Memphis

Mikey Williams Pleads Guilty To Misdemeanor Offense

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Highly touted basketball prospect Mikey Williams has pled guilty to a single misdemeanor offense. Prosecutors announced that Williams, who is a freshman at Memphis, will have his nine felony charges reduced to a single misdemeanor. However, he must meet a number of conditions by his sentencing date in August 2024. These conditions include the completion of 80 hours of community service and the completion of both gun safety and anger management courses. Furthermore, Williams is prohibited from owning a firearm for 10 years.

Prior to his plea deal, Williams was facing up to 28 years in prison if found guilty of the nine felonies he had been charged with. The charges stemmed from an incident in April. Williams reportedly discharged a firearm at a vehicle containing six people that was leaving his home in California. No one was injured by police came down on hard on the basketball star. However, the deal means that Williams only pleads guilty to one count of making criminal threats.

Read More: Angel Reese To Play Versus Virginia Tech

Does Mikey Williams Have A Future At Memphis?

However, the legal victory for Williams does little to change his status within the Memphis basketball program. While Williams attends online classes at the school, he is not permitted to engage in team basketball activities until his legal situation is resolved. As his plea is conditional, his status will remain unresolved until he is sentenced. Barring an unforeseen turn of events, this means that Williams will miss the entirety of the 2023-24 season. Furthermore, Memphis will likely wait until his sentencing hearing in August of next year to make a call about his future with the team.

However, even without Williams on the floor, Memphis has gotten off to a strong start to the season. They are 5-1, including major wins over Michigan and then-No. 20 Arkansas. Despite this, their unbeaten start was ended in the Battle 4 Atlantis Championship Game. A late rally by the Tigers was not enough to overcome Villanova. Memphis is next in action on Saturday. However, they have at least one more ranked matchup before the end of the year. On December 10, they take on Texas A&M, currently ranked at No. 14.

Read More: Bronny James Cleared To Play For USC

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Dame Dash “Saved” Memphis Bleek, He Claims While Recalling Label Stories

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The history of Roc-A-Fella is a long and complicated one, and it hasn’t gotten any easier to navigate as the years draw on. However, we have seen multiple of its key members- whether executives or artists- reflect on some alleged misconceptions on its downfall. That’s not where Dame Dash began his recent breakdown of it, though: he started off on a new episode of The CEO Show by talking about Roc member Memphis Bleek’s career. It started off as an assessment of the rapper’s relevance today, then went into the gossip around all the members’ fallings-out, and then moved to the executive’s claim that he “saved” Bleek from robbery.

“No disrespect to Bleek,” Dame Dash began his statement. “But I don’t feel like he would not want to still be making current records and making a lot of money doing new records. You know, I didn’t want him to be– no disrespect, but no one wants to be on the ‘Oldies but Goodies Tour.’ You want to be known for new s**t.” Then, he started to push back on Memphis Bleek’s explanation of how the Roc fell.

Read More: Dame Dash “Broke” But “Proud,” Roc-A-Fella Co-Founder Says He’s Been “Losing Money For Years”

Dame Dash Addresses Memphis Bleek’s Tale Of The Roc’s Downfall: Watch

“The misconception about Roc-A-Fella is they kicked me out; I left,” Dame Dash claimed. “When ‘Change Clothes’ came out, I had already had an office at Rocawear. I was already done, I didn’t wanna run Roc-A-Fella no more, I still don’t wanna run a music [company]. I had retired from Roc-A-Fella long before this so called split.” Furthermore, he used Memphis Bleek as an example of him pushing the Roc’s affiliates to take care of themselves, not their higher-ups.

“People close to him were taking his publishing,” he went on. “When he was signing his record deal, someone had his– he was signed to a production deal. And, I’m not going to say nobody’s name. I’ll let them deal with that. He talks about it. All his publishing was getting taken. They were getting a piece of his royalty. He was getting robbed. So, I went and got him a lawyer. I went and got him a real accountant and it really caused a lot of friction internally.” For more news and the latest updates on Dame Dash and Memphis Bleek, come back to HNHH.

