Music

Westside Connection: Where Are They Now?

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Westside Connection stands as one of rap’s most successful supergroups, with their two albums becoming RIAA-certified platinum and gold, respectively. The group, which consists of Ice Cube, Mack 10, and WC, disbanded in 2005, though rumors of a reunion have circulated periodically ever since. Despite their natural chemistry on the mic, the three West Coast rappers haven’t released new music as a group since 2003. With over two decades since the trio have performed together, many fans have wondered what the members have been up to since the group disbanded.

Read More: Mack 10 & Ice Cube Haven’t Spoken In 20 Years

Ice Cube

Westside Connection member Ice Cube
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – DECEMBER 05: Ice Cube performs on stage at The OVO Hydro on December 05, 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Roberto Ricciuti/Redferns)

Even before linking up with his Westside Connection compatriots, Ice Cube was a certified iconoclast in the hip-hop world. Since the group disbanded in 2005 the former NWA rapper has released 4 solo albums and 1 under a new group, Mount Westmore. True to its name, Mount Westmore serves as a veritable Mount Rushmore of West Coast rappers, with Snoop Dogg, E-40, and Too $hort joining Cube on the mic.

Ice Cube has also maintained an incredible career in film and television, maintaining nearly 100 credits on IMDb, including half a dozen projects in various stages of active production. Since parting ways with his Westside Connection peers, Ice Cube has appeared in First Sunday, Lottery Ticket, and the 21 Jump Street films. He has also starred alongside Kevin Hart in several films including the two Ride Along movies. Additionally, he’s also embarked into the worlds of sports as the as the CEO and co-founder of the Big3. While both Mack 10 and WC have solidified their place in music, neither have become world-renowned household names like Ice Cube.

Mack 10

westside connection member mack 10
LONG BEACH, CA – JULY 07: Rapper Mack 10 performs onstage during the Summertime in the LBC music festival on July 7, 2018 in Long Beach, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

Mack 10 has released 2 solo albums and 1 album in collaboration with Glasses Malone since Westside Connection ended their run. While the rapper hasn’t had the same success in front of the camera as Ice Cube, he has appeared in a handful of feature films, including 2006’s It Ain’t Easy and 2011’s Budz House. Mack was also largely responsible for the rift which split the famed rap group apart.

According to interviews, Westside Connection’s downfall was due to a disagreement of some sort between Mack 10 and Ice Cube’s brother-in-law. It seems as though Ice Cube’s unnamed family member had a business disagreement with Mack 10 which resulted in a physical altercation of some sort. In a 2020 interview with VladTV, Mack 10 explained “There was conflict but I went to Cube about 4 or 5 times before the conflict jumped off.” Unfortunately, the conflict sparked an argument between Mack 10 and Ice Cube that still to this day has never been resolved.

Read More: Mack 10 Net Worth: What Is The Rap Icon Worth?

WC

ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 19: Rapper WC of Westside Connection performs onstage during the High Hopes Concert Series produced by Bobby Dee Presents at Toyota Arena on November 19, 2022 in Ontario, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

Of the three rappers responsible for bringing the group to life, none have been more vocal about constructing a Westside Connection reunion than WC. Like the other members, WC has continued to release music as a solo artist since the group split, resulting in 2 solo albums, and 1 in collaboration with West Coast legend Daz Dillinger. Outside of music, he also served as a dialect coach for Damson Idris in preparation for his role as Franklin Saint in Snowfall.

By all accounts, WC had nothing to do with the feud between Ice Cube and Mack 10 and has served as something of a neutral party between the two ever since. The rapper has continued to play Westside Connection tracks at his solo concerts, resulting in massive fanfare from the crowds in attendance.

Reports circulated that WC had considered relaunching the Westside Connection group back in 2008, with Ice Cube and The Game in place of Mack 10, though those rumors were never confirmed. Ultimately, Ice Cube has expressed as recently as 2023 that he has no interest in a Westside Connection reunion.

