J. Cole Racks Up A Massive Amount Of RIAA Certifications

J. Cole’s discography is stacked with hits. However, what is a little more impressive is that a great deal of them are more on the lyrical side. He certainly has some of the more thought-provoking tracks over the past 10 years or so. All of this hard work and talented craftsmanship has led to an ultra-successful career. What has really solidified Cole’s stature within hip-hop lore has been his incredible run over the past couple of years. 2021 saw him return after a three-year solo album hiatus. The Off-Season provided so many memorable tracks.

“9 5 . s o u t h,” “a m a r i,” “m y . l i f e,” and so many others all provide something unique to the table. Then, after that, his feature run was absolutely incredible. He teamed up with Travis Scott, BIA, Young Thug, Drake, the list goes on and on. What is criminal about all of this, is that he has not grabbed a number-one hit until this year with “First Person Shooter.” While he was appreciative of the moment, it was not solely his song. However, you can argue he made the track what it is.

Read More: Mike Tyson Net Worth 2023: What Is The Boxing Heavyweight Legend Worth?

Is J. Cole The Best Rapper In 2023?

 
 
 
 
 
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But, Cole can ignore all of the debating and just revel in his successes. Some social media posts, as well as information from the RIAA, confirm over 20 certifications. HipHopDX also mentioned that “All My Life” with Lil Durk has just gone two times platinum. Other certifications include The Off-Season going platinum, and his massive triumphant anthem “MIDDLE CHILD” nearing diamond status. Congratulations to J. Cole on all of these plaques!

What are your initial thoughts on these new RIAA certifications that J. Cole just earned? Does this solidify him as the best modern-day rapper? Has he been the best artist in the hip-hop genre for the past three years? We would like to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your hottest takes in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest breaking news around J. Cole, as well as everything else going on in the music world.

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Ludacris Returns To Hip-Hop With Paul Wall & Memphis Bleek Onboard

Ludacris, Paul Wall, Memphis Bleek

After an eight-year hiatus, Ludacris is ready to return to music, and he’s not coming back alone. Fellow artists Paul Wall and Memphis Bleek seem to also be on board. With these powerhouses to return to hip-hop, fans can expect nothing short of greatness.

Ludacris Gets Honest

On Nov. 21, Ludacris sat down with BET to discuss his plan to get back into his music bag after an eight-year hiatus. 

During the interview, the actor/rapper revealed that he has been working on music projects set to be released in 2024. Although he didn’t specify whether it would be an EP or an LP, the rapper expressed his eagerness to share new material with his fans. Ludacris explained:

“Yeah, some music projects will be coming out next year. I don’t wanna fake, I don’t wanna stutter-step. It’s definitely some music coming next year, but I don’t know if it’s like an EP or an LP. We’re going to figure it out. These movie projects like Fast & Furious and doing a lot of things like the Karma’s World project that’s on Netflix. You know, doing other art forms where I’m creative, where I’m putting my heart into that, I want to make sure that I leave a legacy on this earth.  So it was just taking a step back and getting hungry again, living some life. ‘Cause when you put out music, in order for it to be organic and real, you gotta talk about what goes on in your life. So if I had like nine consistent albums, sometimes you gotta take a step back and live some life so that you have a lot more to talk about and that’s what I was doing.”

The “Get Back” rapper also explained that he didn’t want to necessarily talk about what his new music would sound like because it was “premature” and he had been “working on a lot of stuff.” 

Ludacris said he still has some goals he’d like to reach, including playing a villain on the big screen. The “How Low” rapper expressed:

 “I definitely would love to be a part of the Marvel universe or DC universe, but I wouldn’t mind playing the villain that doesn’t die. That’s what I’m looking for — one of those roles or like a Training Day villain-type role.”

Ludacris With More Acting Ventures

Speaking of the Fast and Furious actor’s film career, Ludacris and Lil Rel Howrey are set to bring holiday joy in the Disney+ Christmas film Dashing Through The Snow. 

In the recently released trailer, with rapper Lil Jon’s distinctive voice, the film unfolds the heartwarming journey of Ludacris as “Eddie Garrick,” a divorced social worker, and his daughter Charlotte, portrayed by Madison Skye Validum, as they embark on a magical Christmas Eve adventure.

Paul Wall Back In The Slab

Meanwhile, Paul Wall has been making moves of his own, releasing his second single titled “Covered In Ice.”

The track showcases the Houston rapper’s signature Southern sound and reflects the lifestyle and culture of his hometown. Accompanied by a music video featuring notable artists such as Bun B and Chalie Boy, titled, “Roll Skate, Bounce,” Paul Wall pays homage to his city while solidifying his place in the rap game.