Read More: Memphis Bleek’s “Drink Champs” Appearance Covers Jay-Z, Illegal Highs & More

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Big Mota In Critical Condition After Memphis Shooting: Report

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Local Memphis rapper Big Mota is currently fighting for his life in a hospital following a deadly shooting, AllHipHop reports. Moreover, the incident took place on Thursday night (October 26) in the city’s Oakhaven section, and local police provided more details and elaborations. Upon their response, they found a car with more than a dozen bullet holes in it, which the rapper and the other victim were assumedly in at the time of the altercation. Unfortunately, the other victim did not recover from their wounds, and authorities pronounced them deceased the following morning. On the other hand, Big Mota went to Regional One Hospital in critical condition, in which he supposedly remains as of writing this article.

However, there are conflicting reports on his status online, so take this report with a tiny grain of salt. At press time, law enforcement officials previously declared that a motive behind the shooting is still unclear. During their investigation, they will hopefully understand if someone targeted Big Mota or if this was a more impromptu situation. Unfortunately for the city of Memphis, the worlds of crime and rap music have had far too much fatal crossover, resulting in a lot of pain around the community.

Read More: Memphis Rapper EBG Ejizzle Locked Up On Murder Charges

Big Mota Shooting: Watch Local News Coverage & Updates Below

Regardless, Big Mota certainly made his mark in the local scene before this, a legacy and impact that hopefully doesn’t fade and that, more importantly, he will be able to return to if all goes well concerning his status. Through his mixtape Mota This, Mota That!, he caught some steam and started to build some recognition through more high-profile collabs, too. The Tennessee artist worked Kevin Gates, Snootie Wild, and other stars. We wish him a speedy recovery, no further violent incidents, and more success, satisfaction, and safety in his life and career.

Meanwhile, this is sadly the latest in a series of violence that results in lost lives within the Memphis scene. The same can be said in other areas, of course- and that’s not meant to minimize any city or state’s experience with this- but it seems like this community is particularly pained. Whether it’s Blac Youngsta’s brother’s tragic passing or the void left behind in Young Dolph’s wake, we hope that events like these undergo, if not a complete disappearance, at least a conversation about what needs to be done to prevent this from continuing. For more news and the latest updates on Big Mota and Memphis rap, stick around on HNHH.

Read More: Memphis Man Arrested Outside Yo Gotti Show After Threatening To Kill Patrons

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Curren$y Says Memphis Isn’t The Same Since Young Dolph’s Death

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Curren$y says that visiting Memphis isn’t the same since Young Dolph died in 2021. He explained how not being able to reach out to his “potna” has changed the experience for him on Twitter in a post from last week. “Landing in Memphis and not reaching out to my potna to get the fire is crazy man. Long live flipper [dolphin emoji],” he wrote.

Young Dolph was shot and killed while visiting Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies where he would often frequent while in town. An autopsy later revealed that he suffered 22 gunshot wounds in the attack. Dolph was just 36 years old at the time of his death.

Read More: Young Dolph Murder Investigation: CEO Teezy Reportedly Killed After Being Named Person Of Interest

Curren$y Performs At Rolling Loud

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 25: Curren$y performs on stage during 2022 Rolling Loud New York at Citi Field on September 25, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

Two men have been charged in the killing of Young Dolph, Justin Johnson and Cornelius Smith. They have pleaded not guilty to charges and will stand trial on March 11, 2024. Authorities have not confirmed a motive for the killing. Check out Curren$y’s post referencing Young Dolph below.

Curren$y Reflects On Loss Of Young Dolph

In addition to not being excited about traveling to Memphis, Curren$y recently explained on Drink Champs that he doesn’t like performing abroad either. “I only went overseas on one run, bro,” he said at the time. “Yeah, one run and then we came back and we bought some cars and I was just like, ‘I’m straight.’ All the ketchup didn’t taste like ketchup. Everything was fucking crazy. It was tough to be happy with weed. It was bad, bro. In every coffee shop I went in in Amsterdam, it was all just not good weed.” Be on the lookout for further updates on Curren$y on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Curren$y Says He Won’t Travel Overseas For One Reason

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Mikey Williams To Stand Trial For Gun Charges

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Memphis freshman Mikey Williams will face trial on felony gun charges. The decision was made at a hearing earlier this week, with Williams scheduled to be arraigned on October 24. The lone victory for Williams is that Judge Sherry M. Thompson-Taylor declined the prosection’s motion to raise Williams’ bond to $500,000. Williams is currently enrolled in online classes at Memphis but is prohibited from training with the basketball team or accessing the athletic facilities.

