Eve has been making hits for decades. The first lady of Ruff Ryders has rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest and brightest that hip hop has had to offer. Her path to superstardom was not easy, though. The rapper detailed her music industry experience in her new memoir, Who’s That Girl?. One of the most harrowing incidents divulged in the book occurred at the 2007 MTV Awards afterparty. Eve claimed that her drink was spiked, and were it not for Janet Jackson, things could have gone bad.
Eve claims she became hysterical when she attended the aforementioned afterparty. She suspected that something had been slipped into her drink when she wasn’t looking. Fortunately, Janet Jackson showed up to save the day. “Missy came in to check on me, but I was just unable to collect myself,” Eve recalled. “Then who walks in, Janet Jackson.” The rapper noted that she had never met Miss Jackson prior to this MTV encounter. Despite this, Jackson sprung to her aid. “She just sprang into action and told people to get aspirin, water, hot sauce, and a piece of white bread,” Eve wrote. “That concoction knocked me right out of my hysteria.”
Eve Believes Her Drink Was Spiked At The 2007 Party
DOHA, QATAR – OCTOBER 28: Janet Jackson attends the EMERGE GALA Dinner and Live Charity Auction hosted by International supermodel and philanthropist Naomi Campbell in partnership with Sotheby’s to recognize and reward young creative and business talents from emerging regions, with a focus in Africa, The Diaspora and developing communities around the world, at QF Ceremonial Court on October 28, 2022 at Doha, Qatar. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for EMERGE)
Eve has maintained a reverence for Jackson ever since the afterparty incident. “Basically Janet Jackson saved my life,” she asserted. This is not the first time the Ruff Ryders icon has discussed this experience. She talked about her lone Janet Jackson encounter during a 2018 appearance on CBS’ The Talk. There were even more details shared, in fact, when Eve opened up to hosts Sharon Osbourne, Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert and Sheryl Underwood. The rapper claimed she was taken to a bedroom where she began to cry. She also noted that Jackson put her at ease by telling her not to stress. “And she’s like, ‘I got this, don’t worry, relax, calm down,’” Eve explained.
There are several other notable stories littered throughout Eve’s memoir. Many, thankfully, are more positive and uplifting than her MTV afterparty experience. The rapper recalls working with Dr. Dre and Gwen Stefani on her smash single “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” in 2001. She also detailed the struggles she was forced to overcome as a female rapper in a predominantly male field. Given that she was the third female rapper to ever top the Billboard 200, we’d say she figured it out.
Cardi B has come to Tyla’s defense as she’s been facing backlash on social media for her appearance at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, last week. While accepting the award for Best Afrobeats Video, she passed the trophy off to Lil Nas X and joked about struggling to carry it while speaking. Fans on social media have been labeling the move “rude” in response.
“Tyla wishes she never won that f*cking VMA award,” Cardi said while discussing the incident on X (formerly Twitter) Spaces. “If she would’ve known that that f*cking VMA award would’ve brought so much hate, so much criticism. I bet for a fact she’ll be crying tonight. The internet is insufferable. The way that you guys will take a picture, take a moment, and make it something that it’s not, and then just crush somebody.” From there, she described the internet’s reaction as “bullying.”
Lil Nas X and Tyla at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards held at UBS Arena on September 11, 2024, in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)
As caught by VIBE, she added: “You gotta worry about motherf**kin’ doing a speech, looking good while you’re carrying a motherf**king’ 10-pound f**kin’ [award] in your motherf**kin’ hand. So I just don’t think you understand how f**king heavy those f**kin’ awards are. Also, I met Tyla in person. I’m 5’3″, so I’m already short, and she’s shorter than me. No lie, she’s shaped really beautifully, but she’s very very skinny. Skinny like, Mariah-type skinny. She has to weigh like 109 pounds. So imagine you’re 109 pounds and you gotta carry a 10 f**king award with heels. She literally asked Lil Nas X. Y’all are trying to make this into an, ‘Oh, how rude is she? She asked another female artist to hold her award like she’s the help.’ I love Halle but she didn’t even ask Halle to hold the award! She asked Lil Nas X, a man, to hold it.”