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Did Beyoncé’s ‘Jealous’ Video Have Actors In It?

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It’s been a decade since Beyoncé surprise-dropped her self-titled album, but fans still have questions about things from that era. One of those is the music video for her song “Jealous,” which was directed by her, Francesco Carrozzini, and Todd Tours.

Intended as a sequel to the “Partition” video, it featured Beyoncé waiting for her partner, before going out to look for him.

Did Beyoncé’s “Jealous” Video Have Actors In It?

During one moment of Beyoncé‘s video, it was shot in the moment on St. Marks in NYC. Carrozzini spoke about the use of real people in an interview with MTV News at the time.

“We really shot it — some people in the video did not know we were filming,” he said. “I think the real idea of the video is in a moment like that — in a private moment like that, she can never be by herself… This song is not about someone who feels those emotions, it’s about Beyoncé feeling those emotions. It’s personal to her. It’s her that cannot be by herself no matter where she goes or what she does because she’s who she is.”

However, as the video’s realistic nature gained traction recently online, one of the actors reportedly in the video chimed in. “fun fact: it’s not a fact. as someone in this video, it’s not true,” the user, Darian, wrote. “i am once again here to remind you to never trust nameless faceless accounts.”

Did Kanye West And Ty Dolla Sign’s ‘Vultures’ Album Get Delayed?

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There’s been a flurry of activity surrounding Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign in recent days, as the pair are gearing up to release Vultures, a new collaborative album. As of now, the project is set to be released this week, on December 15. However, some believe the project might get delayed.

Did Kanye West And Ty Dolla Sign’s ‘Vultures’ Album Get Delayed?

Some have noticed that Vultures used to have a page on Apple Music (previously viewable here), but now, it no longer does; The page currently comes up in Google search results, but leads to an error page when you click on the link. Some have interpreted this to mean that the album will be not released on schedule and pushed back.

That said, neither West nor Ty have publicly said anything about delaying the album. Furthermore, West fans know that he often makes last-minute changes to his albums (even continuing to tweak after the project has been released already), so the missing Apple Music listing could perhaps be a symptom of something related to that.

Whatever the case may be, West and Ty are planning a listening event for the album in Las Vegas tonight (December 14), and here’s how to watch that.

Draymond Green’s Got At Least One Supporter In 50 Cent, Who Doesn’t Think The NBA Star Was Wrong For Whacking Jusuf Nurkic In The Face

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Draymond Green’s indefinite suspension by the NBA has shaken up the sports discourse but the prevailing sentiment seems to be that he earned it and it was well-deserved. However, there’s one voice in the discussion that is seemingly always going to side with the “bad guy” (unless he has a personal beef that prevents him from doing so) — 50 Cent’s. In a recent Instagram post, he called Draymond his favorite player and defended the play that prompted Dray’s eventual suspension, calling it a “mistake” and offering to “apologize for him.”

As you can probably tell from the video above, Dray’s latest transgression involved some unnecessarily wild movements resulting in flagrant contact with yet another contesting big man, Jusuf Nurkic. The heavy punishment from the league stems from Dray’s repeated offenses and apparent disregard for prior disciplinary actions; his last suspension was for a putting Rudy Gobert in a chokehold literally a month before walloping Nurkic. In a hilariously self-unaware interview, Dray even argued that the NBA “can’t keep suspending” him for past actions… again… just weeks before DOING IT AGAIN.

But if there’s anyone who’d approve of his bully behavior, it’s 50, who previously stopped just short of praising Green for stepping on Domantas Sabonis last season (earlier this year! It hasn’t been a full calendar year! He keeps doing this stuff!). 50’s been one of rap’s biggest heels since day one, so it’s no surprise he loves Draymond’s cartoonish villainy. Maybe he can sponsor Dray’s MMA career and they can both find a way to profit from all this.

