Timbaland says that he’s the one who discovered Ludacris. He recalled how he met the Atlanta rapper during an appearance on the I AM ATHLETE podcast. The topic of Ludacris came up while discussing Timbaland’s favorite Hip Hop artists of all time.
He began by naming Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, LL COOL J, Run-DMC, and Gang Starr. From there, he brought up Wu-Tang Clan, Fat Joe, Big Pun, OutKast, DMX, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, 8-Ball & MJG, N.W.A as well as A Tribe Called Quest, and finally, Ludacris. In bringing up Ludacris, he explained how he’s the one who discovered him.
Timbaland With Ludacris
UNITED STATES – JANUARY 01: Photo of LUDACRIS and TIMBALAND and Gabrielle UNION; L-R music producer Timbaland, actress Gabrielle Union and rapper Ludacris (Photo by Wendy Redfern/Redferns)
“I was the one who found Ludacris,” he said. “Because Ludacris was working in the radio station and I was like, ‘Hey, ain’t nobody sign you? What’s going on here?’ [He was like], ‘Nah man.’ Then he came down to Virginia and we did ‘Phat Rabbit,’ and from there, labels started calling. He asked me one time, ‘Would you sign to Def Jam or Eleltra?’ I said, ‘Man, you better go to Def Jam.’ And I didn’t know how the business go. I just backed them ’cause I knew he was incredible.”
Ludacris has previously been upfront about Timbaland being one of the first people in the industry to back him. When the two reunited for new music in 2019, Ludacris explained a similar story of the legendary producer discovering him. “Tim was the first person that really believed in me, along with Jermaine Dupri and Organized Noize,” he said at the time. “But in terms of really the very first person, [he] came to the radio station in Atlanta when I was working there. Timbaland was the first person who was like, ‘Who is that?’ And then [I] got on ‘Phat Rabbit’ and got on Tim’s Bio. Do your history, Google that. He’s the first person. So, to be back in the studio with him at this moment in time — for this juncture and this particular moment that is about to be monumental for me — is amazing.”
Kevin Gates has made plenty of baffling claims in the past. He once claimed that he jumpstarted a car with his bare hands – a statement that Akademiks pushed back against. Generally speaking, his holistic health advice has led many to wonder if he’s ever speaking the truth. Some have placed him as one of hip-hop’s most prolific liars while others feel like he simply likes to stir the pot. But, on the latest episode ofI Am Athlete, Gates provided a questionable response surrounding his immune system
Gates explained to the hosts that he hasn’t gotten sick in a long time, which he credits for frequently telling the truth. “From me not telling the truth, my throat chakra started getting blocked and I started getting sick. I started having colds until I opened my throat chakra and speaking the truth. I haven’t been sick since,” he said. The hosts appeared puzzled by the claim, though he broke down how his mental and physical health work with one another.
Kevin Gates’ Latest Claim
“When I was living at the other spot before I moved here, I used to be sick a lot,” Gates continued. “Just weak and everything because I wasn’t speaking my truth. And when I’m not speaking my truth, I’m not living in my truth. And when you set boundaries, you’re showing love for yourself.” Even though the hosts didn’t seem entirely convinced about Gates’ claims, they transitioned the topic to the amount of pressure he faces as a breadwinner. The Louisiana rapper said that, these days, he doesn’t have trouble telling people “no.”
“It’s okay to tell people, ‘No, not today,’” Gates added. “But I had a fear of telling people, ‘No.’ Once you tell a n***ga, ‘No,’ they act like you never told ’em, ‘Yes.’” While Gates ended the segment with a relatively understandable point, fans continued to pile on him for his claims. Shortly after, he shared a pictograph from Karen Barrios that details the different ailments connected to emotions. Check out Gates’ interview above and peep his tweet below. What do you think of Kevin Gates’ comments? Let us know in the comments below.