Cardi B Comes To Tyla’s Defense
Tyla previously addressed the controversy in a post on X. “Y’all make everything weird… I was not asking my girl Halle… We just girls, STFU I WON A VMAAAA,” she wrote. She took home the award due to the success of her song, “Water.” Check out Cardi B’s full comments on Tyla on Instagram below. Be on the lookout for further updates on Cardi B and Tyla on HotNewHipHop.
MTV has announced that the 2024 “VMAs” will air live from UBS Arena on Wednesday, September 11th, at 8 PM ET/PT, reaching audiences in over 150 countries. This year’s event will feature electrifying performances and unforgettable moments from some of the world’s biggest superstars.
In observance of the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, MTV will support the nonprofit 9/11 Day and Tuesday’s Children, which serve the families affected by the tragic event.
The first round of global music stars slated to perform includes Camila Cabello, Chappell Roan, GloRilla, Rauw Alejandro, and Sabrina Carpenter. Cabello, a four-time “VMAs” winner and GRAMMY®-nominated pop superstar, will perform for the third time, delivering a can’t-miss performance from her fourth studio album, C, XOXO. Cabello is also nominated for “Best Pop” and will be celebrated with a special fan tribute by BACARDÍ Rum during the show.
Trailblazing breakout star Chappell Roan will make her first-ever award show performance on the “VMAs” stage. Roan’s debut comes amidst a record-breaking year, including her first Top 10 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 and critical acclaim for her album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. She is up for “Best New Artist” and another category.
GloRilla, a GRAMMY® nominee and the longest-charting female rap hitmaker of 2024, will debut on the “VMAs” stage. She is nominated for three awards, including “Best Hip-Hop” and “Best Collaboration” for “Wanna Be” with Megan Thee Stallion.
Latin GRAMMY Award-winner Rauw Alejandro will perform from his forthcoming fifth studio album. Alejandro, a first-time “VMAs” nominee, is up for three awards.
Sabrina Carpenter will make her main stage debut, following her epic mashup performance on last year’s Pre-Show. Carpenter is nominated for six Moon Persons, including artist and song of the year.
Taylor Swift leads the nominations with ten, followed by Post Malone with nine. Fans can vote for their favorites across 15 categories at vote.mtv.com through August 30th.
36 years ago on this date, MTV premiered the first episode of the Hip Hop generated video show, YO! MTV Raps.
Everybody has their own personal memory of MTV Raps. Whether it was during the era of comedians Ed Lover and Doctor Dre or during the Fab 5 Freddy reign, YMTVR gave the world its first continual, visual experience of Hip-Hop music. Not to downplay the world famous VJ Ralph McDaniels and the esteemed Video Music Box show based in NYC as well, but the scenarios, special guests, live performances, and other exclusive footage was only available on Music Television’s first Hip Hop show.
Created by late film director Ted Demme, Yo! MTV Raps‘ first video to appear was Rakim’s “Follow The Leader”, which was shown on the 1987 pilot, however, Shinehead’s “Chain Gang” was the actual first video shown during the show’s debut season. It helped spread Hip Hop across the globe with the help of MTV Europe, MTV Asia, and MTV Latino.
The series finale aired on August 17, 1995, with an unforgettable freestyle session. There were several attempts by MTV to relaunch a Hip Hop video show that had a cultural impact like Yo!, including Direct Effect and Sucker Free, however, Yo! MTV Raps remains an unparalleled aspect of Hip Hop culture.
36 years ago on this date, MTV premiered the first episode of the Hip Hop generated video show, YO! MTV Raps.
Everybody has their own personal memory of MTV Raps. Whether it was during the era of comedians Ed Lover and Doctor Dre or during the Fab 5 Freddy reign, YMTVR gave the world its first continual, visual experience of Hip-Hop music. Not to downplay the world famous VJ Ralph McDaniels and the esteemed Video Music Box show based in NYC as well, but the scenarios, special guests, live performances, and other exclusive footage was only available on Music Television’s first Hip Hop show.
Created by late film director Ted Demme, Yo! MTV Raps‘ first video to appear was Rakim’s “Follow The Leader”, which was shown on the 1987 pilot, however, Shinehead’s “Chain Gang” was the actual first video shown during the show’s debut season. It helped spread Hip Hop across the globe with the help of MTV Europe, MTV Asia, and MTV Latino.
