interviews

Ice Cube Opens Up About His New Album “Man Down,” Legacy, And The Future Of West Coast Hip-Hop

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Few names in hip-hop carry as much weight as Ice Cube. With over 30 years in the game, the legendary rapper, actor, and businessman has earned his place as a hip-hop icon. Whether it’s his groundbreaking work with N.W.A., his solo career, or his influence in hip-hop cinema, Cube has always kept it real. Now, he’s back with Man Down, a highly anticipated album that proves he’s still true to his roots while pushing the envelope. From deep, thought-provoking tracks to bangers like “It’s My Ego,” the album captures Cube’s perspective on the world as well as his vision for the future.

In this exclusive interview with HotNewHipHop, Ice Cube opened up about the making of Man Down. Cube discussed how important it was for the album to connect with his fans and deliver that familiar sound they’ve come to expect. “It’s important to do what you do best,” Cube said. “After decades in the game, my experimental phase is over. I’m making records that I know sound good and that I feel my audience is looking for. That West Coast sound, that G-Funk flavor, is right up my alley. It’s what we’ve been doing from day one, so it’s cool to lean into it and get accepted for it.” Thus, day-one fans are in for a treat while listening to this project.

Read More: Ice Cube Shares Insights on “It’s My Ego” And Upcoming Album

“It’s My Ego” By Ice Cube

Moreover, the album comes at a point in Cube’s career where he’s already a seasoned vet, balancing his iconic status in hip-hop with his moves in film, sports, and business. Man Down blends the raw, street-level storytelling Cube is known for while also diving into some real-world topics. One of the main themes is masculinity today. Furthermore, he speaks on the way manhood is viewed and the misconceptions surrounding what it means to be masculine in today’s society. In our conversation, Cube broke it down and shared his thoughts on the topic.

Beyond Man Down, Cube also spoke candidly about the current state of hip-hop music on the West Coast. However, he offered a grounded perspective on the shifting tides of hip-hop by region. “We’re having our moment,” he says. “We’ve just got to keep it going. Let’s not get cocky—let’s be happy and keep doing good music. Try to top what we’re doing.” Cube also looked back on major career milestones, talked about staying true to his roots while working on Man Down, and shared his thoughts on his role as a tastemaker in West Coast hip-hop. He even gave a sneak peek into his plans for an ambitious tour production. Keep reading to hear all about what he has to look forward to.

Read More: Ice Cube’s Son Goes Off On Andrew Schulz Over Disturbing Rant About Kendrick Lamar

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

HotNewHipHop: Man Down is your first solo album since 2018’s Everythang’s Corrupt. It covers the topic of masculinity. How would you describe masculinity in today’s world?

Ice Cube: I think masculinity is given a bad name. When you overdo anything, it’s not good. If somebody overdoses masculinity, it does become toxic. But masculine behavior itself isn’t toxic just because it’s masculine. That’s where we are right now, and I think that’s the overshoot. Nobody likes toxic people, but just because you’re masculine doesn’t mean you’re toxic. I think masculinity is kind of under threat a little bit in today’s society.

Why do you feel this was an important topic for you to talk about?

I’m a man. And I’m a masculine man. I never thought of myself with that adjective, you know what I’m saying? But that’s what I am, and I kind of wanted to stand up for guys like myself. But it’s hip-hop, so it’s fun. You’ve got to be clever, talk a little shit, and still do it in a record form. You drop the jewels where you can, where they make sense. But it’s a record for everybody, really. I don’t want it to feel like this call to arms for me. It’s just a record coming from a heterosexual male perspective on what I see.

You’ve said in past interviews that Man Down is for Ice Cube fans. Can you talk about the creative process behind making an album that’s true to who you are and your roots?

It’s important to do what you do best. After decades in the game, my experimental phase is over. I’m making records that I know sound good and that I feel my audience is looking for. These are records I’ll put out. I’ve got experimental ones I’ll never release, but the ones I put out are for the fans who got me this far. You want to make sure your day-one fans still dig the music because they influence the other generations. If your day ones don’t like it, how can you expect the others to? The day twos might hear the day ones complaining, and that’s how the cycle goes. You’ve got to stay grounded. That West Coast sound, that G-Funk flavor, is right up my alley. It’s what we’ve been doing from day one, so it’s cool to lean into it and get accepted for it.

Which artists, if any, do you feel are dropping gems in their music today?

Kendrick’s definitely doing it. J. Cole’s an artist who does it too. They drop a lot of jewels.

You recently performed at the World Series. That was such a cool moment, especially as someone born and raised in LA. Talk about that experience and what it meant to you.

As a youngster, I grew up watching the Dodgers in the World Series—1977 and 1978. They lost both times, and I was mad. But then in 1981, they won, and we haven’t seen them in the series since. Just to see them play again, I thought, “Yeah, I just want to watch.” Then I got a call, “Do you want to open up the World Series?” I was supposed to do Game 1, but Fernando Valenzuela passed away before it, so they did a tribute. It was everything I dreamed of.

What was your reaction when you got the call?

I was happy they called me. It meant a lot that the Dodgers felt I represented LA enough to bring me out. They could’ve called Snoop, Dre, anyone else, but they called me, and I was really honored.

Do you feel like your life is stamped with so many monumental moments like that?

Yeah, I feel super blessed. From meeting Dr. Dre when I was 14 to meeting John Singleton at the right time. It’s kind of divine intervention. I never thought I’d be in this position, and I’m grateful for every opportunity that came my way.

Speaking of divine intervention, you had the opportunity to co-produce your own biographical drama with Straight Outta Compton and tell your own story.

It was like this: a thousand ways to get the movie wrong, and only a few to get it right. We had to go through those few ways. You couldn’t compromise. The movie could have gone off the rails and affected the legacy. People are watching to understand what happened, especially for those who weren’t there. This was the story from someone who was part of it.

Most people’s movies get made when they’re dead. So I thought, if we don’t do it, someone else will, and they might mess it all up. I make movies. I know how to make a good one, and I knew this one was going to be good. Refused to let it be trash, especially with our legacy attached to it. I was determined to make sure it came out right.

Ice Cube
WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 19: Coach Ice Cube of Team Webull celebrates during the Monster Energy BIG3 Celebrity Game at Capital One Arena on August 19, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Idol Roc Entertainment)

Let’s about the West Coast music scene. You’ve maintained a lot of creative control throughout your career. Moreover, what advice would you give to younger artists navigating today’s corporate-dominated music landscape?

It’s not easy. You’ve got to learn as much about the business before getting into it. There are millions of tutorials online—publishing, mechanicals, royalties, promotion. Young artists should take advantage of that. Learn the business as much as you like making music. Know the business so you understand what they’re talking about when they come at you with different offers. If you don’t, it’s not going to be pretty. You’ll likely get screwed.

How would you describe the current state of West Coast music? I feel like people are saying, “The West Coast is back. We’re on top again.” What’s your perspective?

It’s banging. I don’t want to say, “This one’s on top, that one’s on top.” We’re having our moment. Some great music is coming from the OGs and our biggest artists. We’ve just got to keep it going. Eventually, someone from another region will take over, and the East Coast will have its moment. It’ll swing back around, like it always does. Let’s not get cocky—let’s be happy and keep doing good music. Try to top what we’re doing.

Do you think this has always been the case?

Yeah, that’s what I’ve seen throughout my career. When I first started, the East Coast dominated everything. It was like, there was no point in making a record if you weren’t from New York or the East Coast. Then it swung to the West, then the South. Right now, the West is having its run, but it’ll swing back to the East Coast next. And then back to the South. It’s cyclical.

People say the West Coast hits hardest when it comes to diss tracks. Your track “No Vaseline” dropped in 1991 and it’s considered one of the greatest diss tracks ever. Do you agree?

Hell yeah. Coming from a gangbanging culture, talking s**t and set tripping is second nature to us. Talking bad about anyone we see as an adversary is just part of it.

How do you think the world would react if “No Vaseline” dropped today in 2024?

There’d be chaos. Everyone would be going crazy online, analyzing every line. Some people would be upset, just like when we released it in ’91. It caused a lot of s**t then, and it would now too. Hip-hop talks about the good, the bad, and the ugly.

If you could assemble a West Coast cypher with past or present artists, who would you pick?

Oh man, I’d definitely have Ras Kass and Kurupt in there. Ras Kass, Kurupt, Xzibit. I’d throw Xzibit in there too. He’s a beast. Let’s see… I would put the The Game. He’s f*cking ferocious on the mic. That would be a dope a** cypher.

I know you’re gearing up for a tour. What can we expect from that?

I’m working on a big production tour. I’ve done the “grip it and rip it” style for a long time, but now I want to create a story. More of an “Evening with Ice Cube” type of feel. A big production that combines my music and movies in a cohesive way. I want it to be entertaining for the people.

Sounds amazing. What does a day in the life or evening look like for you these days?

I usually get up early, around 5 or 6 a.m. I’m the first one up in my house. I jump on my computer, see what I need to focus on for the day. I’ll drink some coffee, check the news, and get my day started. Sometimes I listen to beats and brainstorm ideas. I’ve got meetings, interviews, and calls—usually a lot going on. Later, I’ve got a meeting about putting a Big3 team in Seattle. I’m always working on business moves.

Before we go, is there anything you want to leave us with? What’s coming up for you?

I’ll keep pushing this record, doing promotion, and sticking with the videos. Next year, I’m presenting the Ice Cube Impact Award at the Basketball Hall of Fame. We’re going to select someone who truly deserves it. Then, the Big3 season will start, and I’m putting together this tour. Big things ahead.

Read More: Ice Cube Explains How He And Kendrick Lamar Are Both “Provocative” Artists After “It’s My Ego” Lyric

The post Ice Cube Opens Up About His New Album “Man Down,” Legacy, And The Future Of West Coast Hip-Hop appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Noah Kahan Shares His Favorite Vermont & New England Hang Outs And Reveals How He Likes His Burger

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Noah Kahan(1024x450)
Patrick McCormack (edit by Uproxx)

Small-town authenticity is a selling point in music right now. Let us remind you — and we’re sorry for this — of Jason Aldean and his viral hit “Try That In A Small Town.” That song has all sorts of issues for all sorts of reasons, but one of the most ironic is that Aldean, despite what his small-town anger anthem might suggest, grew up in Macon Georgia (not a particularly small town), and currently calls Nashville (very much not a small town) home these days.

Singer-songwriter Noah Kahan is the opposite of that — The Grammy Award nominee is actually from a small town, Strafford, Vermont (population 1,105), and exudes the kind of community-focused good vibes you’d expect from a small-town guy who wears his heart on his sleeve and sings about said heart while strumming a guitar. Dude grew up on a tree farm — need we say more?

Kahan is legit, authentic, warm, and inviting — that was apparent in our first minute of talking to him.

We linked up with Kahan ahead of his upcoming concert at Charleston, South Carolina’s Riviera Theater on November 30th, American Express Presents: Celebrating Small Business Saturday With Noah Kahan, to talk about his upcoming concert, his plans for 2025 (spoiler, he’s working on the next album), and what it was like playing Fenway Park at the close of his “We’ll All Be Here Forever” headlining tour.