Lil Nas X Finds Surprise Ally In Christian Rapper Lecrae After He Defends Nas’ Controversial Comments

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Last month, Lil Nas X took to Twitter and Instagram to share a tease of some brand-new music. Like much of what the rapper does, it eventually became controversial. This time the controversy spawned from Lil Nas claiming that he was entering his “Christian era” with his new music. That didn’t sit right with some Christians. The rapper famously drew the ire of many religious fans and critics when he used devil imagery in the music video for his song “MONTERO.”

Though Lil Nas X quickly responded to haters with a statement of his own. he’s now finding another surprising ally. Christian rapper Lecrae came to Lil Nas’ defense following the Christian era comment, sharing a statement to his YouTube channel. “I don’t like it when I see non-Christians being chastised with Christian belief. They don’t subscribe to what you describe to. So how can you challenge them with that? They don’t even subscribe to the same book. They don’t play the same game you play. So how are they breaking the rules?” he said in defense of the rapper. Later in the video, he asked fans not to judge Lil Nas for his past actions and even extended an invite to the rapper to explain himself on Lecrae’s platform. Check out his full 41-minute response video below.

Read More: Lil Nas X’s Tampon Halloween Costume Gets Backlash, Has This Bold Response To Haters

Lecrae Stands Up For Lil Nas X

Lil Nas X’s debut album MONTERO dropped in 2021 and he’s been pretty quiet since then. His most recent single “STAR WALKIN’” dropped last year as a collaboration with League Of Legends. The song wasn’t an instant hit but rose up the charts in late 2022 and now has more than 380 million streams on Spotify alone.

Last month, Lil Nas X began teasing his new era online. While he has shared some snippets it’s been pretty scant on actual details in terms of when fans can expect new music. Given how long he’s been absent and how quiet he’s been in the meantime many are hoping that a new Lil Nas album is on the horizon in 2024. What do you think of Lecrae’s response video to Lil Nas X’s “Christian era” comments? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: Lil Nas X Returns To Twitter And Teases A New Era

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Casanova Hit With Stabbing Charge, Takes Aim At The Justice System

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Earlier this week, Casanova took to social media to vent about his frustrations with the justice system. The performer is currently in prison for his alleged ties to what prosecutors call “a vicious street gang.” According to him, he’s recently been hit with a stabbing charge on top of his existing federal charges.

“Early christmas gift they just charge me for a stabbing in NJ,” he told fans in an Instagram Story yesterday. “YOU CANT EVEN DEFEND YOUR SELF THEY JUST WANT YOU TO LAYDOWN AND DIE/ back to court on Friday.” Clearly, the Haitian-American rapper is fed up with all of his legal trouble. He was sentenced to 15 years back in July, despite renouncing his ties to the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation Bloods in a letter to the judge. The letter reportedly caused some trouble for him behind bars, and he’s since formally appealed his sentence.

Read More: Casanova Calls For Prayers Prior To Sentencing

Casanova Reacts To His Latest Charge

At the beginning of this month, the judge dismissed his motion for early release, arguing that his sentence was already on the low end. According to the judge, he’s also yet to prove that he’s not a danger to his community. Aside from his RICO charges, Casanova is also spending time in prison for allegedly attacking a woman in a diner in 2018. He’s accused of violently grabbing her phone from her and deleting a video of himself after he caught her filming.

Last month, two of Casanova’s co-defendants were convicted of racketeering and more. The men, Dwight “Dick Wolf” Reid and Christopher “Beagle” Erskine, are accused of being leaders within the gang. Erskine was allegedly a “street leader” while Reid was allegedly the “gang’s founder and prison leader.” They’re both now eligible for life sentences. What do you think of Casanova getting hit with a charge related to a New Jersey stabbing? What about his reaction to the charge? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

Read More: Casanova Is Doing “Great” In Prison, According To Slowbucks

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Travis Kelce Absent From Taylor Swift Birthday Celebrations

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Taylor Swift turned 34 in style, celebrating with close friend Blake Lively at various iconic locations in Manhattan. After arriving at The Box nightclub, the event became a bona fide A-list affair. However, conspicuously absent was Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce. Kelce was unable to get away from practice with the Chiefs, especially as the reigning Super Bowl champs have dropped three of their last four games.