The series finale aired on August 17, 1995, with an unforgettable freestyle session. There were several attempts by MTV to relaunch a Hip Hop video show that had a cultural impact like Yo!, including Direct Effect and Sucker Free, however, Yo! MTV Raps remains an unparalleled aspect of Hip Hop culture.
Earlier this week, music fans across the internet were devastated to learn that Paramount Global was shutting down the MTV News website, “as part of broader website changes across Paramount.” That meant that an archive of music history, from the rise of blog rap to the breakouts of international superstar artists like Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and more was just gone in an instant, all because someone flipped a switch.
However, it’s not all bad news: Today, the Internet Archive announced it had created a directory of MTV News posts via the Wayback Machine. The index contains 460,575 articles previously published at MTV.com/news — here’s how you can access it.
In addition to MTV News, Paramount also shut down the sites for CMT, Comedy Central, TV Land and Paramount Network. This was an attempt to direct users to Paramount+ but… I don’t know how effective that’ll be, considering there’s no included promise that the desired content will be found there. At least they still have the best Super Bowl ad of 2024.
This loss of news and entertainment history is a bummer, but it’s not surprising. There’s actually already a name for what’s going on here: We’re in the Digital Dark Age.
To be clear, Paramount isn’t the only offender, and this is far from a new problem: The term “digital dark age” was used as far back as 1999, and it refers to the loss of information and resources due to outdated digital file formats, lack of preservation, and other reasons.
Pew Research Center shared some startling data last month. Their analysis found that 38 percent of webpages that existed in 2013 are gone today. Furthermore, 23 percent of online news articles contain at least one broken link.
The MTV News archives were full of original journalistic work that’s an important part of its era. This 2005 interview with Gerard Way as My Chemical Romance was achieving mainstream success? Gone! (“But you put a link!” Yes, more on that in a second.) This 2014 Jay-Z interview about tensions with Nas and Cam’ron? Zapped! This 2003 feature written shortly after the death of Elliott Smith, providing fascinating historical context about how the world reacted to the loss? Bye-bye!
Then there’s the TV side of things. As Consequence notes, the Comedy Central website hosted the entire Colbert Report series and clips from every Daily Show episode since 1999. Welp, not anymore. That content isn’t otherwise available to stream, either: The Colbert Report isn’t streaming anywhere, and only Seasons 28 and 29 of The Daily Show are on Paramount+.
Not directly related to the issue that sparked this conversation, but preservation is a major issue in the video game space, too. If, for example, you want to play Pokémon Platinum today, a used copy of the game will cost over $100 (per PriceCharting data), and then there’s the matter of getting a working Nintendo DS. So, many have turned to piracy for playing retro games. Valve president Gabe Newell has a relevant, oft-cited quote: “Piracy is not a pricing issue. It’s a service issue. The easiest way to stop piracy is not by putting anti-piracy technology to work. It’s by giving those people a service that’s better than what they’re receiving from the pirates.”
I don’t want to bring potentially unwanted attention to certain preservation efforts, but there are active online communities dedicated to the preservation of large amounts of data. Again, I’m not going to point you in the right direction, but (illegal copies of) retro video games can be easily found online. If you look hard enough, you can find a ton of Colbert Report episodes for free. Less secretively, The Internet Archive has long championed preservation of online resources, and that’s how I was able to link to (archived versions of) those MTV News stories above.
These solutions, though, are imperfect and relatively niche. Most people aren’t going past the second page of Google results in a deep-dive search, or check the Internet Archive when they find a dead link. To the average consumer, this information is just gone. It’s ultimately on those with resources to do their part for cultural preservation, even if it costs them a redirect to PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie.
I won’t pretend to know what it takes to maintain a website network as sizeable as Paramount’s, but surely, it can’t be significantly resource heavy for a company of its scale. (I don’t know if it can, but don’t call me Shirley.) It’s OK, they have an excuse: In a statement, Paramount explained (as The Hollywood Reporter notes), “As part of broader website changes across Paramount, we have introduced more streamlined versions of our sites, driving fans to Paramount+ to watch their favorite shows.”