The Tweet
When you don’t speak up for yourself it causes stress in the body – be honest with yourself and others,setting boundaries for yourself is the greatest act of Self Love – I love you all pic.twitter.com/uzwgzorBDj
Few people have a Hip Hop history like that of Jermaine Dupri. The So So Def icon helped catapult careers into superstardom, and the megaproducer remains one of the most acclaimed hitmakers in the genre. Dozens of Dupri classics are staples on playlists regardless of how long ago the songs were released, so when he gives a hot take about Hip Hop, people pay attention.
Dupri was the most recent guest on the I Am Athlete podcast, and during the chat, he explained why he believes Hip Hop needs help. He recognized that Hip Hop is the NO. 1 genre but said, “We still in trouble because the Hip Hop that’s at the top is very, very limited.” He added, “The subject matter ain’t wide. It’s very, very narrow-minded.”
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – NOVEMBER 14: Jermaine Dupri performs at halftime during the Milwaukee Bucks v Atlanta Hawks game at State Farm Arena on November 14, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Dupri added, “If it’s gonna be across the board, it’s gotta open us up.” The producer was asked how can this be fixed. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a solution for what he believes ails Rap music. It isn’t a sentiment that is far-fetched; often, “old heads” are criticized for sharing similar opinions about the current state of the genre. The newer artists seemingly clap back, expressing that all eras of Hip Hop face pushback from previous generations.
Responses to Dupri’s comments have been a mixed bag. Some agreed and complained about the lack of lyricists in this current generation. Others thought Dupri was being too harsh on new artists. Elsewhere during the conversation, he answered critics who accused him of no longer being relevant in today’s music landscape.
Within the last few years alone, Dupri has earned himself several accolades. He was instrumental in developing Ari Lennox’s “Pressure” hit, and he worked alongside dvsn, as well. Now, fans are waiting for him to face off against a worthy opponent on Verzuz. If you ask Dupri, his choice is Diddy as Bad Boy could potentially meet So So Def in an epic match-up. Do you agree with Dupri’s take about Hip Hop being in trouble?
Two of the most common reasons behind athletes going broke after their professional career: bad investments and money management. On last month’s “I Am Athlete” podcast, guest and retired NFL linebacker D.J. Williams revealed his former financial advisor invested $1.2 million dollars in various bad investments early in his career that included an investment of $300,000 dollars into the music career of former Bad Boy Records artist, Sara Stokes.
“Remember when Puffy Daddy had ‘Making The Band’? Ya’ll remember Sara Stokes? The one … the light-skin girl, ” Williams begins to explain the investment at the podcast’s 22:06 minute mark of season 3 episode 21. “Puffy Daddy had ‘Making The Band,’ there was a young lady on there named Sara Stokes. She was a singer. She was like young, like I don’t want to throw her age out there but she had like three four five kids. All I knew was I invested $300,000 dollars into her music career.”
Williams would claim the investment was in result of leaving his finances to a power of attorney given to his financial advisor while he focused on playing professional football.
“What I’m saying was because of the amount of time and energy that I put into football,” he continued. “I’m going into these meetings and I’m sitting across from this man and I’m taking his word. And I’m just … Okay, yeah, that sounds good, that sounds good. What I’m saying is is if you already a million, relax, chill. Stop trying to rush to become a billionaire.”
Drafted in 2014 – 17th overall by the Denver Broncos – D.J. Williams received a $2.4 million dollar signing bonus his rookie year after signing a five-year deal valued at $9 million dollars – according to Spotrac.com. The linebacker would play ten seasons with the Broncos, earning over $35 million dollars. Williams played 12 seasons in the NFL before retiring in 2014 with the Chicago Bears.
It was never revealed throughout the interview if Williams was ever reimbursed for his investment. Stokes was signed to Bad Boy Records from 2002 to 2005.
Sara Stokes, 44, is a Detroit, Michigan recording artist, actress, journalist, best known as the singer in the former Bad Boy Record’s group Da Band. Formed in 2002, Da Band released their gold-selling debut album, Too Hot For TV, in 2003, which spawned hit songs “Bad Boy This, Bad Boy That” and “Tonight.” The six-member group had their journey documented on reality television for three seasons aired on MTV 2.