Williams is accused of discharging a firearm at an occupied vehicle following a disagreement at his home in California. While bullets did hit the car, no one inside was injured. Furthermore, while there are no primary witnesses to Williams firing the gun, Thompson-Taylor ruled that there was probable cause to move forward with the trial. However, she also warned the courtroom that she would not hesitate to clear members of the public out of the room. This came after reports that someone was making hand gestures and facial expressions that could be construed as witness intimidation.

Read More: Miles Bridges Hit With Criminal Summons

Memphis Preparing For Season Without Williams

With Williams set to be arraigned, it’s likely that he will miss the start of the college basketball season. Williams did not join the team for their summer trip to the Dominican Republic and missed the first week of official practices. Memphis open their season against Jackson State on November 6 and have two exhibition games in late October. The future for Williams remains unclear at this time. However, he could face up to 28 years in prison if found guilty on all counts. Head coach Penny Hardaway and other team officials have declined to comment about the matter at this time. However, while he is their best recruit, he is not Memphis’ only recruit. Furthermore, the Tigers have a bevy of transfers also joining the program.

Also joining the Tigers this season are several other top-tier recruits. There is Williams’ high-school teammate Javonte Taylor, who is ranked #67 by ESPN. Furthermore, there is Ashton Hardaway, son of Tigers’ coach Penny and ESPN‘s #92 recruit. Last season, Memphis won the AAC tournament but crashed out in the first round of the NCAA tournament against #25 Florida Atlantic. Williams’ case remains a developing story and we’ll have any updates as and when they emerge.

Read More: Angel Reese “Insulted” By ESPN’s WNBA Mock Draft

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Mikey Williams Not Practicing With Team Amid Gun Charges

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Memphis freshman Mikey Williams remains away from team practices as he awaits a court hearing on gun charges leveled at him earlier this year. While Williams is enrolled in online classes at the university, he does not have team facilities or is participating in team activities. The university has stated that this will remain the case “until his pending legal process is complete. The process to assess and determine his status with the team will be initiated at that time.”

Williams is the #49-ranked recruit in ESPN‘s Class of 2023 and had millions of followers on social media. However, the 6″2 shooting guard out of San Ysidro, California made headlines earlier this year when he reportedly shot at a vehicle leaving his residence. He now faces five charges of assault with a weapon and one charge of firing into an occupied vehicle. After pleading not guilty in April, his preliminary hearing was postponed three times and is currently scheduled for October 10.

Read More: Deion Sanders Defends Sean Payton And The Broncos

Memphis Preparing For Season Without Williams

Mikey Williams
SAN DIEGO, CA – JANUARY 28: San Ysidros Mikey Williams plays during a high school basketball game against Las Vegas Bishop Gorman Jan. 28, 2023 in San Diego. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

Williams did not join the team for their summer trip to the Dominican Republic and missed the first week of official practices. Memphis open their season against Jackson State on November 6 and have two exhibition games in late October. The future for Williams remains unclear at this time. Penny Hardaway and other team officials have declined to comment about the matter at this time. However, while he is their best recruit, he is not Memphis’ only recruit. Furthermore, the Tigers have a bevy of transfers also joining the program.

Also joining the Tigers this season are several other top-tier recruits. There is Williams’ high-school teammate Javonte Taylor, who is ranked #67 by ESPN. Furthermore, there is Ashton Hardaway, son of Tigers’ coach Penny and ESPN‘s #92 recruit. Last season, Memphis won the AAC tournament but crashed out in the first round of the NCAA tournament against #25 Florida Atlantic. Williams’ case remains a developing story and we’ll have any updates as and when they emerge.

