Hip Hop News

WandaVision is all wrapped up which means the MCU is about ready to debut their next duo-centric superhero show: Falcon & The Winter Soldier. The series will follow Falcon and Bucky Barnes as they wrestle with the legacy of Captain America and also fight Baron Zemo. The latter was also the main villain in Captain America: Civil War, so it’s nice to see him return. 

Trailers for the series have been getting the hype up among MCU fans, and critics who have seen the previews are giving positive reviews. Many fans were disappointed that WandaVision didn’t feature a much bigger cameo, like Dr. Strange, however, it doesn’t look like Falcon & The Winter Soldier will have that same issue. The series is already rumored to feature Florence Pugh’s new Black Widow Yelena Belova and William Hurt’s Thaddeus Ross. This would make sense and create a bridge between Falcon & The Winter Soldier and the upcoming Black Widow film. 

A new report is claiming that Don Cheadle’s War Machine may also make an appearance as early as the first episode. War Machine also has a Disney+ show coming called Armor Wars. It would make sense for Marvel to start interconnecting some shows, while others lead directly to movies (like WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multi-Verse of Madness).

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As of Friday, sources close to the couple reported that iconic celebrity duo Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez had decided to call it quits. They had reportedly called off their 2-year engagement and 4-year relationship entirely, leaving an army of lawyers, business managers, and aides to help fairly divide the couple’s assets. Alex Rodriguez is a known entrepreneur, and he and Jennifer Lopez often did business together throughout their relationship. 

According to statements from both Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez, the reports about them having broken up were extremely exaggerated, and they are still fighting to stay together. According to what the couple told TMZ, “All the reports are inaccurate,” and they “are working through some things.” The couple also told TMZ that the things they’re working through have nothing to do with a third party. 

The couple aren’t actually together at the moment, which could be some of the cause for confusion. Alex is in Miami and Jennifer is shooting a movie in the Dominican Republic, so they likely won’t be back together in person for a bit. It seems to be a relief for many that the couple are not splitting up, as it would be somewhat of a nightmare to divide their business and real estate assets, as well as their blended family of 4 combined kids. 

Hopefully, we’ll have more updates on the status of J-Rod’s relationship soon. 

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One year ago today, Breonna Taylor was killed by police in Louisville. Her story went under the radar for a few months although that all changed following the death of George Floyd in May. When people began to catch wind of what happened to her, Breonna Taylor’s name captured National headlines and her death ultimately sparked a social justice movement that eventually went International. Many are still seeking justice for Taylor, and over a year later, activists are still looking for ways to honor her and change the justice system to make cops more accountable.

LeBron James was one of the biggest voices when it came to those demanding justice, and on the one-year anniversary of her death, LeBron is making sure that Breonna Taylor is remembered.

“Continue to Rest In Paradise Queen Breonna,” James wrote. This tweet was in response to another post by James’ own More Than A Vote organization, which was instrumental in giving voting rights to those who are the most marginalized. LeBron has increased his stake in the political world over the years, and he certainly has a voice to make a difference.

Taylor’s story is one that continues to be jarring although the activism that spawned from it all has already made a huge difference. Hopefully, activists continue to pressure elected officials and create a better world that is safer and more inclusive for all.

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March got off to a great start if I do say so myself. Though the past few months have seen several solid releases, it seems like a few of the major names decided to pop out all at once at the top of the month. Of course, the release of Drake’s Scary Hours II remains the talk of the town, especially as we anticipate the release of CLB. 

This week’s Fire Emoji playlist highlights some of the latest from this week and the week prior. Lil Baby dominates with two appearances including his stand-out feature on “Wants & Needs” as well as his collaboration with EST Gee on “Real As It Gets” both earned their rightful positions on this week’s playlist. We’ve also included the latest offering from Rod Wave to began trending immediately after dropping his latest single, “Street Runner.” We’re excited to hear what he has up his sleeve for the remainder of the year.

Durk’s OTF compilation tape, Loyal Bros produced some major bangers. Memo600, particularly, had a few solid moments across the tape including his collaboration with Lil Uzi Vert on “Let It Blow.” He also appears alongside Durk, the late King Von, and Booka600 on “JUMP.” Both tracks were necessary inclusions this week.

