Hip Hop News

Fans Slam Diddy For Hypocrisy After He Penned An Open Letter Saying GM Exploits Black Artists

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Diddy, the founder of the network Revolt TV, has penned an open letter to General Motors to call them out for their performative activism. According to Diddy, GM claims they support Revolt while simultaneously making them fight for advertising money. Diddy ended his letter by demanding that corporate America “reinvest an equitable percentage of what you take from our community back into our community.” However, since Diddy himself has a history of underpaying smaller artists, many saw his words as hypocritical.

Sharing an open letter to GM on Revolt’s website, Diddy wrote:

“When confronted by the leaders of several Black-owned media companies, General Motors (GM) listed my network, REVOLT, as an example of the Black-owned media it supports. While REVOLT does receive advertising revenue from GM, our relationship is not an example of success. Instead, REVOLT, just like other Black-owned media companies, fights for crumbs while GM makes billions of dollars every year from the Black community. Exposing GM’s historic refusal to fairly invest in Black-owned media is not an assassination of character, it’s exposing the way GM and many other advertisers have always treated us. No longer can Corporate America manipulate our community into believing that incremental progress is acceptable action.

Corporations like General Motors have exploited our culture, undermined our power, and excluded Black entrepreneurs from participating in the value created by Black consumers. In 2019, brands spent $239 billion on advertising. Less than 1% of that was invested in Black-owned media companies. Out of the roughly $3 billion General Motors spent on advertising, we estimate only $10 million was invested in Black-owned media. Only $10 million out of $3 billion! Like the rest of Corporate America, General Motors is telling us to sit down, shut up and be happy with what we get.”

After Diddy shared his open letter, though, many called him out for doing the same thing.

Chicago rapper and activist Noname agreed with critics, pointing out that Diddy is close to being a billionaire. “diddy… about a 150 million away from being a BILLIONAIRE diddy is shaming white corporations for a capitalist business model he almost completely replicated,” she wrote. “abolish the black capitalist industrial complex.”

Another woman shared her own story, claiming Revolt approached her and asked her to make content without pay. “Diddy, it starts with us,” she wrote. “I was recently approached to host a show for Revolt and it came without pay. We cannot keep knocking white folks for their disrespect towards minority creators while doing the same thing to each other.”

Read Diddy’s full open letter here.

Brasstracks Teases Its Future With A Jazzy Cover Of Drake’s “What’s Next”

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The hype for Drake’s forthcoming sixth studio album Certified Lover Boy is unreal. Last month, the 6 God dropped the Scary Hours 2 EP, and all three of its tracks simultaneously debuted within the top three spots of the Billboard Hot 100. “Wants and Needs” and “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” were incredible tracks, but a month later, the EP’s opener “What’s Next” proves to be the song with the most commercial viability. The track currently sits at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it has apparently inspired a new cover from Grammy award-winning duo Brasstracks.

The duo, who earned a Grammy for their work on Chance the Rapper’s “No Problem,” dropped off their debut album Golden Ticket last summer, and now, roughly eight years later, they’re kicking off the next chapter of their career with a cover of Drake’s “What’s Next.” Three years ago, the duo also performed a jazzy rendition of Drake’s 2018 smash “In My Feelings,” so it’s only fitting that Brasstracks is taking on one of the Toronto artist’s latest singles.

When touching on the inspiration behind the “What’s Next” cover, Brasstracks co-founder Ivan Jackson says, “The minute I heard ‘What’s Next’ I heard two things- the first was some inspiration. The second was a challenge. We’ve definitely been wary recently of doing covers, but hearing this song sparked something in me- why not try it with a different chord every beat? There’s not many obvious melodies, so why not try some?”

The duo’s ambitious cover successfully adapts “What’s Next” into a snazzy and energetic fanfare, and although it relinquishes Drake’s quotable lyrics, Brasstracks’ cover more than makes up for it with its horn-driven groove. Check out Brasstracks’ cover of “What’s Next” below.

Lil Mama Claims She Has Been Ignored By Jay-Z

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Lil Mama’s fateful decision to crash the stage during Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ performance of “Empire State Of Mind” during the 2009 VMAs continues to remain an infamous moment in hip-hop history. Despite having previously revealed the profoundly negative impact her decision ultimately had on her mental health, that hasn’t stopped many from associating the rapper with her spontaneous and ill-founded encounter with the “Empire State Of Mind” duo.

In fact, a recent exchange with a digital heckler found Lil Mama reflecting on the incident. “I entered this industry as a teenage black girl from Brooklyn and Harlem NY,” she stresses. “These situations are with mature adults at least ten years my senior. I reached out in private to create an opportunity for communication and clarity. I haven’t heard back from either party yet. With that, continuously misrepresenting my brand in public won’t be tolerated.”

You know it, you’ve seen it. Kevin Mazur/WireImage/Getty Images

Though it’s been over a decade since Lil Mama’s infamous stage crash, it would appear that not everybody is willing to share a laugh. Lil Mama herself previously poked fun at the situation, wishing Jay-Z a happy birthday with a throwback picture that many don’t need a description to see. Alas, it doesn’t appear that Jay-Z has found the situation quite so amusing, and his silence in spite of Lil Mama’s attempted reach-outs remains telling. 

At the time, the Jigga Man shared a few thoughts on the matter with Angie Martinez. “To interrupt that moment for us, I don’t think that was the right thing to do,” he stated, revealing that Mama’s unexpected arrival angered him. “It was a lot of planning that went into that performance. To disrupt that was outta line.” 

Should Lil Mama’s claims be believed, it would be that neither Jay-Z nor Alicia Keys are particularly interested in letting this one slide, no matter how much time might pass. Check out her brief reflection on the situation below. 

