Hip Hop News

On the evening of the Kentucky Derby weeks ago, Vibes Restaurant and Ultra Lounge employee Kasmira Nashs lost her life. Jack Harlow was at the location making an appearance in his hometown when chaos ensued and Nash was shot and killed inside of the venue. It was later shared that Harlow’s longtime friend and DJ Ronnie O’Bannon, stage name Ronnie Luciano, was arrested in connection with the crime. Police named O’Bannon as the shooter, and days ago, WDRB reported that his lawyer asserts Nash attacked his client multiple times.

Attorney Rob Eggert reportedly stated in court documents that  “there seems considerable evidence at this point that Mr. O’Bannon was attacked not once, but twice at Vibes Club by the deceased in this case.”

O’Bannon’s team has contended that the DJ was only retaliating in self-defense and asked the judge to release O’Bannon or, at the very least, allow him to await trial while on house arrest. Eggert added that O’Bannon isn’t a flight risk, doesn’t have much of a criminal history, and because he turned himself in, he can be trusted.

“He has supported himself and DJs not only for Jack Harlow, but for other artists,” Eggert wrote. “Mr. O’Bannon is not a flight risk.” It was noted by WDRB that O’Bannon has also been named as a person of interest in a separate fatal shooting that occurred at a different nightclub in Louisville, Kentucky back in August 2020.

Kathy Davis, Nash’s mother, said that she has no anger toward Jack Harlow for the incident. The rapper has previously stated that he has been in contact with Nash’s family. “I do not accuse (Harlow) or feel like it was entirely on him, because he’s an entertainer,” Davis said. “He was there to do a job, but I feel like the security and the owner of the club should have been more diligent in protecting and making sure it was secure.”

O’Bannon has already entered his not guilty plea.

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An unfortunate scenario took place outside of the Trap Music Museum in Atlanta this weekend. According to Fox 5 News, four people were injured in a shooting outside of the museum on Travis Street. Police said they responded to the shooting around 3:40 a.m. where they found three men who suffered gunshot wounds. The three victims were taken to a nearby hospital while a fourth victim, a woman, was reportedly shot and taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.

Clint Rauscher, a Uber driver who was picking someone up nearby, caught the shooting on his dashcam. “I heard some pops in the distance in the front and then I see everyone is running towards me. A couple of young girls dove behind a car and beside a car,” Clint Rauscher said. “I wasn’t concerned too much getting shot I was more concerned about the people in front of me that were running away from it that they might get shot.”

Police said that the four victims were heading to their vehicles when the perpetrators driving in a Dodge Charger began shooting. Police are investigating for a motive behind the shooting.

The Trap Music Museum in Atlanta is a hub that pays tribute to the deep history of the South’s contributions to hip-hop culture. Founded by T.I., it includes interactive exhibits as well as an escape room.

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It’s looking like Polo G is officially kicking off his rollout. Not only did the chart-topping rapper recently confirm that his upcoming album Hall Of Fame was one hundred percent finished, but he’s also come through to announce the next single, which appears to feature a guest appearance from the legendary Lil Wayne.

Taking to Twitter to break the news, Polo confirmed that “Gang Gang” will be landing this coming Friday, May 21st, complete with a music video. In addition to sharing a few behind-the-scenes pictures from the shoot, Polo also put forth a picture of himself linked up with Weezy, who is only recently coming off a standout performance on the YMCMB reunion “Seeing Green.” We can only hope that Wayne will continue where he left off on that one, as many fans concluded that he absolutely snapped as he did during his classic mixtape run.

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“So Used to Dem Grey Clouds I might fuck around drop the top Inna rain,” captions Polo, alongside the announcement. A likely glimpse into some of the lyrics to come, and it should be interesting to see whether Polo and Weezy opt to go melodic with it or capture that classic emcee spirit. After all, it wasn’t long ago that Polo was marveling at JAY-Z’s recent “Sorry Not Sorry” bars, so perhaps we’ll see him looking to follow suit. 

Either way, the wait isn’t too much longer, and “Gang Gang” may very well provide a deeper look into what Hall Of Fame might ultimately sound like. Be sure to sound off if you’re excited to see Lil Wayne and Polo G connecting as collaborators, and stay tuned for the full track and video to land on Friday, May 21st. For more on Polo G’s impact on the hip-hop game, check out our recent analysis Does Polo G’s “RAPSTAR” Video Mark A Paradigm Shift In Hip-Hop Culture?