Memphis Bleek Joins The Wave With A New Artist

Joining the wave of comebacks, New York rapper Memphis Bleek has resurfaced after a ten-year hiatus from music.

Bleek teamed up with Milwaukee’s rap artist Huey V on the track “Mo Money, Mo Problems.” With their shared mentor relationship and Bleek’s lyrical contribution, the collaboration encapsulates Huey V’s journey from the streets to success.

Drake Breaks His Silence

Another rapper who with their shared mentor relationship and Bleek’s lyrical contribution recently broke their hiatus was Drake. The Canadian rapper sent shockwaves through the music world with a surprise announcement of his upcoming EP, Scary Hours 3, following his hiatus declaration. The chart-topping artist captivated fans by sharing a dynamic two-minute trailer, teasing its release.

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Halle Bailey Shares Her Side Of Narrowing Nail Salon Story

Earlier this week, a surprise beef sparked online between Halle and Chloe Bailey and a nail salon. It started when Halle’s boyfriend DDG took to Twitter with an inflammatory post accusing the salon of racism. He went even further asking his followers to bomb the salon’s Yelp page with 1-star reviews. Thought he has since deleted the tweet, much of the damage is already done.

The salon owner herself shared a video sharing her side of the story, claiming that Chloe was late for her nail appointment at the salon. She also explained that the backlash has been so dramatic that she’s scared to go to work because of threats made against her. After backlash to the original fan backlash began to mount, Halle Bailey felt the need to clarify her side of the story. She took to Instagram to share an explanation of the events that went down and the role she played in them. Check out her full story below.

Read More: DDG Trolls Halle Bailey Pregnancy Conspiracy Theorists: “The Internet So Gullible”

Halle Bailey Tells Her Story

In her version of events, Halle explains that she made a reservation at the nail salon for her and Chloe. She claims she made it clear in advance that Chloe would be a bit late for the appointment, which the salon claimed was okay. But when the actual appointment arrived, she said they weren’t okay with Chloe being late anymore. The sequence ended when the salon refused to treat Chloe due to her lateness and the sisters left after they experienced reportedly rude behavior.

In the comments, fans mostly took the side of the salon owners. “Idk I feel bad for the lady. Y’all do be taking stuff too far. The threats and harassment is unnecessary. At the end of the day, she still got a business to run. And she was nice by allowing 15 mins late,” one of the top comments reads. “Being late af for your appointment that YOU set a time and day for is actually insane,” another comment agrees. What do you think of the new details Halle Bailey shared about the recent nail salon drama? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: Halle Bailey Joins Oprah To Promote “The Color Purple,” Fans Think She’s Hiding Her Stomach

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Boosie Forgives Rod Wave, Plans Legal Action Against Kodak Black & YG In Recent Feud

Kodak, Boosie, Rod Wave

Despite recent back-and-forth disputes, Boosie has taken to social media to express his willingness to collaborate with Rod Wave. In addition to forgiving Wave, the Louisiana native revealed his intentions to pursue legal actions against fellow rapper Kodak Black. Boosie has also recently called out YG for the same situation. 

Boosie Rants On Social Media 

On Tuesday, Nov. 21, on his Instagram live, Boosie made it clear that he’s open to working with Rod Wave, hoping to resolve their disagreements through musical collaboration. 

However, this conciliatory gesture doesn’t mean the “Set It Off” rapper plans to back down in his legal battle against Kodak Black. To add to the mix, Boosie has now called out YG for his song, “Who Do You Love.” The Badazz rapper stated on his Instagram: 

“Check ya DM @yg MY G SO WE CAN TAKE CARE THIS ‼

Boosie continued:

 “I aint tryna break no nigga pockets. Im a business man. Im fair game. Just want my lil cut bro. Say he was gon get back at me. He aint hit me back yet. That was earlier this morning so hopefully he get back to me.

Before The Consensus 

Boosie previously aired his disappointment with Rod Wave for sampling his song “Long Journey” without authorization, adding him to the list of rappers he intends to sue. 

The Louisiana rapper didn’t stop there, pointing out that other artists had also used his music without permission. He emphasized the importance of proper compensation and recognition in the business of music. Boosie stated: 

 “Rod Wave Did it the best no cap…. Rod Wave ain’t the only one . Y’all better do y’all research. Rod Wave ain’t the only one. Lot of people got paper work on the way. It ain’t just Rod Wave. And it’s crazy cause all of em name it the same song.  Nah I ain’t in my feelings. I’m smiling. I ain’t mad. I love when they do that shit. When I hear people done took my shit and sang my shit and put it on records , they giving me my flowers you know. It’s just you gotta compensate me too. It’s a business you know? Just like you do everybody else. They supposed to reach out and be like “man we need to give you your writer’s share, your publishing on this record…”

Rod Wave Responds 

Rod Wave responded to Boosie’s claims, expressing his willingness to meet and resolve the matter without the need for a lawsuit. 