Our Fire Emoji playlist also includes Juice WRLD’s “Life’s A Mess II” ft. Clever and Post Malone and new music from Jazz Cartier.

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Jay Z continues to give back. Something as simple as his signature can help charities earn millions. A unique bottle of the rapper’s D’USSÉ cognac was sold for a large chunk of change at a recent auction in New York City.

The signed bottle was special because it was released in 2019 to celebrate Jay Z’s 50th birthday. His signature made the bottle even rarer. It sold for $52,500 on Friday (March 12). The auction, which partnered with Sotheby’s for their first dedicated spirits auction, donated three one-of-a-kind bottles equaling $508,750.

Proceeds will go to The Shawn Carter Foundation, helping young professionals and recent college graduates looking to launch their own businesses. The bottle is called “Bottle No. 1” and is part of the D’USSÉ 1969 Anniversaire Limited Edition. It is the lone bottle in the collection. There are 50 bottles in the overall collection, however, the one with Jay’s signature is unique. The other 49 bottles were mostly given to Jay’s family and friends. 

Jay’s movements have been making waves, and recently, Akademiks came at the legend for what he says is “bait and switch” business moves. “Jay-Z bought a company, he said it was for Black creators,” he ranted. “He said people shouldn’t support Apple and Spotify because they’re White-owned and he wanted to have something for the culture, for the artists, by the artists, and he wanted to keep it Black-owned and he wanted to do it that way. He did many B-Side concerts and sh*t like that talking about Black excellence, Black power, you should support him because he owned a Black business even though we found out later when they went to Sweden at Tidal headquarters, pretty much not one of the employees or the higher executive people at Tidal were Black.”

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It’s been over 10 years since Bitcoin’s creation and there are still those who are skeptical of its value. Back in 2013, Crypto enthusiasts were urging their friends to invest in the currency when it only cost $100 per coin. In that Bull Run, Bitcoin went up to $1,000 before coming back down. In 2017, the currency shot past its former all-time high and reach an unthinkable milestone of $19,600. After hitting a low of $3,000 back in March of 2020, many thought Bitcoin was over.

Then, in May of 2020, the Halvening took place which is a phenomenon in which Bitcoin mining is cut in half, creating a supply shock. Since then, the price has skyrocketed and today, it reached a new all-time high of $60,000, and even at the time of writing this post, the marquee Cryptocurrency is holding that price.

Bitcoin had reached a high of $58,000 during the month of February although a correction came into play, with the price going all the way down to $43,000. This led to a reaccumulation phase where smart money investors bought the dip, and now, they are being rewarded for their patience.

It remains to be seen how long the Bull Run will last and what the peak will be in terms of price action. Some enthusiasts believe the price is going all the way to $500,000 while others have more conservative estimates of $100,000. Either way, Bitcoin investors are in for a wild ride and it seems like $60K might just be the beginning.

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One year ago today, 26-year-old Breonna Taylor was shot and killed while sleeping in her home in Louisville, Kentucky. Officers Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove forced entry into the apartment when they suspected that her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, was running a drug-dealing operation. The officers fired 32 shots, six of them hitting Breonna, which tragically resulted in her death. The murder sparked outrage across America and set off a wave of widespread protesting.

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Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is still fighting for justice alongside Taylor’s friends and family one year after the crime took place. On Saturday morning, Crump Tweeted, “1 year ago, Breonna Taylor was tragically killed in her own home, igniting a movement for racial justice and necessary change, which has prompted many cities and states to BAN no-knock warrants. 365 days have passed but the fight for justice for Breonna Taylor continues!!” 

Crump called Breonna Taylor’s murder a case of “sleeping while Black,” asserting that police’s no-knock warrants are unjust and need to be banned. All of the charges against Kenneth Walker, who shot at one of the plainclothes officers, have been dropped, and he filed a lawsuit against the city of Louisville on Friday. The FBI also noted on Saturday that they were still committed to investigating the circumstances of Taylor’s murder.

Hopefully, Breonna can receive her long overdue justice soon.