexis for standing up for her daughter and not tolerating Akbar’s behavior. On a Shade Room post, one fan commented, “Alexis ain’t wrong for her response either … you can’t come back for that or even forgive that.

With no reconciliation in sight, the costars’ friendship seems to be a thing of the past for now.

Four Years Ago Today, Young Thug Became “Country Billy” On “Family Don’t Matter”

Every once in a while, one just has to sit back and marvel at the enigma that is Jeffery Lamar Williams, a.k.a. Young Thug. The Young Stoner Life Records head honcho is currently on an awe-inspiring run in which he’s elevated himself and the artists around him to new commercial heights, but just a handful of years ago, Young Thug was one of the most unconventional artists in the music industry.

Coming off the incredible 10-track project Jeffery, Young Thug was in a great position to lean into his momentum and finally drop his debut album, which — at the time — was tentatively titled Hy!£UN35. Instead, Thug shocked the entire Hip-Hop community once again with the surprise release of Beautiful Thugger Girls on June 16, 2017.

Millie Go Lightly and Young Thug perform at Wireless Festival Day 2 at Finsbury Park on July 8, 2017 in London, England.

Four years later, it’s hard to reminisce on the country and R&B-tinged project without landing on the project’s opening track: “Family Don’t Matter.” The Millie Go Lightly-assisted cut was unlike any Young Thug song that fans had previously heard, but even despite all of the twang and country sonics, “Family Don’t Matter” still slapped and made for a great introduction into the one-off world of Beautiful Thugger Girls.

Revisit the intro track to Young Thug’s left-field country project by watching its music video below. How do you think “Family Don’t Matter” and Beautiful Thugger Girls as a whole have held up after four years?

Quotable Lyrics

Country Billy made a couple milli’
Tryna park the Rolls Royce inside the Piccadilly
Oh, he had a couple stripes actually (Of course)
Got another half a milli’ in white tees, of course (Don’t you panic)
Don’t you take this sh*t for granted, don’t you panic
When I put my D in your pants, don’t you panic
When I catch up with your b*tch, you know I’m smashin’

RJ Payne & Redman Rev The Chainsaw On “Blood Everywhere”

Philly emcee RJ Payne is revving the chainsaw following his new mixtape Leatherface 3: There Will Be Blood, and today the bar-slinging slasher has come through to unleash an upcoming cut from the project, teaming up with the legendary Redman and up-and-coming producer Cartune Beatz for “Blood Everywhere.”

As one might expect given Payne’s Leatherface alter-ego, there’s a dark and grimy aesthetic to be found throughout; in that sense, it’s similar to the visuals of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, easily one of the rawest horror flicks ever made. Following his standout work on Lloyd Banks’ COTI, Cartune keeps it moving behind the boards while Redman kicks things off with the hook. Though Reggie is admittedly used sparingly — it would have been nice to hear him bodying the spooky beat — RJ Payne more than makes up for it with a savage verse, luring you deeper into his decrepit mansion before hanging your body on the meathook. 

Check out “Blood Everywhere” now, and be sure to check out RJ Payne’s new mixtape Leatherface 3: There Will Be Blood. 

QUOTABLE LYRICS

Blicka to your head, click until your dead
These bullets will set you free, now you’re Jigga with the dreads
Every scripture’s a motion picture, you can vision what I said
If I speak of a threesome you can see the bitches in the bed

BIA, Sampa The Great, REMBLE + More Make The Squad Show

It’s a super competitive New Music Show edition of the Squad Show this week. Everyone from rap star BIA and REMBLE to hip-hop artist Sampa The Great make some serious bids for helping Squad members win the title. We first take a look back at last week’s contenders including the one and only VV$ Ken […]

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