Wave made it clear that he respects Boosie’s talent and was even prepared to provide fair compensation. He further pleaded his willingness to do right by Boosie and took the plea to his Instagram stories. The “Turks and Caicos” artist stated:

“Man this shit got to stop. You ain’t got to sue no nigga like me man. Ima pull up. Fuck you talm bout suing me. I’ll pull up in you bro. Tell me a number. Tell me a real number though. Ima pull up to make sure you straight. You don’t got to sue me…. “ On my momma boosie big bra I fw ya tell me a real number yeen even gotta do all dat tell me a number ima pull up and bring it to you!!” 

However, Boosie wasn’t convinced and defended his decision to take legal action, highlighting the business aspects at play. He responded to Wave via Twitter(X), and stated: 

“How is it foul? Its buizness n you know that. You aint go do that to no other major label without compensating them with they splits why do it to a ni*** you looked up too. U expect me to let u take my kids publishing gtfoh stop playing victim my ni*** is u go sample no limit.”

Boosie Goes In On Yak 

In addition to his disputes with Wave, Boosie called out Kodak Black for sampling his song “Let Me Ease Your Mind” without permission. Boosie voiced his disappointment on Twitter, lamenting the lack of fair business dealings between them. The “Set It Off” rapper stated: 

“DAM @kodakblack EVEN THO WE FELL OUT WE COULDA DID FAIR BUIZNESS”

Although Kodak has yet to respond, Boosie’s intentions to pursue legal action are crystal clear.

Fans have eagerly weighed in on the situation. One fan (@fyee.ang) on instagram stated, “ Definitely should’ve got that figured out w Boosie first not wait til you get caught up. Mfs just have no respect yall want boosie to spare rod but rod ain’t spare Boosie dropping dat shit and aint pay no dues especially when u up no excuse.” 

Another fan (@j.holiday4) stated, “I mean Boosie ain’t told no lie. That’s just like yall go Gucci and pay the price but then as your friends for a discount. It’s the principle not even the money. If he wouldn’t do it to Diddy or Michael Jackson then why do it to Boosie. He know how business work and still decide to sample without the proper protocol and this is coming from a die hard Rod fan.”

Rod Wave’s Unoriginal Flow?

This wouldn’t be Rod Wave’s first time swiping lyrics and Melodie’s. 

One user (@RealTwanBrown) on Twitter(X) called out Wave for also swiping Jay-Z’s lyrics from “Song Cry” into his “2019.” The user stated, “See Boosie was one thing but now I think it’s time for legal action lol son card getting pulled cmon Rod Wave.”

In addition, Rod has also taken lyrics from artists such as Drake and Tupac.

Before The Lawsuit

Seems like Boosie may have a bullseye on Yak’s back. Boosie had aimed at Kodak Black in a diss track titled “Ungrateful.” In the song, the Baton Rouge rapper criticized Kodak for working with someone he considers a “snitch,” referring to 6ix9ine’s cooperation with law enforcement in his 2018 RICO case. 

Boosie vs Torianna Hatch

Boosie is no rookie when calling others out. In August 2023, Boosie dropped a diss track that addressed the deteriorating relationship between him and his daughter. The track came after a recent social media war in July 2023, where the Louisiana rapper took back the pink Benz he had gifted his daughter for her birthday, sparking a wave of backlash.

GloRilla Faces Lawsuit For Unauthorized Sample

On a similar note of facing a lawsuit for unauthorized use of music, New Orleans rapper Ivory Paynes had filed a lawsuit against Memphis rapper GloRilla and producer Macaroni Toni, alleging that they used “key elements” from his 1994 song “Street Of The Westbank” to create GloRilla’s hit song “Tomorrow” without permission. Paynes had named Collective Music Group (CMG), Warner Chappell Music, and Sony/ATV Music in the lawsuit.

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The JFK Assassination Serves As Mad Dog’s Bizarre Opening Rant On “First Take”

Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo’s What Are You Mad About? segment on today’s episode of First Take got off to a weird start. In what was meant to be a rant about Thanksgiving, Mad Dog instead opened by sharing his thoughts on the 1963 assassination of then-US President John F. Kennedy. “If anybody out there thinks that Lee Harvey Oswald did that by himself, they’re taking gummies with me. Lee Harvey Oswald, he, uh, that was not a solo deal with the President of the United States, may I say that?” Mad Dog asked before eventually moving on.