What they’ve also introduced (or, in acknowledgement of the fact that they’re far from the sole perpetrator here, helped propagate) is a more streamlined version of cultural history, one in which important details have been sanded away, and less glorified but still-valuable information is lost to time.
Complaining is fun, but often pointless. Is there anything we can actually do? On a small scale, yes. The main thing you can start doing today is to use the Internet Archive to back up news stories or any other valuable webpages you can think to preserve. It’s a quick process and an easy way to help yourself and others maintain access to the world’s knowledge.
This is also an opportunity to consider your own personal data. If your phone or laptop died today, how screwed would you be? Would you lose irreplaceable childhood photos, old creative projects, or vital personal information? I personally subscribe to the “3-2-1 Rule“: Maintain three copies of your data (the original and two backups), use at least two different media types for storage (like a hard drive and cloud storage), and keep one copy of the data offsite (again, cloud storage).
Given the variety of forces and interests involved, the Digital Dark Age is probably not a problem that can be fixed. But, there are things we can do to shine a light during these dark times and stop losing recipes.
Last week, Diddy’s homes were raided by the Department of Homeland Security in a reported sex trafficking investigation stemming from a series of lawsuits against the rapper. As Diddy’s legal troubles mount, his A-list friends are now being placed under the microscope. Ashton Kutcher is reportedly expected to be subpoenaed in the investigation, which has unearthed some comments he’s made over the years about his well-documented friendship with Diddy.
During a 2019 appearance on Hot Ones, host Sean Evans asked Kutcher for some details about “Diddy parties,” which had become a favorite topic on the web series. (The question was also spurred by an Instagram photo of Kutcher partying with Diddy.) While Kutcher’s answer seemed innocuous at the time, it reads differently in light of the allegations against Diddy.
“I’ve got a lot I can’t tell,” Kutcher told Evans while pausing to think of another anecdote, only to quip, “I can’t tell that one either.”
According to The Daily Beast, the two have been close since their early days on MTV:
Combs’ Making the Band was another huge property at MTV at the time and helped foster their friendship, Kutcher and Combs told James Corden in a 2018 joint interview.
“I gave [Kutcher] a call one day and said, ‘I heard that you are going to punk me, and I just don’t think that’s a good idea,’” Combs told Corden, when the host asked how the two met.
“I think it was some version of, ‘If you do that, that will not end well for you, but I think we should work out a deal,’” Kutcher amended.
Kutcher being pulled into the Diddy scandal is also raising eyebrows after his best friend and That ’70s Show co-star Danny Masterson was convicted of rape. Kutcher and wife Mila Kunis wrote letters to the judge asking for leniency that they did not expect to go public. Once the letters were published, Kutcher resigned from the board of the anti-child sex abuse organization he founded with ex-wife Demi Moore.
You can see Kutcher talking (about how he can’t talk) about Diddy parties at the 11:03 mark below:
As one of the founding members of the iconic hip-hop group the Beastie Boys, Ad-Rock, born Adam Horovitz in 1966, has enjoyed an illustrious career in music spanning over three decades. In this article, we will explore the different facets of Ad-Rock’s career and the factors that have contributed to his considerable wealth.
Ad-Rock Net Worth
Celebrity Net Worth estimates Ad-Rock’s net worth to be around $100 million as of 2024.
The Beastie Boys and Ad-Rock’s Music Career
Portrait of members of American Rap group Beastie Boys as they pose in front of a mural (by Keith Haring), 1987. Pictured are, from left, Mike D (born Michael Diamond), MCA (born Adam Yauch, 1964 – 2012), and Ad-Rock (born Adam Horovitz). (Photo by Lynn Goldsmith/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)
Ad-Rock joined the Beastie Boys in 1982. Following their formation, the group went on to become one of the most influential hip-hop acts of all time. Their debut album,Licensed to Ill (1986), was the first rap album to reach number one on the Billboard 200 chart. Additionally, it became the second rap album to be certified platinum. Throughout their career, the Beastie Boys released a total of eight studio albums, with album sales playing a significant role in boosting Ad-Rock’s net worth.