Since Kahan is linking up with American Express to champion small business, we also checked to see if he was the real deal by asking him to shout out some of his favorite Vermont small businesses, to which he gave us some solid reccs. Let’s dive in!

Tell me a bit about this performance with American Express. What is it all about and why’d you want to partner with them?

Well, American Express highlighting small businesses, and supporting small businesses is a really fundamental part of my life. I grew up in a place where we didn’t have a lot of chain stores, there wasn’t big corporate overlords supporting us. It was the people of the town. I grew up in a town with one store, well, one small business. There was a couple but one grocery store market, and it was so important to have that because it’s the convenience store or grocery store is the heart of the town. You can have the town hall and you have the library, but where you’re going to see the most people every day is at the grocery store.

And that was a really big part of my life, seeing friends there, seeing people I grew up with, having friends and family work there, watching the heart of the community grow. That store was Coburns’ General Store in Strafford. The past couple of years they’re transitioning away from Coburns and the Coburns family is trying to sell and move the store and it really impacts the whole town more than you realize. So getting a chance to support other small businesses and help be a part of raising those businesses up is really important to me and is kind of part of my central mission in my career, and a big part of my childhood.

In your experience going from small-town guy to one of the biggest artists right now, what do small businesses have and what makes them so vital that bigger businesses don’t?

I think it’s really as simple as the personal touch. They represent what the town represents, instead of represent an interest of a corporation or a larger entity that is hoping to make money off of people. I think when you’re paying money to your neighbor to buy bread, it’s different than when you’re paying money to a giant corporation that doesn’t care about you. It feels like you’re supporting each other. I know it’s not, obviously it’s transactional and you still spend money on things and you have to pay for your items and they get paid, but you know who you’re helping and who you’re supporting. I think that goes a really long way and it also represents the mood in town. You can really get a feel for what’s happening in your area by just being and existing in those spaces.

When there’s no other option, that place becomes incredibly vital to what the town means and what it looks like. I think living in a city now, I see so much choice and you don’t feel like anything really matters because another place just like that will pop up. And when you live in a place that has just that one place or just those few businesses that keep everything going, it feels like something that represents who you are and where you’re from. I really find that small business is a reflection of what the town is and not just another place to buy salad.

You played Fenway Park recently. What can you tell us about that experience?

I mean, that was the most incredible experience of my life. Every other experience afterwards has felt like the first minutes of morning after you wake up from the best dream you ever had, where it’s just like, “Oh, right, this is life.” It was so surreal. There was just something so magical that I’d never experienced on stage. I’ve played hundreds and hundreds and made thousands of shows now and nothing I ever felt quite as special.

Just the atmosphere and the energy and looking up and seeing the green monster and seeing Fenway Park and all my family and friends being there, but also this album that really was a testament and a ode to New England. Being in what I feel like is the heart of New England, which is Fenway Park and getting a chance to finish off the tour there. It was just so perfect. It was very much like the last scene in a movie. So it was cool to play a place where I’ve been going to to see ballgames my whole life.

I want to turn a little bit to your upbringing in Vermont and get a little more on a travel angle here. Just off the top of your head, what are some of your favorite food spots in Vermont?

Oh, there’s a bunch of great food spots in Vermont. They’re usually kind of far between each other, but there’s a lot of great places to get food. There’s so much great farming and produce and just agricultural wealth in Vermont, so you find a lot of great really fresh food. A good example of that is the Worthy Burger in South Royalton, Vermont. It’s just an amazing burger place and it’s very much Vermont. It’s like a little bar and it’s always got folk music playing and there’s a huge beer list and you can get like CBD infused beers, but the burgers are just so good. The fries are so good. The staff is always really kind and again, you see someone you know every time you go there.

And I can never tell with Vermont food if it’s really good or if I’m just nostalgic about it. But I think Worthy Burger’s probably one of the better burgers I’ve had in my life and everyone’s doing the Smashburger style now and I do like a Smashburger, but Worthy Burger does a nice girthy burger. It’s like a real burger and it just feels classic and very, very Vermont to me.

Worthy Burger

What’s your go-to order? Do you just like a classic burger build or something more out there?

I throw a fried egg on that fucker. I put a fried egg on it, a little jalapeno. The problem is I feel like burgers, when you put that much stuff on, it just becomes so messy. That’s kind of part of the experience. Your hands are covered in egg sauce and aioli and you just kind of feel gross for a couple minutes afterwards. But it’s so good and they have really good truffle fries too, and they have this spicy, I don’t know if it’s a spicy honey mustard, some kind of spicy aioli sauce. That’s so good. And I’ve tried to recreate it at home and it is not nearly as good.

What about bars in Vermont? What’s the go-to watering hole for you?

I actually spent a lot more time in Vermont bars as a kid because I was doing open mic nights that were all over bars in Vermont and New Hampshire. The most jovial, fun Vermont scene bar I’ve been to is Skunk Hollow Tavern. It’s just an awesome tiny little bar. There’s really barely enough room to walk around, it’s really tight in there, but it’s such a perfect Vermont atmosphere. They do a lot of live music and there’s just so much beer and so many great drinks available and it’s in a really pretty part of town. My other favorite place would probably have to be, well, EBA’s was my favorite place growing up. Everything But Anchovies in Hanover, New Hampshire but unfortunately it closed down. That was an amazing bar.

It was owned by a lovely family and they had great pizza and great food and my best friend’s parents owned the place and I would know everyone working there. And it was a really special place. And another great example of small business leaving town and really affecting where we would go. That was such a huge part of our lives. You go to the high school football game and get drunk and then go to EBA’s afterwards and hang out with all your friends from high school until 2:00 A.M. until your parents realized that you were not home yet.

There’s so many stories associated with these places in my childhood.

Another great one is Jesse’s in Hanover, New Hampshire, kind of close to Lebanon New Hampshire. And it’s just an amazing, amazing place. It has great seafood and steaks, but it’s also has the best open mic nights. You’ll see really, really talented artists go there. And I’ll go there every Thursday with my mom and we play Jesse’s and the host and I would grab a baked potato and then I’d get home. And I don’t know, I feel like a lot of my love for small business is nostalgic, but I think that’s great about small businesses is they kind of create memories for you. You don’t have nostalgic memories of Chipotle.

Would you say those open mic places are the best place to catch a show in Vermont and the surrounding area? Where do people go who are looking for music?

I would say if you’re looking to go see a bigger artist coming through Vermont, then you’re going to want to go over to Burlington, Vermont to go to Higher Ground. Lots of great artists pass through Higher Ground. I think I probably played it like 100 times. I sold the most tickets in history there, I think are the most sold out shows in a row. And it was really cool because when I was younger, I would go there for the Vermont singer-songwriter competitions and lose every year. So being able to go back and break the venue record for sold out shows was a real full circle moment.

But if you want to go see a show in Hanover, there’s a Lebanon Opera House in Lebanon, New Hampshire that I saw my first ever show at, Great Big Sea at the Lebanon Opera house. It must’ve been like 2004. That’s another great place to see music.

Gosh, there’s that place but also Sawtooth in Hanover, New Hampshire has an underground bar with a little music stage. You can catch some really talented local acts, whether they’re from Hanover, from Dartmouth College, there’s great music there too. So I’d recommend any of those three places.

What do you think people overlook the most about Vermont?

I think people probably assume it’s just a beautiful place for seeing leaves change and maybe skiing, but there’s so much. Not only just nature, obviously there’s great fishing and great hiking and great cross-country skiing, bird watching, all these beautiful natural elements. But like I said, they have great food. They have Ben and Jerry’s, we’ve got Cabot cheese. If you look and you’re willing to drive 45 minutes out of your way, you can find some of the best food you’ll have in your life.

What’s the plan for 2025?

2025 is going to be about making my next record, getting into new music. We have a few shows, but I’m really taking time to explore what’s next for me musically. And it’s a lot more work than I remember, sitting down and making records. We’re in the midst of doing that again and it’s a fun challenge. It’s hard, but after two and a half years in the road, I’m really excited to explore myself a little bit. I feel like I stopped doing that for a while and it’s a really cool opportunity to remember who I am and get back to doing what I think I do the best, which is write songs.

What’s inspiring you right now?

That’s a good question. I really think just sitting in what I’m feeling is inspiring me in a weird way. I am inspired by actually experiencing life, and that’s even the most mundane shit, like just stressing about bills or going to the grocery store or having family come visit. These things that I never got to do for the past two and a half years with this album. Doing what I did, it just forced me to travel so much. So just getting to deal with the situational every day, life experience has been really, really inspiring. And also thinking a lot about my childhood and my friendships and what it’s like growing up in Vermont and living the life that I did and trying to dig deeper into that.

I feel like I’m not done with New England, that I’m not done with where I’m from, and there’s a lot more to explore there. So kind of continuing to explore childhood Vermont, but also just life.

Just before I let you go, do you have a pick for your personal album of the year? It doesn’t have to have been released this year, just something that you can’t bring your ear away from.

Oh yeah, great question. Son of Dad by Stephen Wilson Jr. is a pretty spectacular album.

Join the waitlist for tickets to American Express Presents: Celebrating Small Business Saturday With Noah Kahan here.

Quando Rondo Talks “Here For A Reason,” Rappers Vs. Streamers & Wanting 50 Cent To Produce His Biopic

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Quando Rondo’s come-up has been littered with strife and controversy, much of which has continued to hover over his head in recent years. And while the public narrative hasn’t necessarily always been on his side, he’s made efforts towards changing that and having people see things from his point of view. His 2023 album, Recovery, felt like a reflection of everything that he’s seen and done while looking toward a better path. His follow-up, 2024’s Here For A Reason, embraces these hardships as learned lessons and blessings to help him navigate this next chapter of his life. 

Unfortunately, the circumstances of these realizations surround real-life consequences. In December 2023, the rapper was arrested and charged on federal drug charges, which he pleaded guilty to earlier this year. He’s currently on house arrest as he awaits his sentencing. However, within the past year or so, Quando Rondo has made strides in denouncing his previous gang affiliation and vowing to be a better role model for the kids in his community. Part of that is leading by example, as he describes on “Life Goes On” rapping, “Young n***as ’round here beefin’ ’bout the color of a bandana/ That’s why I put my flag down and I picked up a Quran.” Though he doesn’t believe his spirituality has altered his creative process, he does believe that it’s brought him a sense of peace.

 “[Islam] gave me some of the best energy I ever had,” Quando Rondo explained to HotNewHipHop over a Zoom call from his home. It’s here where he has been recording music and establishing a presence on the livestreaming platform Twitch where he streams gameplay of NBA 2K and GTA 5. In fact, he began rubbing shoulders with a few of the most prominent figures in that world. In the past year, he appeared on a livestream with buzzing streamers Konvy and FazeLacy. Previously, Quando Rondo live-streamed with Duke Dennis, and as we spoke, he attempted to line up a second round of NBA 2K with the AMP member.