Of course, the idea that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone in killing President Kennedy is one of the most popular conspiracy theories around. Today (November 22) marks the 60th anniversary of JFK’s death, but it still doesn’t explain why Mad Dog brought it up on the sports talk show that he helps host. Maybe he’s been watching the same TikToks as Meek Mill?

Read More: Mad Dog Dedicates “First Take” Rant Segment To Stephen A. Smith And Shannon Sharpe’s Bromance

Stephen A. Debates The GOAT Of Cars

However, Mad Dog is not the only First Take who has gone a little off-rails this week. On The Stephen A. Smith Show, Stephen A. took a bizarre tangent of his own thanks to a caller. “Danny from Wisconsin” called in to ask Smith about the in-universe GOAT debate between Lightning McQueen and Strip Weathers from the movie Cars. “When you’re talking about the GOAT, you can’t talk about Lightning McQueen. He’s tied…He has seven Piston Cups. But so does Strip “The King” Weathers. Strip Weathers has seven Piston Cups. You forget about him?” Smith asked “Danny from Wisconsin”. However, Danny attempted to push his luck, trying to argue that Lightning had more circuit wins at 28.

“I am not about to sit here and argue with a grown-a– man about the movie Cars,” Smith shot back as Danny tried to say his piece about Lightning McQueen. However, Danny tried to switch gears to the Fast & Furious franchise to argue the validity of the question, which prompted a signature Stephen A. response. “YOU’RE NOT A LITTLE KID. YOU’RE 21. YOU WOULD HAVE A POINT IF YOU WERE 7 YEARS OLD CALLING ME. YOU’RE 21 YEARS OLD. WHAT ARE YOU DOING, WEARING A DIAPER? GOODBYE, MAN,” Smith screamed down the phone at Danny.

Read More: Snoop Dogg’s Decision To Stop Smoking Gets Perfect Response From Stephen A. Smith

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Lauryn Hill Announced She’s Postponing Her Remainining 2023 Tour Dates Due To Issues With Her Medication

lauryn hill
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Lauryn Hill has announced that she is canceling her remaining tour dates, following the now-final performance she has in Philly this weekend. She had been playing shows both with a set tied to the 25th anniversary of her solo debut and with the Fugees in support of their time as a band.

In an Instagram post, Hill described how she was feeling the effects of her Prednisone prescription — that she was taking to get through vocal strain on the tour.

“As many of you may know, I’ve been battling serious vocal strain for the past month,” she wrote. “I made it through each show by taking prescribed prednisone, but this can be detrimental to the body when taken in large amounts over long periods of time. In order to prevent any long term negative affect on my voice and my body, I need to take time off to allow for real vocal recovery so that I can discontinue the medication completely.”

However, there is a positive side — the dates that have been canceled will be rescheduled for sometime in early 2024. “Because of the overwhelming response, we’ll be adding new cities to the tour, including overseas,” Hill added. “We’re working on the new calendar now, and announcing soon.”

Check out Hill’s tour cancellation post below.

Former Bad Boy President Harve Pierre Is Accused Of Sexual Assault And Grooming In A New Lawsuit

Harve Pierre Bad Boy 2009
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Harve Pierre, the former president of Bad Boy Entertainment, is facing a lawsuit accusing him of grooming and sexually assaulting his assistant, Rolling Stone reports.

The complaint was filed in New York County Supreme Court and it reads in part, “Pierre used his position of authority as plaintiff’s boss to groom, exploit, and sexually assault her. Pierre engaged in a year-long pattern of grooming plaintiff, leading to sexual harassment of plaintiff, and sexual assault.”

The plaintiff, who remains anonymous, alleges Pierre sexually assaulted her multiple times in 2016 and 2017, which caused physical, emotional, and psychological injuries, as well as pain and suffering. She is seeking damages that will “fully and fairly compensate” her.

The suit also lists Bad Boy Entertainment, Bad Boy Records, and Combs Enterprises as co-defendants, saying, “Defendants knew or should have known that Pierre was unfit to be in a position of authority before Pierre sexually assaulted plaintiff.” The suit claims the companies did not “properly supervise” Pierre.

A Bad Boy spokesperson told Rolling Stone, “We have recently become aware of a lawsuit filed in New York by a former employee. The allegations are from many years ago that were never brought to the attention of the company. Neither the plaintiff nor the executive are current employees of the company. We are now investigating the allegations, and our top priority is the safety and well-being of our employees.”

This comes just days after Bad Boy founder Diddy settled a rape and physical abuse lawsuit filed against him by Cassie.