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Michael Jackson’s Son Prince Pens Tribute 15 Years After Singer’s Death

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Michael Jackson cast a towering shadow over the music world. He transcended the medium altogether, and redefined what it meant to be a pop star, for better or worse. June 25 marked the 15th anniversary of Jackson’s passing, which led to various social media tributes from fans. The most notable statement released, however, was from the King of Pop’s own son, Prince Jackson.

Prince, who was only 12 years old when Michael Jackson died, posted a photo alongside his father on Instagram. “Miss you pops,” he wrote in the brief, albeit touching caption. “The world felt better with you in it.” Prince has made less controversial remarks about MJ than his sister, Paris, has, sticking mostly to happy childhood memories. He did just that during a KTLA interview back in March. Prince told the outlet that Michael Jackson never pushed him to pursue a career as an entertainer. “My dad used to say, ‘I don’t care what you want to be when you grow up, you just have to be the best at it,’” he recalled.

Read More: Michael Jackson Estate’s Funds Frozen By IRS In Tax Dispute With His Family

Prince Approves Of The Upcoming Michael Jackson Film

Michael Jackson’s legacy is more relevant than ever. The pop star’s career will serve as the focus of the upcoming film Michael, which is slated for release in April 2025. The titular role will be played by MJ’s nephew (and Prince’s cousin), Jaafar Jackson. Prince is not involved with the production, but he did give the film, and its creators, his blessing. He also posted a photo of Jaafar Jackson in character as MJ, and praised his performance. “Watching you perform and work your butt off,” Prince wrote on Instagram. “Is the closest I’ll ever come to watching my dad in concert and it’s been a dream come true! Proud of you cuz!”

Prince Jackson wasn’t the only one who paid tribute to the King of Pop this year. Jackie Jackson, MJ’s older brother, posted a photo of both of them performing on IG. “Hard to believe it’s been 15 years without you,” he wrote. We miss you everyday.” Tito Jackson also took to social media to share a black-and-white photo of his brother in his artistic prime. He didn’t provide any text, but Tito did use the hashtags #gonetoosoon and #missyoumuch.

Read More: Janet Jackson Raises Fans’ Eyebrows By Posing With A Michael Jackson Impersonator

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Beyonce Shares Lavish New Vacation Pics With Jay-Z

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Beyonce and Jay-Z may have recently lost a $200 million real estate record to the Oakley founder, but they’re not letting that ruin the view in front of them. Moreover, the former just posted a series of sultry photos and sweet snapshots on Wednesday (June 26) from a boat escapade she had with her partner Hov, including some revealing fit pics and gorgeous ocean views. It seems like the power couple is getting busy with Fourth Of July celebrations early, perhaps in the Hamptons or in some other fancy and lavish locale. Either way, it seems like they’re living it up and happy to make us green with envy in the process.

Furthermore, this vacation time might cut into some of Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s other endeavors, but it serves as a warranted break, too. Queen Bey’s been very busy with COWBOY CARTER, her new haircare line, and a potential Vegas residency in the works. On that last point, that’s mostly speculation, but after how the RENAISSANCE tour captivated audiences worldwide, fans will always ask for more. Hopefully we get an update on that sooner rather than later.

Read More: Sean Paul Claims Chance Encounter Led To Classic Beyonce Collab

Beyonce’s New Instagram Post

Meanwhile, Beyoncé’s husband Jay-Z hasn’t dropped anything music-wise in a pretty long time, and legendary hip-hop artists continue to chase that white whale and try to pull him from the shadows. “Jay always been on my list,” The Alchemist expressed during a recent sit-down with fellow producer Cardo. “I been saying it for a hundred years. It’s Jay-Z. I would love to. We linked but I keep the faith.” However, Uncle Al did also make it clear that he wouldn’t want to pressure the Brooklyn MC into anything that he doesn’t want.

Still, it looks like we’re getting relatively new Jay-Z material soon, as Shaq might drop the first ever collab between him and Nas on digital streaming platforms tomorrow (Friday, June 28). Hopefully it’s as fire as it sounds on paper if it does drop. As for Beyonce, we’re sure she’ll have a lot more to do this year, and that more surprises will follow. After all, a luxury vacation on a fancy boat is the least surprising thing either of them could do.