We caught up with Quando Rondo before the release of Here For A Reason to discuss this newfound outlook on life, his appreciation for Lil RT, and his aspirations outside of music. 

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Quando Rondo
Via HNHH

HotNewHipHop: The title of each of your projects feels like a statement. 2023, you released Recovery and now, you’ve dropped Here For A Reason. What’s the significance of this title?

Quando Rondo: I mean, sh*t is self-explanatory. Here For A Reason. Been through a lot but still here.

How deep into the project were you before you landed on this title?

I already had the title that I wanted to go with from the very jump, to be honest with you. I had that title in my mind. Well, I had the saying “here for a reason” in my mind for a couple of months before I even started recording. After you release a project, it’s like you already own to the next, thinking about what you are about to do next. So I had that in my mind a little bit, like sometime after dropping Recovery.

There are no features on this project, either. What was the decision behind that? 

Man, I never really worked with other artists, like from the beginning, if you go back and look. It’s never really been my thing. I really love to work by myself. 

Your music already has a spiritual tone, and the album contains plenty of references to your grandmother’s prayers. Is there a piece of advice from her or even a prayer that stuck with you?

You know, I was raised in a praying house with a praying family. So, I was taught that prayer works. After I go through something, I talk to my grandma and she pray. I feel alright after that. 

You also mention how Islam has helped shape your new outlook on life. One line in particular, you mention how you “put the flag down and picked up a Qu’ran.” How has Islam played a role in helping you find that inner peace?

Man, they had a lot to do with it, because you got to think about it: the majority of the Muslim brothers that you’re going to meet, or you see when you go to the Masjid and in public, they let go of their problems. So that’s the type of energy that it gave me. It just gave me good peace and energy. Taking my shot and being a part of Islam, it just gave me better energy. It gave me some of the best energy I ever had. 

How has the Muslim community influenced your approach to music? 

Ain’t no difference. I still work the same. I had the same process as I did in the beginning. 

On the song “Point Of View,” you discuss the public’s perception of you and how you feel misunderstood. Do you feel like that perception around you is changing?

I most definitely feel like that is going to change. You know, tables turn and bridges burn. To explain that song, man, I feel like this: everybody has their own point of view when it comes to anything. In that song, I was just explaining my point of view. Like, you gotta see this from my point of view.

Do you feel like people are seeing your point of view these days?

I mean, with being an artist and not knowing my fans personally or seeing each and every one of my fans, I can’t really answer that. But I hope that people out there who see shit from my point of view too. In life, you have to always put yourself in the other person’s shoes. When a situation or anything comes to me, I always look at it from both angles. You have to. 

You released a statement to the city of Savannah apologizing and vowing to be a better role model. How did you feel about the reception to that statement, both from the city and online?

I felt good about it, bro. That’s a statement that I issued. You got to know that I feel 100% good about what I said, and I mean everything I say.

What other plans do you have to uplift your community?

Man, I have a plan to bond at least 10 people out of jail for the Thanksgiving holidays. I know that the label Atlantic Records is 100% behind me. But you know, they do stuff on a planned schedule, and, I ain’t got no patience. Neither do people that are in jail. So I really just is going to choose the day out this week, probably, and just do it myself.

You sampled 50 Cent on “Could’ve Been Me.” What was the process like getting that sample cleared and did you speak to him directly?

Not directly, but through the label, we got it cleared. I’d really like to talk to him, because I want to be in a movie. I got a story.

Are you trying to get your own movie or appear in the Power universe or something?

I’m trying to get him to write a movie about my life. Eventually, yes, I’d play a role. But you know, from the beginning, they gotta be a young lookalike.

Who would you ask to play that role if you had a choice?

Now, that’s something I can’t answer because we would have to go through 500-600 different pictures of people from all over the world who are young, who we feel like really look like me–[look like] younger pictures than me, bro. That’s something I can’t answer. Who’s liked and who’s needed are two different things, sometimes. Man, this business. So on a business note, I’d approach it like who’s needed at the moment?

Who do you think would be needed for that role? If you had a choice. 

You know what’s crazy? Lil RT could probably play me. 

What are your thoughts on his online presence and antics?

I ain’t gonna lie, I like lil’ bro, and it be so many fans like, “Quando Rondo looks like an older Lil’ RT,” and I’d be looking at the little n***a like, “I like this lil’ n***a.”

Have you been able to link up with him yet?

No due to house arrest and stuff like that, and me being in my own little shell.

You haven’t hit his DMs or anything either?

No, that’s a young man. I don’t know if he works his Instagram and stuff, and I’m a grown ass man. I just don’t see what type of conversations we can have if it ain’t about making something happen.

Before we bounce, I did want to just know what the significance of “Many Men” as it relates to your life.

Think about it: “Many Men” reflects my life. “Many Men wish death upon me.” That’s real. I mean, that ain’t hard to notice. That ain’t hard to see but I’m gonna come out just like the person who made that song.

The first time that I heard that song–I can’t really say that. I was young. I knew nothing about no music and job at the time. Going back later in life listening to it, I thought about the trials and tribulations I’ve been through, the song meant a lot to me. It’s a forever song, that’s a longevity record.

You’ve been diving into the gaming industry and livestreaming. What’s been the most gratifying part about growing a community this way?

Man, I just like playing the game. I like 2k and GTA 5. I’ve been streaming, been playing the game, but it’s like I had stopped doing it for a couple of years. I wish that I kept the hustle going on. I wish I had stayed consistent with streaming and playing the game, because maybe, I wouldn’t have been in a lot of situations, and maybe, I would have been on a way higher level in the streaming world, just like I am in the music world. It’s nothing like having both.

I saw you link up with Konvy and Lacy recently. They aren’t necessarily hip-hop per se but the streamers have developed some sort of footing within hip-hop. What are your thoughts about the position streamers currently play within hip-hop?

You gotta think about it. The gaming people are damn near getting bigger than the rapper or the artist. Look at Kai Cenat, Duke Dennis. I actually played the game with Duke Dennis a couple of years ago. We got a video on YouTube. We played 2k together a couple of years ago. Hold on, I’m trying to see right now. Oh, Duke Dennis still plays the game. I’m going to try and DM him. 

Outside of music and streaming, what else do you have planned?

Chilling, for real. Just trying to stay out of the way. 

The post Quando Rondo Talks “Here For A Reason,” Rappers Vs. Streamers & Wanting 50 Cent To Produce His Biopic appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Is Young Thug’s Plea Deal A Trap To Send Him Back To Prison?

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It felt like an era tragically came to a close when Young Thug was arrested as part of a sweeping RICO case against YSL. At a time when a new crop of rappers, such as Gunna and Lil Baby, became bonafide hitmakers, Thug’s influence felt as palpable across the top 40 as it did in the streets. The arrest, however, curtailed Young Thug’s continued ascent as one of the most important musical figures in the 21st century while impeding the growth of his record label, a label that prosecutors argued was a gang. Thug, born Jeffery Williams, was arrested alongside 27 others in 2022 and tried in what is now considered the longest-running trial in the history of Georgia.

On Halloween, Young Thug was finally granted his freedom. After turning down the prosecutor’s offer that would’ve seen him spend at least 45 years tethered to the system–25 years in prison and 20 on probation–Young Thug’s team of attorneys put their fate in Judge Whitaker. In exchange for pleading guilty and no contest to numerous drug and firearm charges, Young Thug will have to serve 15 years on probation backloaded by 20-year sentence, per AP. Considering the severity of the allegations against Young Thug, the outcome was better than most expected.

As part of his probation, Young Thug will have to adhere to a set of conditions that some, including REFORM Alliance Chief Policy Officer Erin Haney, feel could be a trap that could lead him back to prison. Having been a public defender in California and eventually becoming a critical figure in the #FreeMeek movement, she has a firm understanding of the complexities of the probation system. If you recall, the #FreeMeek campaign gained steam over a probation violation–one that nearly had the Philadelphia-born rapper incarcerated for two to four years. 

These technical violations have played a major role in mass incarceration across America, and remain a point of anxiety for those who’ve closely followed the YSL case and advocated for Young Thug’s freedom. Even a technical infraction could possibly lead someone like him to serve the backloaded 20-year sentence. For example, Young Thug is prohibited from promoting any gang activity, which sounds reasonable on paper until he releases a song under his label, YSL. Could that send him to prison? Following Young Thug’s plea deal, we caught up with Erin Haney who broke down Young Thug’s probation conditions and the complexities surrounding these conditions.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Via HNHH

HotNewHipHop: I want to touch on Meek’s case and how it parallels Young Thug’s situation but first, I would like to know if this trial was like anything you’ve ever seen before. 

Erin Haney: The trial and the plea open, no. The specifics of the trial, absolutely not. So, the trial itself and the insanity around that, some of the things that happened with sort of everyone being incarcerated, from jurors being threatened with incarceration to attorneys to judges being kicked off the case, you know, all of that. And I think most recently, right, we saw a witness with Mr. Sledge being incarcerated after testifying and being incarcerated on a probation violation at that, right? So all of that was unprecedented, but I think the plea came down to–in terms of the conditions of supervision and how important it would be to make sure that those conditions were not simply a trap back to incarceration, but actually, gave some room for Jeffery Williams to succeed, right? That concern, that trap of probation conditions, is something that isn’t just common within Georgia or nationally.

It’s actually really the basis of how REFORM was born. For us, it’s something that is incredibly close to our work, I think, and the hearts of most people who work at REFORM, since REFORM was born out of Meek Mill getting a technical violation of probation, meaning he wasn’t in trouble for breaking a law or committing a new crime, right? He was on supervision, and he was in trouble, and I think that’s a light way of putting it, but he was sentenced to two to four years in prison, not for breaking a law, but for violating a rule. You know, even as a criminal defense attorney, that’s not something that I spent a lot of time thinking about, mainly because once people are sentenced, especially in a high trial volume type office, you are often thinking about the next person who is pre-trial, who is facing their case. So you aren’t always looking at what happens to people sort of after they’re on supervision, or at least 10 years ago, you weren’t, right? And I think understanding, in Meek’s case, that that you would get two to four years not for committing a crime, but for breaking a rule. That felt unconscionable. And REFORM was born out of Meek’s insistence that, yes, while he had, you know, resources and a platform and people who fought for him, and ultimately, he was freed, that this is the same type of injustice that’s faced every single day by people all over the nation on supervision, especially in places like Georgia, right? 

Anytime that you have jurisdictions or states that have really high rates of supervision and really long periods of supervision with really onerous conditions, you’re going to have these unjust and oftentimes unconscionable violations of supervision that find people behind bars again, not because they’re a risk to public safety, but because they broke a rule that was part of the guidelines of their supervision, and we have to do better than that, right? We know that’s not helping public safety or anyone, and I think, what the negotiations in Young Thug’s case broke down over initially were those conditions and ultimately, why his team praised and put their faith into the judge in crafting conditions that they felt Jeffery Williams could actually abide by.