Read More: Angel Reese “Insulted” By ESPN’s WNBA Mock Draft

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Ja Morant And Nike Team Up To Provide New Shoes To Memphis Kids

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Ja Morant was out and about in Memphis this week, surprising some kids with an appearance at a Nike “Only Basketball” event. The Grizzlies star was on-site to hoop with the kids and give out some pairs of his Ja 1s. Furthermore, Morant had some nuggets of advice for the assembled youngsters. “Believe in yourself. You know have confidence in yourself. There’s going to be a lot of outside stuff that can distract you from your ultimate goal. Just stay locked in, tune it out, and stay true to yourself.”

It’s some interesting advice, especially given Morant’s offseason. The 25-year-old has been desperately avoiding the spotlight after the drama surrounding a livestream in which he pulled a gun. Furthermore, it was his second time pulling such a stunt this year and the NBA front office was far from impressed. Morant will start the season on a 25-game suspension, meaning the Grizzlies will be without him until at least late December.

Read More: Ja Morant Pays Tribute To Kobe Bryant With Massive Back Tattoo

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball)

Elsewhere, Morant was also spotted hitting the gym earlier this month. While he’s been keeping away from the spotlight, it’s clear that he hasn’t been slacking on his workouts. In late August, an Instagram user posted clips of Morant working out with David Roddy and GG Jackson.

Meanwhile, is there more legal trouble on the way for Morant? In July 2022, Morant reportedly got into an altercation with Joshua Holloway, who was 17 at the time. Holloway had been attending a pick-up game at Morant’s home in Tennessee. There, he claims he was assaulted by Morant and Morant’s friend Davonte Pack. An initial investigation was opened and quickly closed, with no charges filed. However, a Washington Post report, released alongside a civil suit filed by Holloway, revealed a lot of questionable details in the original investigation. Morant’s lawyers are citing Tennessee’s Stand Your Ground laws and their arguments will be heard October 12.

Read More: Ja Morant’s Father Speaks On His Suspension

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Moneybagg Yo Denies Responsibility For Canceled Memphis Concert

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Moneybagg Yo says that he had nothing to do with the cancelation of his show at the FedEx Forum in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. The concert had been previously scheduled for Saturday, September 30.

“I did not cancel shit FedExForum canceled the show!” he said in a Facebook post. “I Spent 300k in production and had MAJOR special guests popping out to help me put on for my city! Shit broke my heart frfr that was the one show I was looking for to I love coming home (a broken heart emoji). I tried everything in my power to assure them that none was gone happen! Unfortunately At the moment we looking for another venue that’s large enough will keep u updated thanks for everybody support (100 percent emoji).”

Read More: Moneybagg Yo Celebrates His Birthday By Showing Off Stacks Of Cash

Moneybagg Yo On Tour

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

As of Saturday, it appears that Moneybagg Yo’s show is the only canceled event. AEW Wrestling, Kirk Franklin, and Stevie Nicks, are all still set to perform at the venue. It’s unclear what led to the cancelation of Moneybagg Yo’s concert; however, Lil Baby recently stopped a performance at FedEx Forum short due to gunfire breaking out. “A person was shot last night at FedEx Forum during the Lil Baby concert. The incident is under investigation and we are fully cooperating with the Memphis Police Department,” a spokesperson for the venue said afterward, according to Fox 13. Lil Baby added on Twitter: “Unfortunately I Couldn’t Perform Last Night In Memphis, Ima Make Sure Everybody Gets A Refund Tho (heart hands emoji).”

Moneybagg Yo kicked off his Larger Than Life tour in Orlando, last month. The concert in Memphis was set to conclude the run of shows. He’s already performed in Atlanta, New York, and Los Angeles. Be on the lookout for further updates on the tour on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Moneybagg Yo Fan Almost Passes Out When He Touches Her Hand

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Memphis Bleek’s “Drink Champs” Appearance Covers Jay-Z, Illegal Highs & More

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Memphis Bleek was the latest guest on Drink Champs, and N.O.R.E., DJ EFN, and the whole crew had a blast with him. They covered every aspect of his veteran career, such as early Roc-A-Fella shenanigans, getting illegally high in Dubai, and his business aspirations in Roc Nation, the A&R world, and the cannabis industry. Moreover, the Brooklyn rapper had a lot to look back on and anticipate, and did so with a lot of energy and charisma. For example, one of the more comical parts of the interview came when he spoke on rumors that Jay-Z and the Roc were involved with the Illuminati, a conspiracy too funny to let slide.