Read More: Beyonce & Jay-Z’s Lack Of Recent Public Appearances Linked To Alleged Diddy Friendship By Industry Insider

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Drake Posts Cryptic Photo Of AI Robot After Kendrick Lamar Battle

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2024 has not been kind to Drake. The Toronto rapper took the biggest L of his career in the Kendrick Lamar battle. To make matters worse, the impact of Lamar’s victory has been immortalized by the song “Not Like Us” and the Juneteenth “Pop Out” show. Drake has no choice to but to wait out the storm, and drop good music. The rapper has continued to play games on social media, however. He’s posted cryptic photos on his Instagram, and his latest post may be his most intriguing.

On June 26, Drake posted a photo of an AI robot. No text or additional sound. Just a robot sitting, and looking vaguely pensive. The meaning of the photo is open for interpretation, given often Drake has been linked to AI technology in recent months. K. Dot referenced Drake’s “Taylor Made Freestyle,” in which the latter used AI to impersonate Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg, during his Pop Out” concert. “Y’all ain’t gonna let anyone disrespect the West Coast or mock our legends,” Lamar told the audience. He also demanded that Drake return the Tupac ring he purchased in 2023. Drizzy could be trolling in return.

Read More: Drake Seemingly Teases Upcoming Collaboration With Dave

Drake Used AI Technology To Diss Kendrick Lamar

Sheryl Crow was also irate over Drake’s AI usage. The singer told BBC that Drake’s decision to use AI to impersonate the dead was distasteful. “It’s hateful,” Crow declared. “It is antithetical to the life force that exists in all of us.” So he could be referring to that. Drizzy could also be alluding to the recent lawsuit filed against the AI company Udio. Udio was used by Metro Boomin to make the disstrumental “BBL Drizzy.” Per CNN, the Recording Industry Association of America filed copyright infringement cases against the developers of Udio for its use of unlicensed recordings.

Drake’s connection to “BBL Drizzy” makes its AI origins even more complicated. The rapper decided to spit over the instrumental on the Sexyy Red song “U My Everything.” It was meant to take the sting out of Metro’s original. Now, however, it serves as another example of Drizzy using AI in his music. It’s possible that Drake’s AI robot post has nothing to do with the lawsuit. Or the Sheryl Crow comments. Or the Dot concert, for that matter. It could be a teaser of what Drake plans to drop next. What that is, we will just have to wait and see.

Read More: Drake “OVHOE” Chant Fails Miserably As BNYX Blasts The Megastar’s “Meltdown” Verse

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Drake Seemingly Teases Upcoming Collaboration With Dave

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Drake is not letting the Kendrick Lamar battle get to him. Not publicly, at least. The rapper has continued to drop new music. A lot of it, actually. He linked up with Sexyy Red, dropped a head-scratching cover of “Hey There Delilah.” He also has two guest spots on Camila Cabello’s upcoming album. If Drake’s social media is anything to go by, though, the rapper has got even more collabs planned. A cryptic photo of UK rapper Dave surfaced on Champagne Papi’s Instagram. All signs point to a new song between the global superstars.

Drake posted a photo of Dave by a body of water. The rapper’s body is turned away from the camera, and he appears to be mixing music. He’s sitting at a desk with two speakers and a laptop. No text, but Drake knows exactly what he’s doing by being as cryptic as possible. Fans also know that Drake is an enormous fan of Dave, and has been for years. The Toronto superstar made a surprise appearance at Dave’s Canada show in 2022. The duo performed their lone collab, “Wanna Know,” before Drake gave Dave his flowers. “This guy right here is a once in a generation talent,” he told the audience. “I promise you, this guy right here is a one of one. Make some motherf**kin’ noise for Dave.”

Read More: Vory Defends Drake After Ryan Garcia Accuses Him Of Killing XXXTentacion

Drake And Dave Haven’t Collaborated Since 2016

Drizzy and Dave’s relationship actually goes beyond music. The latter played Modie in Top Boy series 3, which was executive produced by Drake. Dave has always credited Drake with broadening his audience. He also commended the 6 God’s ability to splice different sounds into a cohesive whole. “Drake’s ability to embrace different cultures within music is what makes him the best artist alive right now,” Dave told The Guardian. Drake helped but Dave on, but it’s worth noting that Dave has continued to get bigger since their 2016 collab.

Dave scored a number one UK single with “Starlight” in 2022. A year later, he teamed up with Central Cee for another number one, “Sprinter.” The latter topped the charts for 10 weeks, making it the longest-running number-one rap song in UK history. In other words, Dave is a superstar. Drake’s reputation is an all time low, on the other hand, so another collaboration may actually benefit him more than it would his UK brethren. Do you want to see Drizzy and Dave link back up for a hard-hitting single?