In recent years, Killer Mike has been steadily putting out quality music alongside his trusted creative collaborator El-P. Together, the rappers make up Run The Jewels — easily one of hip-hop’s most consistent duos, arguably ever. Yet prior to releasing their debut album in 2013, Killer Mike had amassed a respectable discography on the solo tip, boasting five studio albums to his name between the years of 2003 and 2012.

While Monster gets credit for starting Mike’s journey and R.A.P Music is celebrated for uniting him with El-P for the first time, his fourth studio album Pl3dge tends to fly under the radar. Originally released ten years ago to this day, the album features guest appearances from T.I, Jeezy, Twista, Gucci Mane, Big Boi, and more. With El Producto yet to cross his path, production was largely handled by Smiff N Cash and Sweatbox Productions, as well as No I.D, The Beat Bullies, Tha Bizness, Raz, DJ Speedy, and Flying Lotus. 

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After it was brought to his attention that Pl3dge was celebrating its ten-year anniversary, Killer Mike hit Instagram to share a few words about the milestone. “It’s been 10 yrs,” he marvels. “Wow. #Happy420 more to come! Better every time too! Still growing! Still improving!” 

In truth, Killer Mike’s discography is one that probably deserves revisitation, and perhaps it’s the perfect time to dive back into Pl3dge and spend a bit of time unpacking some of the ATL emcee’s thoughts and preferred themes. Should you be among those who kept this project on steady rotation, be sure to hit the comments and share your own favorite tracks. Where do you think Pledge stands in Killer Mike’s solo catalog? 

Such things in life are inevitable, and DJ Khaled collecting gold and platinum for his already sizeable collection is one such thing. Despite the fact that his brand new album Khaled Khaled has only been out for a few weeks, the project has already been certified gold by the RIAA. Of course, it should be noted that previously-released singles “Popstar” and “Greece,” both of which featured Drake, likely played a role in the expeditious certification.

Either way, Khaled Khaled remains proof that DJ Khaled’s Midas touch has yet to fade in the slightest. Naturally, he took to his Instagram page to share a few celebratory words, confirming that his onslaught of music videos was set to continue. “KHALED KHALED officially certified gold,” he writes. #FANLUV THANK YOU!! MORE TO COME! WE JUST GETTING STARTED! #BodyInMotion VIDEO tomorrow!! #IDIDIT VIDEO May 27!!! @wethebestmusic @rocnation @epicrecords. LOOK AT GOD! Today is also the anniversary of the platinum album FATHER OF ASAHD.” 

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It should be interesting to see how long Khaled Khaled’s momentum can continue, as its platinum ascension is not a matter of if, but when. Given how quickly the project went gold, an additional five-hundred thousand album-equivalent units shouldn’t be too much of a problem for the K-Man. Not only has he been steadily dropping off music videos from the project, including clips for the Migos and H.E.R-assisted “We Goin’ Crazy” and the Justin Bieber and 21 Savage-assisted “Let It Go,” but he seems determined to keep the balling rolling, seemingly deriving sustenance from commercial success. 

How long before Khaled Khaled hits platinum? Sound off with your predictions below. 

Typically, celebrity weddings go down with a slew of paparazzi waiting to catch a glimpse of the married couple, whoever it may be. However, TMZ nor any tabloid publication was able to catch a glimpse of Ariana Grande who reportedly got married to her fiancé Dalton Gomez over the weekend.

According to TMZ, the couple was married at her home in Montecito, California. The private affair included twenty guests, mainly from their families. However, there wasn’t any actual “ceremony” involved. Grande and Gomez reportedly exchanged their “I dos” but without the formality of a wedding. It’s unclear whether the couple actually planned to get hitched or if it was entirely impromptu.

The couple got engaged in December 2020, right before the holidays. They’ve been rather public about their romance on social media and otherwise. Ariana Grande’s mother also co-signed their relationship after news of their engagement.

The home where the couple reportedly got hitched was previously owned by Ellen Degeneres who sold it to Ariana Grande for a cool $6.75M last June. 

No word from Ariana Grande herself confirming news of her marriage but this is certainly the type of material that would make for a great follow-up to her chart-topping album, positions.

We’ll keep you updated on any more news regarding Ariana Grande’s reported secret wedding. 

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