“That killed me with the Hov drunk they Illuminati,” Memphis Bleek joked. “Why the f**k I ain’t drink then? Huh? I just went to the party and let everybody get Illuminati wasted and I said, ‘Yo, I’m cool. Tonight’s the night I’m on my N.O.R.E. s**t, 36 hours clean. My birthday’s coming.’ F**k outta here. I’d been in there, vampire from Brooklyn, n***a. You think Eddie had it? Me, n***a. F**k outta here with that. It’s called the Illumi-grinding, n***a.”

Read More: Memphis Bleek Net Worth 2023: What Is The Rapper Worth?

Memphis Bleek On Drink Champs

In addition, the 45-year-old even recalled Michael Jackson’s strange requirements for his Summer Jam performance. “Listen, if you wasn’t with Hov, you had to turn around and face the wall,” Memphis Bleek claimed. “His security guards came in before he came in. They like this: ‘Everybody who don’t got the Jay-Z pass.’ Like, I’m with the family. You had to have that pass. They was making n***as face the wall like it was the pat-down on the block. Everybody, because Mike didn’t want eye-to-eye contact.”

Meanwhile, Hov’s fellow Marcy project baby also made himself relatable by talking about roadblocks in his way as a music fan. He had to make some calls in high places to get BeyoncĂ© tickets, which one would assume is easy considering his relationship with the Carters. Still, he’s just a man at the end of the day, and hearing him go across his personal timeline can be as comical as it is inspiring. Check out the episode above and log back into HNHH for the latest news and updates on Memphis Bleek.

Read More: Memphis Bleek Reveals Jay-Z Warned Him About The Downfall Of Roc-A-Fella

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Jay-Z Illuminati Rumors Denied By Memphis Bleek

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On the latest episode of Drink Champs, N.O.R.E., DJ EFN, and the rest of the crew welcomed Memphis Bleek. The Roc-A-Fella OG told a lot of wild stories and had everyone in chuckle mode for most of their conversation, which was very entertaining to see. For example, he explained how hard it was to get tickets for Beyoncé’s RENAISSANCE tour despite being one of Jay-Z’s protĂ©gĂ©s. Speaking of Hov, his signee also addressed conspiracies and claims about his mentor being in the Illuminati. Rumors like that will always come for artists when they’re big enough, but the 45-year-old wasted no time in shutting it all down comically.

“That killed me with the Hov drunk they Illuminati,” Memphis Bleek recalled. “Why the f**k I ain’t drink then? Huh? I just went to the party and let everybody get Illuminati wasted and I said, ‘Yo, I’m cool. Tonight’s the night I’m on my N.O.R.E. s**t, 36 hours clean. My birthday’s coming.’ F**k outta here. I’d been in there, vampire from Brooklyn, n***a. You think Eddie had it? Me, n***a. F**k outta here with that. It’s called the Illumi-grinding, n***a.”

Read More: Memphis Bleek Reveals Jay-Z Warned Him About The Downfall Of Roc-A-Fella

Memphis Bleek On Jay-Z Being In The Illuminati:
“It’s Called Illumi-Grinding”

Elsewhere in their conversation, the Brooklyn MC also spoke on a funny story concerning Michael Jackson’s surprise Summer Jam performance in 2001. “It was ill, the Mike situation,” Memphis Bleek shared. “Rest in peace to the GOAT of the GOATs. Mike came through, right? Listen, if you wasn’t with Hov, you had to turn around and face the wall. His security guards came in before he came in. They like this: ‘Everybody who don’t got the Jay-Z pass.’ Like, I’m with the family. You had to have that pass.

“They was making n***as face the wall like it was the pat-down on the block,” he continued. “Everybody, because Mike didn’t want eye-to-eye contact. Nobody look him in his eyes. Me, I gotta see Mike. So I’m looking at everyone in the hallway facing the wall like, ‘These n***as is bugging.’” For more news and the latest updates on Memphis Bleek and Jay-Z, log back into HNHH.

Read More: Memphis Bleek Shares Rare Footage Of His First Performance With Jay-Z

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