South Park x Adidas Campus 80s “Towelie” Coming Soon: Photos

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4/20 is coming up in just a couple of weeks from now which means all of you stoners out there will be able to rejoice and celebrate the day that was made just for you. This time of year usually brings about some unique pieces of merch to help coincide with 4/20 and this year, that is exactly what Adidas is doing as they have announced some weed-themed sneakers. One of those shoes is actually a collaboration with South Park on a Campus 80s model that was made after the stoner character Towelie.

Just like the Towelie from the show, this shoe will be covered in a light purple lavender aesthetic, from head to toe. The midsole and the three stripes are white, all while South Park branding can be found on the insole. From there, Towelie’s eyes can be found on the tongue, and under UV light, they actually go red as if the character has gotten high. It’s a great little detail that all South Park fans can enjoy.

There is no release date for the shoe just yet although you can expect them to drop very soon. Let us know what you think of them, in the comments below.

Adidas
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Adidas
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Adidas
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Adidas
Image via Adidas

Soulja Boy Explodes On Juelz Santana + Tory Lanez

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Atlanta rapper Soulja Boy isn’t here for the capping. The hip-hop star has come forward to acknowledge possible shade coming his way courtesy of rap artists Tory Lanez and Juelz Santana. Soulja Boy Explodes On Juelz/Tory SB hit up his Twitter page to react to buzz about Juelz and Tory having issues with him. It’s […]

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Antonio Brown Reportedly Blocked JuJu Smith-Schuster On Social Media

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JuJu Smith-Schuster and Antonio Brown were a dynamic duo on the Pittsburgh Steelers not too long ago but these days, they do not have much of a friendship. In the midst of Brown’s exodus from Pittsburgh, he had a very public fallout with JuJu, where he called the wide receiver a bum and had even more harsh words on social media. Since that time, Brown has moved on to Tampa Bay and even won a Super Bowl, all while JuJu remains with the Steelers.

While appearing on The Michael Irvin Podcast, JuJu was asked about his relationship with Brown and how he feels about the star receiver. As Smith-Schuster explains, he wishes he could talk to AB and patch things up, but the receiver actually blocked him on every single platform, which has made it impossible for JuJu to reach out in any capacity.

Antonio Brown & JuJu Smith-Schuster

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

“Honestly bro, if I could reach out I would, but I can’t,” Smith-Schuster said. “He’s blocked me on all social media from Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter … my phone number. And we just live our lives.”

Needless to say, Brown wants nothing to do with JuJu, which is pretty unfortunate as their situation could have most certainly been resolved. For now, however, both men will continue to focus on their own careers, and help their teams achieve football glory.

Ari Lennox And Queen Naija Are Out For Revenge On ‘Set Him Up’

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Dreamville singer Ari Lennox links up with YouTuber-turned-R&B-ambassador Queen Naija on her latest single, “Set Him Up.” In somewhat of a thematic 180 from her last all-female duet with Jazmine Sullivan, “On It,” Ari and Naija take unfaithful men to task on their unconventional crossover. The track follows a loose storyline of two friends catching up on their racy escapades with their new lovers — only to realize that their new “lovers” are the same man.

This leads to the duo forming a plot to “set him up” with a dinner invite with an extra plus-one. The two share their delight at the prospect of playing out their revenge fantasy, which involves bringing the philandering fiend to his favorite restaurant, only for both women to confront him; “Ooh, girl, I cannot wait to see the look upon his face,” smirks Naija.

The collaboration is the latest in a string of duets featuring Lennox, including the aforementioned “On It” and Lucky Daye’s “Access Denied.” The increasing frequency of releases suggests that Lennox might be working on a follow-up to her fan-favorite 2019 debut album Shea Butter Baby.

Meanwhile, Queen Naija has been prepping the deluxe edition of her debut album, Missunderstood…Still, with an expected release on April 16.

Listen to Ari Lennox and Queen Naija’s “Set Him Up” above.

Soulja Boy Credits Himself W/ Popularizing BAPE

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Soulja Boy Credits Himself W/ Popularizing BAPE

Young hip-hop veteran Soulja Boy is putting respect on his name. The “Turn My Swag On” rapper went to social media to put respect on his fashion influence. Soulja Boy Credits Himself For Fashion Influence Soulja took to Twitter to make sure followers know he’s the reason people are wearing BAPE. The Japanese streetwear brand […]

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Pooh Shiesty Gets Platinum Plaque On Set With Gucci Mane

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If every year has a singular breakout star, these early months have made quite the case for 1017’s own Pooh Shiesty. Though he occasionally finds himself embroiled in controversy, using his platform to antagonize his rivals, many have gravitated toward the rapper and his recent Shiesty Season mixtape. So much so that he’s already in possession of a platinum plaque, the first of his career, for the Lil Durk-assisted “Back In Blood.”

Having been officially certified by the RIAA on March 31st, Pooh Shiesty only now received a physical copy of his plaque, an experience he documented and shared on Instagram. From the look of it, Shiesty was on set shooting a music video with Gucci Mane when the plaque arrived, and he proceeded to take a few pictures to commemorate the occasion.

Given that the pair recently connected for an “Ugly” video, their lone collaboration off Shiesty Season, it stands to reason that the pair have something new on the way. Additional footage — including a clip that finds Shiesty bestowing the 1017 leader with an icy chain — can be seen on Guwop and Pooh’s respective Instagram pages. 

“Damn Lil Dude Really Did It,” writes Shiesty, on the set surrounded by models clad in red and white attire. One, in particular, holds a sign that reads “The New 1017,” the same message emblazoned on Gucci Mane’s custom basketball jersey. Don’t be surprised to see further news on this upcoming video to surface in the near future, and sound off in the comments if you think Pooh Shiesty is destined to amass a healthy collection of gold and platinum plaques in his collection.