Despite this, Kelce had previously said that he was planning something special for the singer’s birthday. “He’s arranged a very intimate, romantic dinner just for the two of them, and is also trying to pull off a semi-surprise party with the help of some of her closest friends,” sources told Page Six last week. It remains to be seen when and where that surprise will take place.

Read More: Does Taylor Swift Make Travis Kelce Better At Football?

Travis Kelce And Taylor Swift Celebrate After Chiefs Loss

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 13: Taylor Swift (L) celebrates her birthday with Keleigh Teller and Miles Teller on December 13, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)

However, this isn’t to say that Kelce was entirely absent from Swift’s festivities. Kelce and Swift were out until 2am Monday morning to celebrate the singer’s 34th birthday a few days ahead of time. The duo were joined by Kelce’s mom Donna as well as Patrick & Brittany Mahomes. At the end of the night, Kelce opted to leave his Rolls-Royce at the venue. Instead, he traveled home with Swift in her white security van.

However, not everyone is as happy as the couple was during their party. The wild night out came just a few hours after the Chiefs lost 20-17 to the Bills. For some fans, it is not a good look for their QB and star tight end to be out partying after a tough loss. However, the loss didn’t appear to put a damper on the party, which was held at the Main Street Christmas Bar. The Chiefs will have a chance to bounce back against the hapless New England Patriots this weekend.

Read More: Taylor Swift Finally Reveals How Travis Kelce Relationship Began

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How Sexyy Red Managed To Dominate Rap In 2023

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Without a doubt, Sexyy Red is one of the biggest breakout stars of 2023. While the rapper first gained attention in 2018, it was in 2023 that her career took off. Her uprising has been interesting to witness, to say the least. Moreover, it looks like this is only the beginning.

Despite facing criticism for her “ratchet” musical style and provocative lyrics, Sexyy Red has bloomed to stardom. Considering how she dominated the scene within a year, we can only imagine what the future holds for her. The confident femcee is surely coming into her own. In the meantime, let’s take a look back at the year she’s had and how she managed to dominate rap in 2023.

Read More: Sexyy Red And Tyler, The Creator Meet For The First Time

Kicking Things Off With “Pound Town”

Between 2018 and 2022, Sexyy Red released multiple singles, as well as her debut mixtape Ghetto Superstar (2021). However, none of these releases had impressive commercial performances, and they did not appear on any charts. “Pound Town” ushered Sexyy Red into an era of success she had long been working towards. The song was released on January 27, 2023, and soon went viral on TikTok following the #PoundTownChallenge. 

A Remix With The Queen

On May 26, 2023, an official remix of “Pound Town” featuring Nicki Minaj dropped. Following its release, Minaj sent out an email to her Barbz addressing her decision to jump on the track. “I met with Sexyy Red & found her to be so down to earth and sweet. I couldn’t hear myself on this song at first but once I let go & decided to just have fun with a bad b!ch, I ended up LOVING how it came out,” she wrote. 

Naturally, a co-sign from the Queen of Rap would be a triumph for any burgeoning rapper. However, an even greater mark of her blessing is having her make a guest appearance on a track by said rapper. Nicki Minaj’s feature on “Pound Town 2” increased the song’s popularity. Equally, it brought Sexyy Red more fame, as she was recognized by a much wider audience. Subsequently, this remix became Sexyy Red’s first-ever song to appear on the charts. It peaked at number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

Read More: Sexyy Red Reveals The 5 Laws Of “Pound Town”

The Hottest Princess In The Hood

Sexyy Red’s second mixtape, Hood Hottest Princess, was released on June 9, 2023. It houses “SkeeYee,” the rapper’s highest-charting solo single, and one of her biggest songs. In fact, it was the inaugural chart-topper on Billboard’s  TikTok Chart. The song also peaked at number 62 on the Hot 100 chart. In addition to that, “Hellcat SRTs,” “Female Gucci Mane,” and “Born By The River,” which were released as singles, are also standouts from the mixtape. On the Billboard 200 chart, it reached number 62, becoming Sexyy Red’s first project to appear on the chart. A deluxe edition of the mixtape was released on December 1, 2023, containing 11 new tracks and features from Chief Keef, Summer Walker, G Herbo, and 42 Dugg. 