After Da Band, Stokes, mother of three, released multiple solo singles, independently, throughout the years, like 2015’s “Sneak Peek” featuring Babs Bunny and 2016’s “Fragile Heart.” Outside music, Stokes embarked in an acting career, known for roles in recent films, The Many (2019), The Enemy (2019) and Facade: Chapter 4.
News of the investment comes during a slew of other trending stories going viral right now surrounding Sean “Love” Combs with old clips from the popular 2000s MTV rap competition series Making the Band, which Combs executive produced, and several former music mogul’s artists releasing public criticism about the harsh treatment they endured their time on the reality show and under Diddy’s Bad Boy Records.
Freddy P, who was Diddy’s first choice when putting together former group Da Band, took to Instagram last week to criticize his former mentor and revealed him responsible for the Florida native’s multiple suicide attempts, all stemming from recounts of his time under Diddy’s tutelage.
“This year alone I’ve contemplated suicide three or four times,” he says in the video. “I done pictured my brother walking in and finding me dead. I cried a few times thinking about leaving my son because I just get tired of life. But no matter what you gotta do you just gotta keep at it … there’s n-ggas that wanna see you fall.”
He added: “Like this n-gga Puffy is the main muthafuckin’ reason why I hate fucking life, dawg. People don’t even understand. Like, I don’t even give a fuck. I’ve never been to a point where I thought of suicide my whole life, never. I mean, I’m a gangsta. I don’t even know how I started thinking like that. I done had it all and I fell to the bottom. How do you come back from that when you battling a giant? It ain’t got nothing to do with your skill no more ’cause your skill is 90 percent better than any n-gga that’s out there right now and the world knows it. But it ain’t your skills … the world is built on relationships.”
Freedy’s rant sparked reactions from fellow Da Band member Babs Bunny, who simply responded in an interview that the group just signed a “shitty contracts,” and Willie Taylor, formerly of the Making of the Band-created R&B group Day 26, who chimed in with the belief that the show and group was set up to “fail.”
The 52-year-old billionaire with ownership in Ciroc and his own television network, Revolt, addressed the claims of his former proteges last Monday via social media. On an Instagram Story, he writes, “STOP ALL YOUR CRYING, BITCHING & MOANING. HUSTLE HARDER OR GET THE FUCK OUT OF OUR WAY. – LOVE.”
All parties involved have not issued a statement on Williams’s revelation at press time.
Watch the latest episode of the I Am Athlete podcast below.
Prodigious rapper Lil Wayne recently went on the I Am Athlete podcast featuring Brandon Marshall, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, and Omar Kelly to talk about what he’s been up to. He just released a collaboration with Machine Gun Kelly on the new single “Ay,” and about a month ago he unveiled the music video for his track “Cameras” from his aptly-titled mixtape Sorry 4 The Wait. On this podcast, though, he was asked more about his process, including how long it takes him to write song lyrics since he’s practically known for his clever quips. “It depends on what it is,” he said. “When it’s my sh*t, on god, man, I could take seven weeks on two lines.”
Explaining why he has such an arduous process, he said, “I’ve said so much that I don’t ever wanna say the same thing. Also, you have to understand your audience. There were certain things I could have said to my audience in 95 that you’re not trying to hear right now. But you know I mean I could figure it out and that’s the beauty of it.”
Listen to the podcast above, where he also discusses Young Dolph, Drake, and where the state of rap is headed.
During the 2018 NBA Finals, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers were going against a juggernaut of the Golden State Warriors headlined by Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry.
Massive underdogs in the series, James and the Cavs, who had JR Smith on the team, had the Warriors on the ropes in Game 1. Then one of the most significant accidents in NBA history occurred; JR believed the Cavs had a 1-point lead and began t0 dribble out the clock instead of working for the last shot. The game would go to overtime, and the Cavs would lose that game and every other one in the series. JR Smith became a meme.
During his appearance on I Am Athlete, JR Smith spoke about the moment, saying it haunted him.
“I’ve been asked this question in certain situations but I’ve never felt as comfortable as I do in this element to say what I really wanted to say,” Smith says. “I ain’t gonna lie bro, I used to dream about that. I was in a depressed, depressed state because I really thought, ‘This is why I’m not in the league.’”