Read More: Drake Becomes First Artist To Hit 100 Billion Streams On Spotify

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Chloe Bailey Responds To Criticisms That She’s Too Dorky To Be A Pop Star

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The transition from wholesome teen star to mature pop star is tough. Most artists flop trying. Others push the “mature” envelop too far, and ruin their image. Chloe Bailey, on the other hand, has made a smooth transition. She earned critical acclaim for her first release post-Chloe x Halle. She has had to contend with criticism from fans who still see her as distractingly wholesome. Chloe Bailey addressed this criticism during a recent Instagram Live, and gave a perfect response.

Chloe Bailey refused to shy away from her detractors during her IG Live session. She read a comment that other pop stars might have preferred to avoid. “Her sexy act ain’t believable because she’s goofy and nerdy,” she read aloud. The singer’s rhetorical response to the comment effectively shut it down. “Why can’t I be both?,” she asked. She also dismissed the notion that her increased sex appeal is an “act” meant to entice more fans. “It’s not an act, honey,” she asserted. “But not everybody will have access to that. Women can be both. Women can be multi-faceted.” Chloe Bailey did make light of the criticism, towards the end, however, singing that she can be a “lady in the streets but a freak in the sheets.”

Read More: Chloe Bailey Returns To Eating Meat After More Than A Decade Of Being Vegan

Chloe Bailey Asserts That She’s A Multi-Faceted Performer

This is not the first time Chloe Bailey has been attacked on the basis of sex appeal. In 2023, she told People Magazine that the response to her song “Have Mercy” left her feeling self-conscious. “Deep inside it was killing me, to be honest,” she admitted. “I started to look down on myself even more than what I already was doing with my own insecurities.” The secret to Bailey’s confidence since? Simply ignoring what detractors have to say. “Once I ignored it,” she added. “I’ve been good.”

Bailey has also made a concerted effort to avoid easy categorization with her music. During a recent profile with Nylon, the singer claimed that she was categorized as “R&B” strictly on the basis of her skin color. Bailey also praised pop icons like Beyonce and Whitney Houston for defying these racially-based labels. “I was really proud of Beyonce doing Cowboy Carter,” she explained. “Because Black people originated country music. It’s just showing that possibilities are endless.”

Read More: Chloe Bailey Fully Embraces Summer With A Fruit-Themed Bikini Photo Dump

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The post Chloe Bailey Responds To Criticisms That She’s Too Dorky To Be A Pop Star appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Chloe Bailey Responds To Criticisms That She’s Too Dorky To Be A Pop Star

by

The transition from wholesome teen star to mature pop star is tough. Most artists flop trying. Others push the “mature” envelop too far, and ruin their image. Chloe Bailey, on the other hand, has made a smooth transition. She earned critical acclaim for her first release post-Chloe x Halle. She has had to contend with criticism from fans who still see her as distractingly wholesome. Chloe Bailey addressed this criticism during a recent Instagram Live, and gave a perfect response.

Chloe Bailey refused to shy away from her detractors during her IG Live session. She read a comment that other pop stars might have preferred to avoid. “Her sexy act ain’t believable because she’s goofy and nerdy,” she read aloud. The singer’s rhetorical response to the comment effectively shut it down. “Why can’t I be both?,” she asked. She also dismissed the notion that her increased sex appeal is an “act” meant to entice more fans. “It’s not an act, honey,” she asserted. “But not everybody will have access to that. Women can be both. Women can be multi-faceted.” Chloe Bailey did make light of the criticism, towards the end, however, singing that she can be a “lady in the streets but a freak in the sheets.”

Read More: Chloe Bailey Returns To Eating Meat After More Than A Decade Of Being Vegan

Chloe Bailey Asserts That She’s A Multi-Faceted Performer

This is not the first time Chloe Bailey has been attacked on the basis of sex appeal. In 2023, she told People Magazine that the response to her song “Have Mercy” left her feeling self-conscious. “Deep inside it was killing me, to be honest,” she admitted. “I started to look down on myself even more than what I already was doing with my own insecurities.” The secret to Bailey’s confidence since? Simply ignoring what detractors have to say. “Once I ignored it,” she added. “I’ve been good.”

Bailey has also made a concerted effort to avoid easy categorization with her music. During a recent profile with Nylon, the singer claimed that she was categorized as “R&B” strictly on the basis of her skin color. Bailey also praised pop icons like Beyonce and Whitney Houston for defying these racially-based labels. “I was really proud of Beyonce doing Cowboy Carter,” she explained. “Because Black people originated country music. It’s just showing that possibilities are endless.”