Awards And Recognition
The Beastie Boys accepting their award for Best Hip Hop Video during the 1999 MTV Music Video Awards held at the Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center in New York City on September 9, 1999. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect)
The Beastie Boys’ innovative approach to music earned them numerous awards and recognition throughout their career, which in turn contributed to Ad-Rock’s wealth. The group won three Grammy Awards as a result of their groundbreaking success, including Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “Intergalactic” in 1999 and Best Alternative Music Album for “Hello Nasty” in the same year. They also received the MTV Video Vanguard Award in 1998. Nearly a decade and a half later, the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inducted The Beastie Boys in 2012.
Ad-Rock Collaborations & Side Projects
AUSTIN, TEXAS – MARCH 15: Adam Horowitz of the Beastie Boys is interviewed live on stage during the 2019 SXSW Conference and Festival at the Austin Convention Center on March 15, 2019 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jim Bennett/WireImage)
Apart from his work with the Beastie Boys, Ad-Rock has also engaged in various collaborations, which have contributed to his net worth. Besides the Beastie Boys, he teamed up with Amery “AWOL” Smith (Suicidal Tendencies drummer & Beastie Boys touring drummer) to form BS 2000, a genre-bending that took inspiration from hip-hop and electronic music. He has produced tracks for other artists, including Rival Schools and Northern State. Additionally, he has collaborated with numerous musicians, such as De La Soul and Public Enemy.
Acting And Film Scoring
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 20: Adam Horovitz of The Beastie Boys attends the screening of “Teenage” during the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival at Chelsea Clearview Cinemas on April 20, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic)
Ad-Rock’s talents extend to acting and film scoring, which have further bolstered his net worth. He has appeared in several films, including Lost Angels (1989), Roadside Prophets (1992), and While We’re Young (2014). His work in film scoring includes composing music for the documentary No No: A Dockumentary (2014).
Ad-Rock’s Philanthropy and Social Activism
Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys during MTV2 Presents: A LIFEbeat Benefit – August 28, 2004 at Crowbar in Miami, Florida, United States. (Photo by J. Shearer/WireImage)
While not directly impacting his net worth, Ad-Rock’s philanthropic endeavors and social activism demonstrate his commitment to using his platform for good. He has been involved in various charitable causes, including supporting organizations like Planned Parenthood, ASPCA, and Live Earth.
Conclusion/TLDR
Ad-Rock’s estimated net worth of $100 million in 2024 can be attributed to his successful music career with the Beastie Boys, solo projects, collaborations, and ventures into acting and film scoring. His impressive wealth is a testament to his diverse talents and his ability to remain relevant in an ever-evolving industry. With a rich musical legacy and ongoing passion for his craft, Ad-Rock’s net worth is likely to remain substantial in the years to come.
Earlier this year the MTV Video Music Awards played host to many of the biggest artists in all of music. In particular, Taylor Swift had a great night taking home numerous awards and Nicki Minaj once again shined as host. The award show also featured some of the top breakout talents in all of music. That included breakout Mexican sensation Peso Pluma, pop singer Renee Rapp, and the eventual Best New Artist winner Ice Spice. But one artist who wasn’t there was Victoria Monet.
Monet has been one of the breakthrough stars in R&B this year. She released her debut album JAGUAR II in August of this year to much critical acclaim. The album contains many of her biggest but one has separated itself from the pack. “On My Mama” proved to be her breakthrough hit on the charts landing on the Hot 100 following the release of her new album. It’s stuck around on the chart as well coming in at #59 this week after peaking at #48 earlier this month. Now she’s seen fit to explain her absence from the VMAs earlier this year.
Monet originally explained in a tweet the night of the event what she was told by MTV. They reportedly said that she was “too early in her story” for an invitation to the event. That already seemed fishy to fans who could see her breakout coming. But her success in the months since has likely only made MTV wish more and more that she had received an invite after all.
In the comments, some fans come to the defense of MTV. “Her music isn’t really MTV tho. I think they were being polite,” one fan suggests. “OK y’all gonna hate me for this, but it is too early for her. In my opinion her one song is bop yes, but VMAS is a big platform,” another comment reads. What do you think of Victoria Monet revealing why she wasn’t invited to the VMAs just a few months ago? Let us know in the comment section below.