What was your initial reaction to the plea deal? In the week leading up to that moment, there was a lot of talk about some sort of deal which ultimately went stale. Then the prosecutors wanted him to serve something like 20 to 45 years, if I’m not mistaken.

I was following along and watching it. As a nerd, that’s part of what I do for fun. But also it was incredibly interesting, educational, and unlike anything we had seen, right? We know that in trials, and, cases, especially, frankly–sometimes prosecutors who are eager to get someone that those things can go off the rails. We don’t usually see it unfold in quite this obvious of a way. You don’t usually see prosecutors admonished by the court over and over again for the type of stuff that was happening in this case. 

As somebody who had been watching it, even though I wasn’t at all involved, I was, initially somewhat surprised, because he has two of the best attorneys, I think, in the country who are doing a phenomenal job for him. I think a lot of people felt like this was probably going as well as it could possibly go, given how much power the government has in these situations. As you mentioned, I heard there were plea deals. I wasn’t sure if that would happen with Jeffery Williams, especially because of how much he had insisted on his innocence. On the other hand, he’s been in the worst conditions that anyone could be in right, one of the worst jails in the nation. He’s been there for two years and just had his 33rd birthday; is experiencing his kids missing him and crying for him. 

So the uncertainty of not knowing whether this would go on for months longer, or whether there would be a mistrial and he would have to start all over. I mean, I could see, I think, at that point, why there would be a plea. So that part was surprising, but I think the part that was genuinely shocking. It’s pretty unusual to plead open or plead to the sheet, or however you want to call it, especially mid-trial. So to hear that they had been negotiating with the prosecution and had come to a point where they couldn’t go any further and that they were going to put their faith in the judge by pleading open, in other words, pleading to all of the charges levied against Mr. Williams, right? As if they went all the way to the end of a jury trial and were convicted on all of the counts. That felt surprising.

I think, had he not had two of the greatest lawyers in the country, there would have been a lot of concern about why that was happening and what was going on. But knowing the incredible skill and dedication that his attorneys had, it became clear quickly, I think, that not only was this a good thing based on what Mr. Williams wanted to do, but that his lawyers had seized on the main issue that often gets missed in these cases, which is, what are the conditions of that supervision? So not just how long is it and not just how much time is hanging or backloaded over Mr. Williams’s head but what are the conditions day to day? Because those usually make the difference between sort of a trap door right back to prison, which is, you know, 25% of prison admissions right now are technical violations, right? So trap door right back to prison, or the ability to possibly succeed and go forward and potentially even thrive. It will be challenging with the conditions he has, but it’s different than it being determinative. And that’s really because of the conditions that his counsel fought for.

In terms of his conditions right now, and just the possibility of them being a little bit more difficult to comply with, especially just considering what his work is, what do you think the biggest threat out of these conditions is to his freedom?

Oh, that’s a really good question. I think there are definitely pieces of [what] you mentioned given kind of his specific situation, being a musician, being an artist. There are definitely ways in which he was targeted because of that. What was really important, I think, about the sentence and the conditions, is that many of them were individualized. I think four conditions really stand out as being some of the more onerous conditions of his supervision. Three of those four are ones that are at least as onerous as they apply to everybody else on probation, right? 

There are standard conditions of probation that the judge made some exceptions for, right? So they individualize those conditions. So for example, the travel restriction. People in Georgia on probation, the hundreds of thousands of people, sadly, on probation in Georgia, they generally are subject to a blanket travel restriction, right? It’s not just that they can’t travel internationally or across state lines. They can’t even travel across county lines.  Given Jeffery Williams’s career and given what he does, Judge Whitaker said on the record that they don’t want him subject to that travel restriction. Not only can he cross county and state lines, but he can also travel internationally, and should keep his passport, and he needs to. That’s the type of individualizing of a condition where that’s not by any means giving him a free pass. He’s still got a lot of conditions, but that condition, in particular, having that exception there that a lot of people don’t have, is going to make a really important difference for him. So that’s one.

I think another really big one that is going to be really difficult, even with the exception, people in Georgia who are on probation have a condition that is a prohibition against associating with “disreputable persons and places,” which is a really vague and broad, and frankly, an offensive term, but it’s been understood to mean that you can’t associate with anybody else with a criminal record. For a lot of people, that means you can’t associate with other family members. And that was clearly a really big piece of this, and so that’s an exception. He’s allowed to associate with his brother, with Mr. Kitchens are going to given contractual obligations, and then with anyone, who is, I think said necessary for lawful business. But what exactly is going to be determined as sort of the bounds of lawful business, right? That’s something that’s very, very subjective, and that’s something that’s going to be tricky. So again, that’s a place where, even with individualizing, that gives him a little bit of room, given his job, right? But it’s still going to be tough. 

I think by far the the two toughest ones, right, which are really more specific to him are the “stay away from the Metro Atlanta area.” You heard his dad talking afterward, about how he took particular offense to that, since they’re from there and you know the prosecutor, [Young Thug’s dad] felt was not from there. And so for them to be able to dictate where Mr. Williams goes, felt especially offensive. That one’s going to be difficult, I think. 

But the one by far that will be most difficult is the one that is almost impossible to know how it will be applied, which is the one about not being able to have any types of references to gangs, right? That’s a type of condition where, if we were on all on the same page about how we define gangs and gang activity, that might be one thing that we could agree was fair. I think what this trial showed is that we are all, including some witnesses who at various times, define things differently on the stand, prosecutors who define things differently while they were asking questions or through charging documents–we are all on different pages about what qualifies under that type of a condition. That means it’s going to be very, very difficult to predict when something like that will trigger a possible violation and when it won’t. So that. by far, I think is the most difficult condition to abide by.

Young Thug entered a Nolo plea for unlawful for person who occupied a criminal street gang position but he pleaded guilty to another charge related to criminal street gang activity. Considering the prosecutors have argued that YSL is a gang and not a label, how does this impact him as an artist? Even in the case of being able to communicate with Mr. Kitchens as part of contractual obligations, how is he able to release music under this label?

I think that’s the ultimate question, right? And that’s what no one has really been able to answer. So I think there are some really important aspects of the no-contest or Nolo pleas to those charges, right? To the one gang charge and the RICO charge. I think one of the things you know, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention, that these conditions were so important in crafting the sentence that Young Thug ended up with more convictions than what he would have gotten if he had gone with the negotiated plea from the prosecution, right? The deal itself is confidential in terms of what the negotiations were. So this is just what was reported in terms of what was on the record and in the interviews. 

From what we know, it sounds like the three charges that the prosecution said that they would dismiss in return for their negotiated plea, which had a ton of really onerous, restrictive conditions day-to-day, is that they would dismiss the RICO charge, one of the gang charges, and I believe the machine gun or firearms charge. So two of the charges that he pled Nolo or no contest to and one of the charges, the firearms charge, that he actually pled guilty to in front of the court, right?

It’s important to think about how critical the details of these conditions are. So much so that it was worth trading the number of convictions to get better conditions. I think it’s important to recognize that the prosecution came in and ultimately objected to him pleading even no contest, even though those charges that he pled no contest to were the two charges that they were going to dismiss. The reason why likely–again, I’m not in their head–but the reason why it’s likely that they were so adamant that they did not want him to be able to do that in front of the court when they no longer had control over the conditions that would be ordered is because, without those two, it means that he has not admitted to the underlying factual allegations, right? So the factual allegations that he would have to admit to with a guilty plea.

If you saw Mr. Sledge two weeks ago, most of the controversy there was over him having to admit to factual allegations to take his plea, and then, getting on the stand, and contrary to those factual allegations, according to the prosecutor, and ultimately the court, him then saying, “YSL is not a gang. It’s a music label. The factual allegations underlying the charges may say it’s a gang. I may have had to agree to that to plead but I don’t agree with that as I’m testifying. I need to tell the truth as I’m testifying, and it’s not a gang,” right? So what Jeffery Williams Nolo plea arguably allow him to do is put a little bit of distance between any type of factual allegation and adoption from him, that YSL is, in fact, a gang. 

Will that mean that he can go on making music under a label, YSL? I mean, I think it’s really up in the air. It seems frankly, very risky, given the position prosecutors have taken on this. I think even if he dissolves YSL, and they have a different name for it, some of the questions will be, “What if you reference YSL in a song?” or “What if you play some of the prior music that he’s made that’s so popular?” Or “What if you wipe your nose in a music video?” right? We’ve gotten so overly broad in what they consider to be a sign or an indication of a gang that it really begs the question in terms of who’s going to be interpreting this. How will Jeffery Williams know how it’s going to be interpreted, and how can he make sure that he is following the guidelines so that he doesn’t end up in a situation [like] Meek was thrown in prison for two to four for a technical violation? Jeffery Williams is looking at 20, right? So if he does something or says something in a song or performs something that they believe violates this condition, that’s incredibly dangerous for him to the tune of 20 years of his freedom.

On a statistical level, what are the chances that these agreements will send him back?

I think it really gets to the point of probation and the way that it can be more or less effective, right? And the way that it can be an obstacle versus sort of a tool to get services and to get what people need in re-entry. There are studies done on this, the more conditions you place on somebody, the less likely it is that they’ll succeed on supervision, right? So that’s the first piece. So having these really strict conditions makes it more difficult, right? I think that the federal study that was done was every additional condition can reduce your likelihood of success by up to 19%. So, every single condition that courts pile on as a special condition is dangerous, and increases the risk or the likelihood that someone will violate. On top of that, the longer you’re on supervision–it’s sort of counterintuitive in some ways–but it doesn’t increase public safety. It doesn’t reduce recidivism or the likelihood of being incarcerated.

Statistically, if you have actually more than five years of supervision, it’s harmful, right? You actually see an increase in recidivism. You see an increase in the likelihood of return to incarceration, which is part of why REFORM and so many other groups, including great, great groups in Georgia, work really hard on reforms that are evidence-based, that look at the evidence-based supervision terms to ensure that conditions are individually tailored and not onerous, and that time periods aren’t lengthy. 

I think that if we just talk about statistically and we think of supervision as, sadly, an incredible driver of mass incarceration and instead of a tool to support success in the community, but realistically, more of a way of tethering people to the system. This is a huge risk, right? It’s a huge challenge. The prosecution, I believe, offered something like three and a half years on reporting status. But again, from what we understand, way worse conditions would have landed him in trouble almost immediately. Under Judge Whitaker’s sentence, he’ll be reporting for double that, so seven and a half years under reporting supervision, but with conditions that hopefully are a little bit more likely to allow him to, at the very least, survive; maybe not thrive in the way that we wish he could, with his talent and with the fact that everyone seems to agree he’s not a threat to public safety, right? If the prosecution is offering him probation, by its very nature, that meant that they were okay with him being in the community. So I think you know, this sort of cracks the door open for him. He seems extremely talented and extremely determined. He has a chance to be able to make it here. Statistically, it is a huge uphill battle with that length of a sentence and that number of conditions and somebody who is, I think, you know, as recognizable as he is, right? So they’re going to be likely monitoring him quite a bit, but I think it’s possible.