Read More: Chloe Bailey Fully Embraces Summer With A Fruit-Themed Bikini Photo Dump

[via]

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Azealia Banks Labels Ice Spice The “Antithesis” Of “Y2K” In Latest Criticism

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Azealia Banks says “nothing” Ice Spice is doing to promote her new album is accurate to the Y2K aesthetic she’s trying to curate. She went on a scathing rant about the New York rapper’s album promo in a post on Instagram, on Tuesday, making Spice the latest of several artists Banks has slammed on social media in recent days.

“Somebody needs to tell @icespice Absolutely nothing about this aesthetically, performance wise, production wise is Y2K at all,” Banks began. “This is like VIM early Nicki Minaj pack weave sh*t. We need a new hair color and a new facial expression. Ice I love you clown but you should put the halt button, drop David lachapplle and re do this. Big butts and bbl bodies are the ANTIHESIS OF Y2K.” From there, she shared several images of artists she feels are more accurate to the era.

Read More: Azealia Banks Says Kendrick Lamar’s “D*ck Is Trash,” Labels Him The “Most Boring Rapper Ever”

Azealia Banks Performs At KOKO In London

LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 25: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Azealia Banks performs at KOKO on January 25, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Matthew Baker/Getty Images)

When The Neighborhood Talk shared the posts on Instagram, fans in the comments section agreed with the criticism. “She right,” one top comment reads. “I am Y2K. I remember when we thought the Motorola was gonna stop working because it couldn’t register 2000.” Another user writes: “As someone who was 13 in the year 2000… a lot of these girlies who were newborns honestly have no idea what Y2K is supposed to give… it’s true..” Others suggested Spice look to Lil Kim, Missy Elliott, Foxy Brown, and Eve for inspiration. Check out Banks’ post below.

Azealia Banks Takes Aim At Ice Spice

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by The Neighborhood Talk (@theneighborhoodtalk)

Ice Spice will be dropping her new album, Y2K!, on July 26. She’s already shared the singles, “Think U the Sh*t (Fart)” and “Gimmie a Light.” Be on the lookout for further updates on Azealia Banks on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Azealia Banks Shares Her Honest Thoughts On Latto

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Trey Songz Scrapped Tyga Music Video Due To Lack Of Black Representation

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Trey Songz surprised fans on June 25. The R&B singer posted clips from an unreleased music video starring him and Tyga. He also shared the explanation for why the video never saw the light of day. It wasn’t due to any tension with Tyga, or complications with record labels. In fact, everybody but Trey Songz was onboard with releasing the video. The singer told his followers that the reason he chose to scrap the collaboration was because of who was cast in the video. Or more specifically, who wasn’t.

Songz was put off by the fact that the music video did not have a lot of black female representation. “Archives,” he confirmed in the caption. “I scrapped this video cause it wasn’t enough Black women in it. In Spain last time somebody called me n***er didn’t feel right [shrug shoulders emoticon].” Songz made it clear that there were no hard feelings between him and Tyga. “Song cold tho,” he added. “Traw my dawg @tyga.” While the sentiment was well-received, and even praised by some, most of the users in Trey Songz’s comment section criticized him for his reasoning.

Read More: Winter Blanco Accuses Trey Songz Of Physically Assaulting Her In 2018

Trey Songz Was Criticized By Social Media Users

“Yall be in America avoiding black women,” one user wrote. “But gone record a video in a country where there really ain’t none and try to make a spectacle about it. Leave us out of it.” Another user took Songz to task for his making this decision after he shot the video. “It’s him thinking we are silly enough to fall for this nonsense,” they noted. “Sir, you saw that when you filmed the video. But ok…” Several users posited that Trey Songz was trying to appeal to his female audience, given the string of accusations that’ve been made against him recently.

In April, Songz settled a $25 million lawsuit out of court. The woman who filed the suit, Jane Doe, stated that the singer sexually assaulted her at a Los Angeles party in 2016. This suit came only months after a different woman accused Songz of assaulting her at his Los Angeles home in 2015. The singer has not publicly addressed the accusations. He did, however, post a cryptic message on Instagram shortly after the $25 million lawsuit was filed. “Lies will never be the truth,” he wrote. “No matter who chooses to believe such. Alhamdulillah.”