A Myriad Of Guest Appearances

In 2023, Sexyy Red established herself as a queen of remixes. The rapper made multiple guest appearances on tracks and remixes by several artists. From NLE Choppa’s “Slut Me Out” (Remix) to DaBaby’s “Shake Sumn” (Remix), Sexyy Red was everywhere this year. Her appearances on That Chick Angel’s “One Margarita (Margarita Song) [Ladies Remix],” and Young Nudy’s “Peaches & Eggplants” (Remix) are also notable. 

While Red’s features on all these tracks are worthy of note, one song in particular stands out. Drake’s “Rich Baby Daddy” ft. Sexyy Red and SZA is the rapper’s most successful song yet. It was released as the third single from Drake’s eighth studio album For All The Dogs on October 13, 2023. Subsequently, it peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and appeared in several other charts across the world. In addition to its commercial success, the song has also been praised by listeners. Sexyy Red’s hook is widely referred to as one of its most memorable parts.

In conclusion, the rapper is just getting started. From “Pound Town” to “Rich Baby Daddy,” she evidently opened and closed out 2023 on a high note. Overall, it’s been a wonderfully successful year for Sexyy Red. It’s only right to expect bigger things in the coming years.

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Are Drake And Camila Cabello Dating?

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Camila Cabello, following her on-again-off-again split from Shawn Mendes, seems to be sparking some dating rumors with another musician: none other than Drake. In some new photos that are making the rounds online, Cabello and the Toronto rapper were spotted on a boat together.

The first image shows Drake being super entertained by whatever they are talking about. The second appears to be Cabello sitting by him in a black swimsuit.

“Most random couple of all time,” wrote one user. However, it’s worth noting that this would not be the only Canadian that Cabello has been linked to, as Mendes is also famously from that part of North America. Users online also didn’t hold back about other things, well, they thought that Drake and Mendes had in common.

Others aren’t completely convinced, pointing out that they just very well could be two friends hanging out at a boat party. Or, they could be planning a collaboration on an upcoming song, which has also been thrown out as a possibility. Or, he’ll wind up incorporating her name on a rap lyric. Only time will tell.

Check out the photos that are causing the Drake and Camila Cabello dating rumors above. Below, find some more fan reactions to the news.

How To Watch Kanye West & Ty Dolla Sign’s ‘Vultures’ Las Vegas Listening Party

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Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign’s joint album Vultures inches closer to release but in true Kanye West fashion, they’ll be once again playing the album at a live event (which they choose to somewhat inaccurately call a “rave”) after first previewing the album in Miami. This time, they’re headed to Las Vegas — which makes a certain kind of sense, when you consider that venues in traditional media centers like LA and New York probably wouldn’t want Kanye running around dressed as a Klansman or suddenly spouting antisemitic conspiracy theories during the show (things he is unfortunately prone to doing).

If you’re not in Vegas and you just really want to see what Ye and Ty have in store for their album (which is already drawing both controversy for uncleared samples and praise for verses from Nicki Minaj and Kanye’s daughter North West), it looks like they’ll be streaming this one, as well. A flyer which has emerged online gives a crytptic trickle of information that fans have interpreted as meaning 11pm — although the other inferences seem… wrong, in hindsight, since no listening event happened last night.

Of course, it’s Kanye, so there could be any number of explanations, up to and including that there was never a listening party planned in the first place, he tried to throw something together at the last minute, and naturally, ran into the complication that venues have to be alerted, insurance and permits have to be secured, and all kinds of people have to get paid. Some folks now believe the listening event will be tonight instead. If it does go down, Yeezy.com appears to be the best bet for streaming it.