The final question I have for you: how does the outcome of the trial and the probation conditions, how does this case impact his freedom of speech moving forward during this time? Does it create a scary precedent moving forward for other cases?

You know, I think any time that we are limiting what people can think and how they express themselves through creative forms of entertainment, especially in this day and age when we have social media; anytime we’re not just limiting that, but punishing it with prison cells that feels extremely dangerous, especially the added danger with supervision is, again, people aren’t being punished for actually breaking laws. So you don’t even have the threshold that you have with a new case or a trial where they have to prove, at least in theory, right, some sort of connection between lyrics or posts and an actual law that was broken–actual criminal behavior. 

I personally may disagree with that anyway, but that’s at least a threshold that has to be met on supervision. No crime has to occur, right? All that has to happen is a violation of the condition, and that’s why these conditions are so important. It’s. It’s so critical that instead of sort of glossing over them, as courts normally do, that we spend a lot of time really crafting them so that they are supportive and individualized and designed to promote success in the community and public safety, as opposed to just tether someone to the system and sort of weigh them down. Because here, we don’t have to find that a crime was committed if he is expressing himself through lyrics that the court doesn’t like. Here, all they have to find is that it violates a rule that they created to go with his supervision. And that’s terrifying.

The post Is Young Thug’s Plea Deal A Trap To Send Him Back To Prison? appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

MF Doom’s Estate Shares Remixes & Interview Soundbites On 20th Anniversary Edition Of “MM..Food”

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A rap icon like no other is being celebrated today with a special rerelease of a beloved project. The estate of English born rapper and producer MF DOOM is celebrating and remembering MM..FOOD with a 20th Anniversary Edition out everywhere now. The 2004 album tends to get overlooked a bit by the release of Madvillainy that same year. However, make no mistake, MM..FOOD is a halo release within his decorated discography.

MF DOOM’s team certainly is doing this project right with this special edition with some exclusive remixes and rare soundbites. The latter were taken from the same interview, with him answering questions about his standing in rap, the process of making music, and more. Then, there’s the remixes, and they feature production chops from the likes of frequent collaborators Madlib and Ant, as well as Jake One. “One Beer” and “H*e Cakes” are the tracks receiving such treatment. However, the music isn’t the only thing that DOOM’s estate is offering with this drop. There are multiple variants of the anniversary pressing on vinyl on gasdrawls.com.

Read More: Suge Knight Accuses Diddy Of Molesting Justin Bieber & Usher

MM..Food (20th Anniversary Edition) – MF Doom

MM..FOOD (20th Anniversary Edition) Tracklist:

Disc 1

  1. Beef Rapp
  2. H*e Cakes
  3. Potholderz with Count Bass D
  4. One Beer
  5. Deep Fried Frenz
  6. Poo-Putt Platter
  7. Fillet-O-Rapper
  8. Gumbo
  9. Fig Leaf Bi-Carbonate
  10. Kon Karne
  11. Guinnessez with Stahhr, 4ize
  12. Kon Queso
  13. Rapp Snitch Knishes with Mr. Fantastik
  14. Vomitspit
  15. Kookies

2

  1. One Beer – Madlib Remix
  2. H*e Cakes – Ant Remix
  3. H*e Cakes – Jake One Remix
  4. H*e Cakes – Beatboxapella

3

  1. The Evolution From Zev Love X to MF DOOM
  2. Being Embraced by a Diverse Fanbase
  3. Conquering Writer’s Block
  4. Doing Production vs. Working with Producers
  5. The Making of MM..FOOD
  6. MM..FOOD Favorites
  7. The Future with Metalface Records, Gas Drawls, & Rhymesayers

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[Via] [Via]

The post MF Doom’s Estate Shares Remixes & Interview Soundbites On 20th Anniversary Edition Of “MM..Food” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Benny The Butcher & 38 Spesh Are Hip-Hop’s Joe Montana & Jerry Rice: On “Stabbed & Shot 2,” Drake Collab & Favorite Styles P & Jadakiss Verses

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When 38 Spesh and Benny The Butcher teamed up on Stabbed & Shot in 2018, they were in the midst of a transformative year of their career. Hip-hop was witnessing the rise of one of the most important collectives of the past decade–Griselda–and upstate New York created a self-sufficient hub for independent rap. That year, Benny The Butcher emerged with his debut album, Tana Talk 3 while Spesh jumpstarted a second wind of his career with Son Of G Rap, a collaborative project alongside Kool G Rap that felt like a passing of the torch. 

Although one of the most underrated releases from 2018, Stabbed & Shot has been a fan favorite among both artists’ core bases. Six years later, Spesh and Benny reunited for its sequel that captures their growth and chemistry over these past few years. For two MCs who’ve proven time and time again that they are practically unf*ckwittable on the microphone, Stabbed & Shot 2 was another exercise in consistency.

“We both have grew as individuals and men, and to still be able to have that skill level and honestly, surpass the first one, is really the most rewarding thing,” Spesh told HotNewHipHop over a Zoom call. “To show that we’re not actually on a decline after all of these years is probably the most rewarding thing. To be able to listen to a solid body of work, and compare it to something that we knew would be very hard to even match, let alone top, so it’s probably the most rewarding thing is to be able to see that we’re actually still, you know, improving.”

2024 alone has been the most visible year in their careers. For 38 Spesh, it revolved around the release of two strong bodies of work–Mother & Gun and Grafh’s God’s Timing, which he produced–and for Benny The Butcher, it marked the end of a 22-month drought. He finally dropped his Def Jam debut, Everybody Can’t Go, along with two summer packs, Summertime Butch and Buffalo Butch Vol. 1, the latter of which contained the highly anticipated, “Buffalo Freestyle” featuring Drake. Similar to Spesh, Benny views this body of work as a testament to their journey in their respective careers and an homage to those who’ve paved the way for them.

“I’m saying to the 10th power, we’ve been influenced by [Styles P and Jadakiss],” Benny said. “But we are confident that we trailblazed this back-and-forth lane ourselves. We’re confident that people hold us high up there in the ranks. We confident that it’s a back-and-forth duo who aspired to be better than me and Spesh.”

We caught up with 38 Spesh and Benny The Butcher (who jumped on the call halfway through) to discuss their latest joint project, their favorite back-and-forth verses from Styles P and Jadakiss, the Drake collab, and why they feel like the Jerry Rice and Joe Montana of hip-hop.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Benny The Butcher 38 spesh
Credit: Photo Rob

HotNewHipHop: I feel like there’s a little bit more vigor when you and Benny step in the booth together, but from your perspective, how’s the energy different when you two are in the studio together, working on a project, compared to your solo projects?

38 Spesh: Well, it’s definitely a more of a competitive sport thing, you know? It’s more like a sport thing when we working together. We have to actually perform at a high level. Because, we both have a high skill level. So, you know, we both push each other to bring the best out of each other. 

Benny described this as “pure intellectual street dialect mixed with hindsight.” Just considering that both of you kind of had some of your most visible bodies of works this year, what was the most rewarding part about seeing this project through?

38: It was a lot of growth from the last release. So, it was a lot of different rewards with dealing with this, from the actual understanding of the business–better understanding of the business–a better understanding of ourselves, a lot more to talk about and touch on. Because, you know, it’s six years later. We both have grew as individuals and men, and to still be able to have that skill level and honestly, surpass the first one, is really the most rewarding thing. To show that we’re not actually on a decline after all of these years is probably the most rewarding thing. To be able to listen to a solid body of work, and compare it to something that we knew would be very hard to even match, let alone top, so it’s probably the most rewarding thing is to be able to see that we’re actually still, you know, improving.

How long did this project take to bring to life in its entirety?

38: The idea and the concept was always there but once we started working–we work pretty fast. So I would say, you know, a few studio sessions. That’s how we do. The first one, we made in three studio sessions. I say this one, we made probably four studio sessions. 

In your interview on My Expert Opinion, you mentioned that consistency is how to separate yourself from the crowd as MCs. How did the consistency of your respective solo catalogs in the past few years help you two deliver a potent body of work after coming together again?

38: That’s exactly what forms the body of work–the consistency. Like, you know, if we would have slowed down in any way, we wouldn’t have been able to deliver the way that we actually deliver. The consistency is what helped us be able to elevate our penmanship; to actually be able to deliver a better project. This is a sport, so the more that you practice, the better that you’re going to get. A lot of people slow down after they put out great bodies of work, or they let life get in the way, or whatever, things of that nature. We actually kept practicing and kept practicing and sharpening our skills and actually improved. So, you know, and that was due to the consistency. And if we had a lack of consistency, the project wouldn’t sound as good. So consistency is one of the main key factors of why we was able to over deliver.

There are sports references scattered throughout your catalog but you’ve also garnered attention from many athletes. How does it feel knowing the music that you create reaches well beyond the audience that you’re speaking to?

38: It was a surprise at first, because I never imagined reaching–I only rap for the direct audience, and my main goal was to feed them, but [with] the authenticity and the high level of penmanship, I realized that when you’re great at something, you’re recognized by people that are great at what they do. You move on the same frequency. I’m the best at what I do, so the people that are the best at what they do are going to appreciate what I do because we’re just the best at what we do. 

I had to understand the reason why LeBron [James] is saying my stuff word for word, it’s just because we move at the same frequency. We operate at the same extreme frequency of being the best. So that’s what made me understand, like, oh, “okay, even if I don’t watch sports, or even if we come from these different backgrounds, it’s just that actually, we all have the same thing inside,” and it’s just the drive to be the best and the skill set to be the best. That’s why they relate to it, more or less than just the music is, it’s a high skill set when we just the best that do it, you know?

You didn’t produce anything on this project compared to the first installment of Shot & Stabbed. However, there’s the inclusion of Harry Fraud, Daringer, and other prominent names. What was the beat selection process like with this project? 

38: Honestly, we go completely off-field. So it really don’t be in a producer’s hands, it be in our hands. Usually, the producers be guessing and a lot of times, the producers be guessing wrong. Producers guess, they say, “Oh, I got this. That sounds [that’s] good for y’all,” and a lot of times they don’t be on point. It be the ones that they don’t think that we would love, that they sitting on, that they probably would skip past, that we like, “hold on, go back, play that one. That’s the one.” And, you know, so it really be on us. We go into there, and we go completely off the way that the music makes us feel. Me and Benny kind of give each other a head nod. That’s our sign of agreeing, like, “oh yeah, this is the one,” because we both moving off of the way it makes us feel. Each one of these beats was hand-picked completely off of feeling. 

So, you know, it wasn’t even about the name of the producers, because it could have been–some of these guys I’d heard of for the first time. Like a couple of producers on here, I actually heard for the first time. One of them is Asethic who I met off Instagram from just scrolling, and he had a sound–he produced “High Stakes”–and it was a sound that was actually in our vein. And I said, “This feels like us.” Another guy who produced the single “Brick Specials,” I never heard of before in my life, and I just came across him off of YouTube, and it was just a feel. So it wasn’t really the producers actually coming up with ideas or concepts or sounds for us. It was just us searching for the actual sound that we love.