Read More: Woman Accuses Trey Songz Of Assaulting Her Friend At A Club

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Stephen A Smith Blasts Diddy For Deleting Cassie Apology Video

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Diddy made another questionable move on June 21. The disgraced music mogul deleted all the posts from his Instagram, including his apology video to Cassie. The decision sparked lots of speculation, with some positing that it may be a tactic to avoid further legal troubles. Others interpreted Diddy’s decision as him taking back his apology to Cassie. The backlash grew so quickly that a representative for Diddy issued a statement clarifying that Diddy stands by his apology. This statement wasn’t good enough for Stephen A Smith, however.

The sports analyst took Diddy’s decision and ran with it during the June 25 episode of his podcast. He took Diddy to task for wiping his IG feed and refusing to leave the apology video up, in particular. “If you had a million photos,” Stephen A Smith stated. “And you decided to delete 999,999 of them, that’s the one you should’ve kept up. If you’re sincere. You got 20 million followers on Instagram.” Smith made it clear that he was baffled by Diddy’s decision, given how it’s been interpreted. “Why did you delete that video of the apology,” he asked. “Don’t you want people to know that you were contrite.”

Read More: Roger Bonds Thinks Diddy & Cassie Assault Video Proves The Truth Behind All Their Stories

Stephen A Smith Is Baffled By Diddy’s PR Decision

The rant continues from there. Stephen A Smith laid out the different ways in which deleting the video makes Diddy look worse. “By deleting the video,” he asserted. “You throw all of that out the window. The possibility of the very few people who would ever believe that.” SAS then turned his focus towards the Diddy PR team. “Who are your PR people,” he yelled. “Who are these people? Where is the advice?” He then proceeded to give his advice as to how the Bad Boy founder should have handled the situation.

Unsurprisingly, Smith would have told the mogul to leave the apology video up. “I’d have said never delete your account and never delete that video,” he explained. “Leave that up forever. Because that was you apologizing. And owning up to your transgression. You deleting it from your account… that wasn’t smart.” The final dagger Stephen A Smith delivered was aimed squarely at Diddy. “It comes across,” he opined. “As you wanting to erase everything as opposed to you wanting to be accountable for everything.”

Read More: Diddy Drops $60M Sean John Lawsuit Amid Federal Sex Trafficking Investigation

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Pop Smoke’s Alleged Killer Demands No Jumper Pay Him For Prison Release Coverage

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Pop Smoke’s alleged killer pulled up to No Jumper in Los Angeles demanding payment for their coverage of his release from prison. Few details have been confirmed regarding his release, but it appears he got out of a juvenile detention center for his 21st birthday. “You got all these people following me. All these people doing all this extra sh*t.,” he began, before demanding No Jumper pay him for the coverage. He concluded by threatening them not to do so again. Sometime later, he filmed himself outside of the store on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.

No Jumper doesn’t appear too concerned about the posts, as they shared them on Instagram themselves. One user in the comments wrote: “69 is alive and well, George Zimmerman is alive and well, nipsey killer is chilling and so is Vons Killer. Nobody gon do none and we’ve seen it happen time and time an time again.” Another questioned how he’s out so soon: “I am still perplexed how you can takes someone life and be out in the streets a few years later. But people are locked up for decades over non violent drug offenses??!?”

Read More: Pop Smoke Murder Trial Faces Delay Due To Alleged Killer Failing To Negotiate Plea Deal

Pop Smoke Attends Lil Uzi Vert’s Birthday Party

NEW YORK, NY – JULY 31: Pop Smoke attends Lil Uzi Vert’s 25th Birthday at Moxy. Hotel on July 31, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

While one alleged killer has gotten out of prison, another has yet to go on trial. Corey Walker, who is the only defendant who was an adult at the time of the killing, was scheduled to begin trial this week, but a deal with the prosecution fell through. He’s pleaded not guilty to one count of murder, two counts of robbery, and one count of burglary in the killing of the late rapper. “Negotiations fell through, but there’s still a possibility we’ll come to an agreement,” Walker’s lawyer, Deion Benjamin, told Rolling Stone. “A few things need to be ironed out. If they don’t get resolved, we’ll go to trial.” The trial will continue on August 6 if both sides don’t come to an agreement.

Pop Smoke’s Alleged Killer Speaks Out

 
 
 
 
 
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Check out the posts from the alleged killer on Instagram above. Be on the lookout for further updates on Pop Smoke on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Pop Smoke Murder Witness Details The Moments Leading Up To His Passing

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