Smith would get another shot in the league, winning with James, Anthony Davis, and the Lakers in the NBA Bubble. Despite that, Smith believes the negative press of the moment impacted him not being in the league now.
“I know I’m still better than a lot of people who are still playing,” Smith said. “If I ever get to the point where I’m sick of the game, cool [I’ll retire]. But I’m not at that point. I’ve got a whole lot left in the tank.”
The entire episode is available here where Smith talks about life in the bubble, how George Karl ruined the Denver Nuggets, and more.
During the 2018 NBA Finals, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers were going against a juggernaut of the Golden State Warriors headlined by Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry.
Massive underdogs in the series, James and the Cavs, who had JR Smith on the team, had the Warriors on the ropes in Game 1. Then one of the most significant accidents in NBA history occurred; JR believed the Cavs had a 1-point lead and began t0 dribble out the clock instead of working for the last shot. The game would go to overtime, and the Cavs would lose that game and every other one in the series. JR Smith became a meme.
During his appearance on I Am Athlete, JR Smith spoke about the moment, saying it haunted him.
“I’ve been asked this question in certain situations but I’ve never felt as comfortable as I do in this element to say what I really wanted to say,” Smith says. “I ain’t gonna lie bro, I used to dream about that. I was in a depressed, depressed state because I really thought, ‘This is why I’m not in the league.’”
Smith would get another shot in the league, winning with James, Anthony Davis, and the Lakers in the NBA Bubble. Despite that, Smith believes the negative press of the moment impacted him not being in the league now.
“I know I’m still better than a lot of people who are still playing,” Smith said. “If I ever get to the point where I’m sick of the game, cool [I’ll retire]. But I’m not at that point. I’ve got a whole lot left in the tank.”
The entire episode is available here where Smith talks about life in the bubble, how George Karl ruined the Denver Nuggets, and more.
Last year, Boosie Badazz found himself facing backlash for some insensitive and transphobic comments he made about Dwyane Wade’s transgender daughter. Boosie’s remarks not only led to public scrutiny, but it also ended up getting him banned from his local Planet Fitness. Now, nearly a year later, Wade has directly responded to Boosie’s comments, saying that they were able to spark positive and necessary conversations about trans rights.
Wade recently sat down for a lengthy conversation on the I Am Athlete podcast. Throughout the interview, Wade opened up about the effects of toxic masculinity and the strength his daughter, Zaya, showed in coming out as transgender. Wade said that as soon as his daughter came out, he was committed to learning as much as possible about trans rights so that he could facilitate a happy and healthy life for her. The basketball player also addressed all the transphobic comments that were being thrown around after news broke of his daughter’s identity.
Name-dropping Boosie, Wade said the rapper’s comments were a way of bringing important conversations into the limelight: “Boosie, all the people who’ve got something to say about my kids, I thank you because you allow the conversation to keep going forward. You might not have the answer today, I don’t have all the answers, but we’re growing from all these conversations. I thank everybody for even hating and starting those conversations, because those conversations are starting other conversations that we need to have.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Wade described the moment he knew he needed to educate himself about trans rights in order to support his daughter:
“I’m looking at my child, scared to tell me, and I feel like I’m pretty open at this time. I realized that I need to do better, and I need to do more, and I need to educate myself. So what I did is I picked up the phone and I researched as much as I can because I needed to understand. I sat down with my child and I asked questions, because I didn’t know. It’s not our job and responsibility to tell you who you are. You are going to be who you’re going to be. It’s my job to put you in the best position to reach that goal of who you want to be. Right now, we’re experiencing that with Zaya. Last year, we came out and we spoke to the world that, hey, my 13-year-old came home and said, ‘Dad, this is who I am. I am a transgender child.’ We didn’t come out until she was 12, to the world. But the reason why we came out to the world was because I got tired of trying to hide my child. It came to the point where I said, am I hiding her from it, or I am hiding myself from it?”
Watch Wade’s full interview on the I Am Athlete podcast above.