How would you describe the feeling of this project in that case? In terms of the head space that you and Benny were in. 

38: ​​We was in a hungry space, and it was a space that we had to get back to due to all of the success and how far we have actually travelled from six years. We found ourselves back in a hungry space, though, and it took us a while to get back to that space of hunger, but that was the space that we knew we had to be in in order to approach this project. That was the space that we were in, and that’s why we were able to deliver like that, because we were in a space where we had something to prove.

You’re going three-for-three in 2024 with the release of God’s Timing and Mother & Gun. How do you think this project complements those releases in a way that’s similar to your 2018 run? 

38: It’s just a display of consistency, showing the people how diverse and how talented I actually am. God’s Timing was displaying my production. Mother & Gun was displaying my lyrical ability and storytelling. And I feel like Stabbed & Shot is displaying my bar work, you know? So it all goes together, just showing how diverse and how talented I am.

Benny enters the Zoom call. 

Benny, thanks for joining us today.

Benny: What’s happening, baby? What I miss?

I wanted to ask you specifically: if you could compare yourself and Spesh to any duo in sports, who would it be?

BTB: I’m not going to lie, I’m going to have to say the obvious. The obvious is Shaq and Kobe. Jordan & Pippen. But I’m going to say, Jerry Rice and Joe Montana. 

Elaborate. Why those two?

BTB: Two champions. Basically–

38: That was a good pick, bro, because I don’t even watch sports like that. But 94–

BTB: [Laughs]

38: Listen, ‘94 49ers was my favorite team.

BTB: Real sh*t. Spesh is like the quarterback. He’s like the mastermind of this sh*t. He really just call the plays and I run the routes. It’s like, when you working with somebody like him, all you got to do is be in the right place at the right time, and you gonna catch the ball, you gonna score. That’s it. Run that right route and catch the ball. It’s gonna be a touchdown. When I’m working with this man, half the work is already done. All I got to do is show up.

38 Spesh Benny The Butchger
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 18: 38 Spesh and Benny The Butcher visit SiriusXM at SiriusXM Studios on October 18, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

I asked Spesh this already but I wanted to know, from your perspective, how does Stabbed & Shot 2 complement your 2024 output so far? 

BTB: It’s basically like the cherry on top because I wanted to have a very active year. Even coming into this year before any of my projects dropped, I sat back and realized I haven’t put out an album in 22 months before Everybody Can’t Go. So I wanted to do the direct opposite. I wanted to flood the market so Everybody Can’t Go, Summertime Butch, Buffalo Butch, then Stabbed & Shot 2. That’s just like the perfect way to end the year. 

How would you parallel your run in 2018, when you released Stabbed & Shot, to this year? 2018 was a very critical year in both of your careers and 2024 has been your most visible.

BTB: Man, it’s like we in a time machine. If you say it was six years ago, one of our most dominant years, and look up, we still doing the same sh*t six years later in the best shape of our lives. So it’s almost a testament to the hard work, the perseverance that we got and the determination. We could do this next year too, if we wanted to.

The comparisons to Styles P and Jadakiss are littered across the album. They even appeared on Stabbed & Shot in 2018. After working with them, how was it trying to channel that energy onto this project? 

BTB: I mean, basically, we are who we are, you know, I mean, and we’ve definitely been influenced by those dudes, man, to Infinity and Beyond. I’m saying to the 10th power,  we’ve been influenced by them. But we are confident that we trailblazed this back-and-forth lane ourselves. We’re confident that people hold us high up there in the ranks. We confident that it’s a back and forth duo who aspired to be better than me and Spesh. We set the stone with that sh*t, going back and forth with them, you know what I’m saying that? But I think we could carry it ourselves, and we veterans in this game at this point too.

38: Agreed.

Is there a particular back-and-forth between Styles P and Jadakiss that you two hold dear to your hearts? 

38: Man, most of the time, they go crazy every time, you know what I’m saying? Every time. 

BTB: 100%

38: I remember the first time when I lost my mind probably was “Banned From TV” when they went back-and-forth. Then, it was a joint off of the Ruff Ryders album called “Dope Money.” That was my sh*t.

BTB: Those are probably my favorites up there. I was definitely going to say “Banned From TV” but that “Dope Money”–

38: Oh my God. 

BTB: That sh*t was crazy. “We Gonna Make It,” can’t forget that. Can’t forget that.

38: “We Gonna Make It,” yeah. By the time “We Gonna Make It” came out, we already knew what they did.

BTB: Facts.

On “Jesus Arms,” Busta Rhymes says, “A lot of you better start rethinking your top five.” I know this is not the first time you guys have heard that from the legends, but how does it feel, even to this day and everything you guys have accomplished, hearing the pioneers and the bricklayers of this sh*t your praises in that sort of way?

38: Well, that’s one of the best feelings that come with this sh*t. It will always be appreciated to hear one of the pioneers give respect. Besides everything else, that’s all we really wanted before money. Before we even knew what money was, all we wanted was for them to let us know that we was good at what we did. So, that never leaves. That never leaves.

BTB: When you watch people ball out and do this, when they respect your jump shot, that’s a different kind of feeling. That’s definitely something that I look forward to, besides, you know, the money and the awards. The respect from your own peers, that means a lot.

You’ve done four collaborative projects with each other now: Stabbed & Shot, Stabbed & Shot 2, Trust The Sopranos, and Cocaine Cowboys. How would you rank those projects from one to four?

BTB: I’ma go Stabbed & Shot 1. Then, I don’t know after that. I love Trust The Sopranos. Cocaine Cowboys, it was special. I just feel like Stabbed & Shot 1 is special to me because it’s a marker in time. It just set the pace for what me and Spesh was about to do. And I feel like all of those albums are special because we put a lot into all of those, so it’s kind of hard to rank them. But I just know the first Stabbed & Shot is super special to me, because it’s just a marker in time, and it put everybody on notice, because they knew this day was coming. They knew we was about to leave a whole bunch of sh*t in our path. They knew he’s about to tear sh*t up so that’s a special one for me.

38: Yeah, I feel the same exact way. Stabbed & Shot 1 was like the beginning of the start of me taking this serious in the next level. And it was kind of like my introduction to this lane. That sh*t is definitely number one. It’s hard, like he said, to rank any of them other projects, but, you know, Stabbed & Shot 1 is definitely the significant one.

Benny, before we go, I wanted to ask you about the Drake collaboration. It’s been one of the most sought after records in your unreleased catalog and finally dropped over the summer before it was removed from DSPs. How did you feel about it finally hit streaming services and what was your reaction once it was removed?

BTB: I feel good to hit streaming services. I like dropping new music, getting people’s reaction, especially something fully loaded with bars like that. And, how I felt when I when I got took him down–I really didn’t feel how the people felt. Because I knew it was a possibility that that might happen. I was prepared for that already. So when it happened, I ain’t take it hard like that. You know, this game is full of loopholes and yellow tape that you got to crawl through to make certain sh*t happen. He just wasn’t able to make that happen. But, you know, no love lost for Drake and his team and no shit like that. You know, it’s just business and it’s just music, you know what I’m saying?

What can fans expect from both of you before the year ends?

BTB: What you got? What you working on over there, Spesh? You got some secret projects over there that you’re producing?

38: For the end of this year, it’s just about Stabbed & Shot 2. Next year? I’m loading up for next year. Next year, it’s gonna be a bunch of sh*t coming, but I don’t think I’m releasing nothing else this year. I’m not sure.

BTB: Me too. I’m on the same page. It’s all Stabbed & Shot. If we feel like really getting in the booth and releasing another single, just because but Stabbed & Shot 2 going to hold people down for the rest of the year, I believe.

38: Facts.

The post Benny The Butcher & 38 Spesh Are Hip-Hop’s Joe Montana & Jerry Rice: On “Stabbed & Shot 2,” Drake Collab & Favorite Styles P & Jadakiss Verses appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Moneybagg Yo Talks Obama Co-Sign, “Speak Now Or,” Denzel Washington & More

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The Moneybagg Yo we know now isn’t the same one we met on projects like All Gas No Breaks or the Federal series. Before he penned a deal with CMG, he was already a household name among hustlers and trappers. In the past three and a half years alone, he’s reaped the benefits from his relentless hustle of high-quality mixtapes. Bagg has nabbed a #1 album on the Billboard 200 and secured several RIAA certifications, many of which have been the result of the grip he has every summer. His latest album, Speak Now, produced the Morgan Wallen-assisted country-rap banger, “Whiskey Whiskey,” which recently made it to Obama’s Summer Playlist 2024.

“I was like, ‘Damn, Barack.’ Like, he’s listening? That was a good feeling, but it was a shocking one,” Moneybagg Yo tells HotNewHipHop over Zoom. “You don’t think when you’re putting these songs together and you putting this stuff out that it’s going to reach and do what it do.”

However, Moneybagg Yo’s relentless hustle throughout his career has positioned him in such a way as to land on Obama’s playlist and have a sit-down with Denzel Washington. Today, he releases the deluxe edition of his latest album titled, Speak Now Or. It’s the bridge between the June album and his forthcoming follow-up, Forever Hold Your Peace, which he said will be out before the year’s end. He explains that the key to his prolific output relates back to his conversation with Denzel Washington who told him, “With me, you gotta know how to be Shakespeare, and you gotta know how to be the man in Training Day. You gotta know how to do both of them. That’s what made me different.”

“Every project should just be viewed and looked at like a movie,” Moneybagg Yo explains. “Like, all right, what can we expect from him in this movie? Like, the actor good. We know he plays good roles, and he do his thing when the camera’s on. But, what is this about that’s different from last time? Like, Malcolm X and Training Day are two different things, but it’s the same great actor, you know what I’m saying? So basically, that’s how I’m taking the approach with just Speak Now, Speak Now Or, and Forever Hold Your Peace. It’s just like you get a different movie every time.”

We recently caught up with Moneybagg yo to discuss his latest project, his immeasurable influence, and working alongside Morgan Wallen. 

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. 

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – AUGUST 4: Rapper Moneybagg Yo performs during MoneyBagg Yo Larger Than Life Tour at State Farm Arena on August 4, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage)

HotNewHipHop: The last time, we spoke was around the time “Hard For The Next” came out and you released A Gangsta’s Pain shortly after. You’ve had a productive few years since then. What’s been the biggest difference in your life between that album coming out and now?

Moneybagg Yo: When I dropped A Gangsta’s Pain, I set the standard so high, you got to always be able to fill those shoes up when people expect you to fill them shoes over and over again. It’s just really me vs. me. I’m in a me vs. me type of situation. I’m battling me. So, that’s what I’m doing, just trying to be better than my last. 

How’d you feel about the reception of Speak Now, especially after having the summer pass and still dominating?

It’s cool, you know? I feel like I could do better, you know what I’m saying? But I feel like, it’s just a different movie of me. It’s just a different thing. Like, A Gangsta’s Pain was one thing, Hard To Love was a moment. and then, Speak Now. Even with these eight, or nine songs that I’m about to add to the deluxe, this is even different. It really could have probably been its own tape but it makes more sense to attach it to Speak Now, you know what I’m saying? Then, even the next project, Forever Hold Your Peace. The next body of work, it’s a whole other Moneybagg. You don’t get the same thing every time. That’s how you get bored. 

On a creative level, what’s been fulfilling you creatively? What’s been impressing you when you step out of the booth?

The Forever Hold Your Peace project, I’m impressed with that. Like, how it’s coming out, how everybody is like hearing it, listening to it. They taking a liking to it, and just really happy for me and excited for the body of work. That’s a good thing.

I think I heard you say that it’s going to be more melodic. Is that accurate? 

Yeah, it’s just a whole melodic bag. You know, you probably heard a lot–well, I know you heard a lot of melodic songs from me. Songs like “Wockesha,” “Scorpio”–that type of vibe. A lot of just different ways that you can think that I probably came like that, but that’s the tone.

It’s a sequel to Speak Now, right? 

Yeah, it’s just like a sequel. Everything ties in. Like. this right here that I’m going to drop is Speak Now Or. Like, the deluxe is like Or, you know what I’m saying? It’s like Or then Forever Hold Your Peace. We’ll drop that in another couple of weeks, a couple of months or however it might go. Whenever it’s ready, and then, that’s that. And that’s the whole attachment. 

How far along are you with Forever Hold Your Peace?

Probably like 75-80% done.

I imagine we’ll probably get a single from this before the end of the year or sometime in the next few months. 

Yeah, you’ll get the whole thing before that. 

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – JULY 10: Moneybagg Yo performs during the Wireless Festival at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) on July 10, 2022 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Katja Ogrin/Redferns)

I was reading your interview with Billboard a few months ago where you were discussing when you met Denzel. You recalled him telling you, “With me, you gotta know how to be Shakespeare, and you gotta know how to be the man in Training Day. You gotta know how to do both of them. That’s what made me different.” I want to know, how do you think this quote applies to your approach to music? 

I feel like I took that like, basically what I was telling you. You have to be like, just a different character every time. Every project should just be viewed and looked at like a movie. It should just be really looked at like a movie. Like, all right, what can we expect from him in this movie? Like, the actor good. We know he plays good roles, and he do his thing when the camera’s on. But, what is this about that’s different from last time? Like, Malcolm X and Training Day are two different things, but it’s the same great actor, you know what I’m saying? So basically, that’s how I’m taking the approach with just Speak Now, Speak Now Or, and Forever Hold Your Peace. It’s just like you get a different movie every time.

Some people were feeling like Speak Now was a bit commercial or something. So Speak Now Or, they get this, I guarantee you, they ain’t gonna say that. This is strictly street records, energy, street records. And then you got Forever Hold Your Peace, it’s just melodic. It’s more of a vibe. It’s the “woo the ladies” in and talk like it’s good with that.

In that same interview, you mentioned how you don’t feel like you have much to prove because you’ve accomplished so much. Are you able to identify your influence in music and in culture at large these days?

Yep. The largest. Really, basically, to where it’s the largest. I feel like everytime I do something, people gravitate and bite onto it. Like, I’m not a person that like is meant to follow. I’m meant to lead. Every time I do something where I take the lead or take the initiative, I set the trend like that. Once I do it, everybody else does it or they try to act like they ain’t do it and then, do it [laughs]. Or try to like, see me halfway doing it and try to finesse it all the way to the T.  Now, when I‘m coming me down there, I almost look like–once I finish what I’m doing, it damn-near look like they seen it before because he did it.

That’s another thing too, like I don’t like posting everything before it’s done. I like posting the finished product. Then I show you the behind-the-scenes of it, how I did it, instead of the other way around. Like, showing you the behind-the-scenes first, and then “this coming” and then I put it out. Because when you do that, you just opening up doors for people to be like, “Oh, he’s doing it. Let me do this. But I’m gonna put a twist on it. I’m gonna do it like this, this new wave. This gotta be it.”

They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Do you feel like people are giving you your flowers when they’re biting your style?

No, not really. They don’t pay homage all the time. They need to.

You’ve been an advocate for a lot of the women in the South who are crushing it in rap right now, even with your collabs with GloRilla. How do you think the women in the South complement what you bring to hip-hop? Obviously, it’s a different perspective but they bring that energy. 

Yeah, I like what all the women doing right now. I like what all the women doing. I’m excited for them, I’m happy for them. It’s like a handful of them that I rock with. too. Another thing is I feel like we resonate well, the chemistry is good because of the substance and topics and like, how I come. How I come, I feel like this is just a versatility thing. Like I can do anything, you know what I’m saying? If it’s a song with a girl, I can do it. Like, if it’s a song with guys, I can do it. If it’s me singing like melodic, I can do it. Whatever it is, I feel like I can adjust to it whatever the case may be. 

No, for sure. “Whiskey, Whiskey” is probably one of the more surprising songs that you’ve released. It just landed on Obama’s summer playlist. Can you just describe to me where you were when you first received that news, and what was your reaction to it?

I seen that yesterday. I was like, “Damn, Barack.” Like, he’s listening? That was a good feeling, but it was a shocking one. You don’t think when you’re putting these songs together and you putting this stuff out that its going to reach and do what it do. You don’t think that–some people do, though. Some people go in with that. I ain’t saying I ain’t confident, but some people go in with all the confidence. But my thing is with music today, you don’t never know. Like, you don’t know what’s gonna be this and be that, so it’s hard to say. So I just kind of like, let it do it. 

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 23: Music artist Moneybagg Yo performs during 2022 Rolling Loud New York at Citi Field on September 23, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

Have any singles surprised you with how successful they became?

Yeah, all of them except for “Wockesha.” ​​I kind of knew that one was like–I was so passionate about the song, I kind of knew that song was going to be like, something special in some kind of way.

You’ve previously teased a country project with Morgan Wallen. How much progress has been made with that? If there has been any.

No, no, it just was an idea, a thought. Like, something that could happen. 

Has he been receptive to the idea?

​​Yeah, he’s with whatever. Like, I’m one of his favorite artists.

I know it’s a bit of old news but you did some work with Kanye West a couple of years ago. What the biggest takeaway from being in the studio with him?

It was a good experience for me. I learned a lot and just saw how to do things, saw how stuff went, and just soaked up the game, and applied it to my situation. So shout out to Kanye. Unfortunately, what we did didn’t get used. But I understand like, as an artist, I understand it could be like that sometimes.

What was one thing that you learned from that session and started applying to your own sessions?

Just how to be creative. How to be creative with the songs, and start just making everything make sense. Like, starting from scratch, building the beats up. Already have the ideas on some of them and making the beats around them. Just different stuff.

I was recently watching Mannie Fresh explain how in the early days of Cash Money, they would take catchphrases and turn those into songs. I’ve noticed you have a similar approach to taking certain words or phrases and flipping them into hit records. How did Cash Money inspire your songwriting in that aspect? If they did at all. 

I didn’t even know that they looked at it like that or they were doing it like that. To be honest, when I do it I just do it because–it’s gonna look like that, so it gonna be hard. But it’s just like, it’s a moment. I just feel like it’s just a moment in life to where it’s like, this is what’s going on right now. This is what I’m literally experiencing. I’m going through this or like, I’m dealing with this. It all circles back to like that term or that phrase, or whatever the case may be.

So I just feel like, use it. It makes sense, and that’s what’s going on in the world. So that’s more the more the key things is like, you gotta be relatable. That’s the only way your music is gonna get off. If they can’t relate to it, how they gonna play it? [laughs]

You’ve established yourself as a highly successful business person. On a business level, what would you like to tackle outside of music?

I’m doing clothing right now. I got my Loaf Brand clothing. So, that’s in the process right now. 

That’s high-end streetwear, right?

Yeah. 

Any last words for the HotNewHipHop audience?

Stay tuned. I got a lot in store for you. A lot, a lot, a whole lot of stuff in store for you. Stay locked in. Follow me, I won’t misguide you.

The post Moneybagg Yo Talks Obama Co-Sign, “Speak Now Or,” Denzel Washington & More appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Diddy Predicted Arrest For His Infamous Parties In 1999 Interview

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Diddy is going to be trending for maybe the rest of the year if people continue to dig up old clips. According to AllHipHop, pop culture account Pop Base has just dusted off a 1999 interview in which Diddy is once again talking about his parties. This ET sit-down is really trippy due to the fact that the music mogul pretty much predicts his future. “They won’t even give me a permit for the parties, man. They don’t want me to throw the parties no more. But we ain’t gon’ stop. We gon’ keep having fun, bringing people together from all walks of life”, he begins.

“You’re gonna hear about my parties, they’re gonna be shutting them down, they gon’ probably be arresting me, doing all types of crazy things just ‘cuz we want to have a good time”. He even goes on to say that people who aren’t really in the know are a little put off by them. “It’s a lot of people out there that feel intimidated”, Diddy explains. However, he continues to say in the interview that they are there to bring people together “from all walks of life”.

Read More: Young Dolph’s Murder Trial: Security Footage Of The Shooting Revealed In Court

Diddy Talking About His Parties With ET 25 Years Ago

This 25-year-old recording is still very jaw-dropping, but not as bad as his 2002 appearance on Conan O’Brien’s show. In that chat, Diddy creepily detailed all of the essentials that make up his infamous parties. “You need some water… a lot of ladies drink water at parties so if you don’t have what they need then they gon’ leave… gotta keep ’em there… You need locks on the doors… you don’t have no air conditioning… Heat affects the alcohol, it also makes everybody get a little more comfortable and loose. It builds up a nice little sweat”. Diddy was really not doing himself any favors back in the day.

What are your thoughts on Diddy talking about potentially getting arrested for his parties in 1999? Is it wild to see how many times this current ongoing story was foreshadowed? What do you think is going to happen to Diddy? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Diddy. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the world of music.

Read More: Meek Mill Downplays Diddy Connection By Claiming “Something Ain’t Right”

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The post Diddy Predicted Arrest For His Infamous Parties In 1999 Interview appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Wallo Talks New Book “Armed With Good Intentions,” Lessons Vs. Regrets & Embracing His Age In Hip-Hop

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“The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” reads the first sentence of Wallo 267’s, born Wallace Peeples, new book, Armed With Good Intentions, an exploration of his life, the decisions he made, and finding his purpose to inspire others after his release from prison. He’s used his platform, Million Dollaz Worth Of Game, the podcast he co-hosts with his cousin, Gillie Da Kid, to not only share his story but also provide others with the opportunity to share theirs. Artists like Lil Durk, Pooh Shiesty, and countless others have sat down to absorb their knowledge as elder statesmen and share their own gems. 

“​​Like you have these good intentions, but you still get caught up sometimes being the environment we have. I had to share my story – not just the book – but before the book, online, because I wanted these young people to learn from my story, but don’t live my story, you know?” he explained to Hot New Hip Hop over Zoom. “Because a lot of them live in the story in real life. They live in the street game. They try to figure it out, and it’s like, yo, it ain’t even worth it, you know?”

The honesty and rawness of Wallo and Gillie’s approach to Million Dollaz Worth Of Game is hyperfocused in Armed With Good Intentions. Released through 13A Gallery, Wallo deconstructs the cause-and-effect of his decisions that shaped his trajectory and turned him into a guiding light for the youth and a proponent of change, one who now serves as the CMO of REFORM Alliance, a Cultural Advisor to YouTube, and the founder of YouTube Avenues. We recently caught up with the Philadelphia native to discuss his new book, guiding the youth with honesty, Pooh Shiesty, and more. 

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Courtesy of 13 A

HotNewHipHop: How long was this book in the works?

Wallo: You know what’s crazy? It wasn’t that long. Last year it came about, [and I] just went in. You know, knocked it out, got straight to it. The opportunity came to get with Simon & Schuster 13A Gallery Books, and went right at it, you know. And it just came out smooth, you know?

How long was the process of writing it?

Not that long. I’d say less than a year.

What was the feeling like once your reached the end of the editing process and seeing the final copy?

I think not just the copy. I think it was when I finished the audiobook before the copy. Seeing the final copy was just like ‘wow,’ you know? Because it was just like talking, feeling the emotions, and all that stuff through the audiobook. It was like, “Yo, this thing is really real. Like, it’s game time.”

Would you have ever imagined writing your own book 20 years ago?

No, no, no. You don’t – no. Being in prison, naw, you don’t. I remember, I did read one book when I was in prison, and it was written by somebody when they was in prison. I don’t know if you remember Monster [by Sanyika Shakur]. I was like, damn. You know, he wrote that when he was in prison. So it was like you think but you never know that your story would be that interesting, being somebody in jail. So you just be like, “ahh.” This dude was talking about something totally different, like the gang-banging stuff so it was just different. But never, never did I think that. 

The first line of the book, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” embodies the title of the book. What’s the significance of that proverb to you and how has it shaped your outlook these days as a mentor and a community leader? 

You know, that’s how it be, man. Like you have these good intentions, but you still get caught up sometimes being the environment we have. I had to share my story – not just the book – but before the book, online, because I wanted these young people to learn from my story, but don’t live my story, you know? Because a lot of them live in the story in real life. They live in the street game. They try to figure it out, and it’s like, yo, it ain’t even worth it, you know? And that’s what some of the messaging was over the years on social media, was like, “Yo, that sh*t ain’t worth it, man. Go another route.”

Wallo267 shaking hands at a basketball game.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 29: Wallo267 (L) attends the BET Experience Celebrity Basketball Game on June 29, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for BET)

In the book, you mention how you realized that a lot of the old heads in your community lied to you or led you astray in certain ways. In the position you’re in now and with the network of people that you reach, how do you impart this type of wisdom that you have to the youth in a way that strays them away from the inevitable outcome of the streets?

Being raw with them, sharing my story, being straight up, and not trying to be cool. I think a lot of times, a lot of old heads or OGs try to maintain that cool thing. And sometimes, [when] you try to maintain that, you won’t tell a person what the real is, that “Yo, you should be doing this dumb sh*t.” That’s the difference [with] me. Me, I’m an elder to these young cats, so I’m always going to tell them. I’m not trying to be no young person. I embrace my age, I embrace that I’m older. I love where I’m at, and I’m gonna tell them what it is because I already know where they going. 

Do you feel like that’s the key to the success of Million Dollaz Worth Of Game? The first person that comes to mind is Pooh Shiesty and a lot of the younger artists that have appeared on the platform. Do you think it’s more effective and the words land better because you’re not sugarcoating anything?

See, one thing I know is that a lot of times, though, Aron, some people really gotta go through it. No matter who you talkin’ [to]. But I always feel good knowing that I told people exactly what it is. I ain’t bullshit. I ain’t bullshit Pooh Shiesty. I ain’t bullshit none of these young cats. I tell them exactly what’s going on, how it’s going on, and why it’s going on, you know what I mean? So I always feel good. I don’t want the outcome to be sometimes the wrong way [of] what it is but it’s like, as long as I feel like I know I’ve done my job because I felt the energy and I felt that I needed to say certain things based on what was going on. You know, I feel good about that.

What part of this book was most difficult to see on paper?

You know, talking about my brother, Steve. Because Steve is always a soft spot for me. You know, ‘cause anytime he’s mentioned, I get emotional because I’m thinking about just our upbringing, our journey. You know, that’s something, you know, that’s just something personal.

The book also recollects a lot of the decisions that led to your incarceration. How do the lessons you learned from those moments weigh against the regrets you might have? 

You know, it’s deep. It’s real oxymoronic. It goes both ways because it’s like, I don’t regret nothing then it’s like yeah, I needed to go. So it’s wild. It’s unexplainable because you’d be like ‘I learned a lot,’ but then it be like, ‘You know, I had to go through this.’ And even with the regrets, you’d be like, ‘damn, I regret doing this.’ And you’d be like, ‘Damn, if I didn’t do this, I probably wouldn’t have made it here,’ to be able to learn through and grow through the shit. So it’s a lot, you know?

What’s the most rewarding aspect of growing Million Dollaz Worth Of Game for you?

Being able to see how it impacts culture. How you see people in real life and they was like, “Yo, man, I needed that.” That was like seeing them at the airport, seeing them in the market. It’s like, “okay, this works,” like a lot of people are listening.

Is there a particular instance that sticks out to you in terms of realizing and understanding your own impact on culture?

You know what, it’s so crazy. There have been so many, it’s hard to pick one. It’s hard to pick one. 

What about the first time?

The impact? I think the first time was when my grandma basically understood what I was doing, and she was proud of me, that I was finally doing [something]. I was like, “Yo, sh*t, this sh*t is real.” She really respected it so, like I think it was different from then.

What was that conversation with her like? 

You know, I was on the front page of The Daily News, and somebody called to tell her. She was like – she thought I did something wrong, or something. Like, “he on the news. What did he do?” My life had changed, for real. It wasn’t even about me doing nothing wrong so it wasn’t even about that. So it was just… it just was different, man. It was amazing, though.

Wallo267 speaking at Global Citizen Week.
NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 23: Wallo267 speaks onstage during Global Citizen Week: At What Cost? at The Apollo Theater on September 23, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Global Citizen)

At the beginning of Armed With Good Intentions, you mention how you’re on parole until 2048. It reminded me heavily of Meek Mill’s situation and I know the two of you have a good relationship. With your role at REFORM, what is change for you and what are your goals?

So the whole thing is, like, I think it already happened. You know, I’m saying it already happened on the aspect of just seeing all the changes that already came in a short period of time. Just being a part of that in any type of way, that’s everything.

What are you most proud to accomplish so far with them?

I think it’s just the connection and giving people hope. I think that’s the accomplishment, even before I went there. Giving people hope that they have something, somebody there to fight for them.

You’ve taken the role of the cultural advisor of YouTube and the founder of YouTube Avenues. As someone who is in touch with the youth and has seen how a lot of kids have gone from aspiring to be a rapper to wanting to become streamers and YouTubers, what similarities do you see between the hustles of trying to come up as a rapper and trying to become a YouTuber from the ground up?

It’s similar because everybody trying to grind, but I think [becoming a] YouTuber is way easier because you don’t have to – [being a] rapper is a lot. You gotta be entertainment, you gotta be believable, you gotta be energetic. It’s like YouTube, you can sit in your crib and do content based on something totally different and blow up. Or you could be playing games. 

It feels like a lot of YouTubers can expand outside of just content creation and YouTube provides them with a platform to do so. Based on your interactions with the community, how do you feel about these YouTubers expanding their platforms into other avenues?

They not playing, I love it. I love seeing Kai. Like, I know Kai, we had him on the show and just talking to him and seeing how this thing is like, it’s opening up the game for a whole new outlet, a whole new revenue stream for young kids to go after.

What’s the main objective of this role? What is your long-term goal for, not only yourself but the community at large?

I just want to let people know that they got a shot. Coming from where I come from, the ghetto, it’ll have you believing that it’s over. It’s just beginning. So if I could get out there and let our people know, “Listen, you got a shot, no matter the circumstances.” No matter if you was a drug abuser, no matter if you went to jail, no matter – you got a shot. That’s my main thing, letting people know it’s never over until you stop breathing.

Final question: what do you have planned after this book? What can we expect from you in the foreseeable future?

A lot. Documentaries, you know, a lot of new stuff coming down the pike. Sometimes I don’t even speak on it, I just let it happen.

Is there anything in particular you’d be willing to tell us about?

Wallo267 Foundation. I’ll be helping you juvenile offenders get back, reintegrate back into society and stuff like that.

The post Wallo Talks New Book “Armed With Good Intentions,” Lessons Vs. Regrets & Embracing His Age In Hip-Hop appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Young Thug’s Brother Erupts On YSL Mondo For Doing Interviews Amid RICO Case

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Unfortunately, Young Thug may be in court for a lot longer. It seems that every YSL defendant is doing something that could possibly derail any sort of positive progress. YSL Woody has been the main proponent of acting out of pocket in the court room, even making up fake names to “snitch on”. However, it seems that YSL Mondo could be another catalyst in extending Young Thug’s appearances before a judge. According to No Jumper, the record label co-founder is doing too many interviews in the eyes Young Thug’s brother, Unfoonk. Currently, there’s a clip going around of Mondo blasting Woody for being “the biggest rat” he knows on the Its Up There Podcast.

Apparently, those two have been beefing amid this RICO Case and Unfoonk thinks it’s a bad look for Mondo to continue to speak. Even the popular Young Thug fan account on X, THUGGERDAILY, is calling him out. Unfoonk explained why this only making things worse in his eyes on an IG story while putting Mondo on blast. “N**** really doing interviews talking about sum they don’t know smh”, Unfoonk begins.

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Young Thug’s Brother And YSL Mondo Go Trade Words

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by No Jumper 🏀 (@nojumper)

“Its a reason why wasn’t around u n****, save all dat cap s***, clout chasing a** n**** smh. Its only a matter of time before I say f*** it, u one of the reason why they saying we a gang dumb a** n****”. Mondo then took the time to clap back on X, saying that everything he’s saying is “1 million percent true” and that Unfoonk “been hating” on him since the latter got out of prison. Mondo then left things off with a threat, saying “I suggest you be quiet before I say some that’s gone hurt your feelings! You should be the last person talking period!! Now I’m just gone leave it there!”.

What are your thoughts on Young Thug’s brother blowing up on YSL Mondo for doing interviews? Who do you think has more valid points? Overall, do you agree with Unfoonk’s take? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Young Thug and the ongoing RICO case. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.

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The post Young Thug’s Brother Erupts On YSL Mondo For Doing Interviews Amid RICO Case appeared first on HotNewHipHop.