Music

Soulja Boy Was Hit With A Three-Year Restraining Order In A Lawsuit Against His Former Assistant

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Earlier this year, Soulja Boy was sued for sexual battery, sexual assault, and false imprisonment by his former assistant who filed the lawsuit under the name Jane Doe. She claims to have started working with the rapper at the end of 2018 where things quickly turned for the worst after she began he position. While the two would escalate their relationship to a romantic one, which resulted in her moving in with him, a string of alleged assaults would occur afterward. The woman claims she was pushed out of a moving vehicle by the rapper in January 2019 and physically assaulted just a month later. Now the rapper must stay away from her thanks to a new order.

According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, Soulja Boy must stay away from his former assistant for the next three years thanks to a restraining order that a judge signed off on. The order was filed back in January, and while the lawsuit is still pending, the rapper agreed to the domestic violence restraining order, which expires on July 16, 2024.

Four months after the lawsuit from Soulja Boy’s former assistant was filed, the rapper’s ex-girlfriend filed a separate lawsuit against him while lodging sexual battery and domestic abuse allegations against him. She claims that she met the rapper in 2007 and was involved in a serious relationship with him from 2014 to 2019. She states the abuse dates back to 2015 and worsened to the point that she ended the relationship with him because she could “no longer stand the abuse.”

Pop Smoke’s Mother Admits ‘It’s Easier’ To Listen To Her Son On His Posthumous New Album, ‘Faith’

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This past Friday, Pop Smoke’s team released the late rapper’s second posthumous album, Faith. It arrived a little over a year since his first effort, Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon, was released for fans. Altogether, Faith presents 20 songs with a boatload of guest acts, those being Pusha T, Kanye West, Rick Ross, The-Dream, 42 Dugg, 21 Savage, Rah Swish, Travi, Beam, Bizzy Banks, Takeoff, Lil Tjay, Swae Lee, Future, Chris Brown, Dua Lipa, Pharrell, Kid Cudi, Quavo, and Kodak Black.

The project also sees an appearance from the late rapper’s mother, Audrey Jackson, who shared some words on the project’s intro track, “Good News.”

During a recent interview with Power 105.1 radio host Angie Martinez, Jackson admitted that “it’s easier” to hear her son on Faith. “He does sound different on this, his sound, his style, it’s different,” she said. Jackson also confessed that she has not listened to Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon yet. She later expressed that she’s “grateful” law enforcement arrested the individuals responsible for her son’s death.

“They’re off the streets, they’ve been caught,” she said. “They need to serve some time. Throwing them under the jail isn’t going to bring him back, taking their lives isn’t going to bring him back but as long as there’s a real consequence.”

The rapper’s brother, Obasi Jackson, also shared his gratitude for the arrests.

“I feel like they didn’t have to do what they did,” he said. “Now, you deserve the ultimate penalty.”

You can watch the full interview above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

DaBaby Details The Moment He Learned Beyoncé Was A Fan Of His Music

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It’s been more than two years since DaBaby shot into the mainstream rap spotlight with his breakout single “Suge,” an effort that peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard singles chart in 2019. The North Carolina native would then go on to share two back-to-back chart-topping albums with 2019’s Kirk and 2020’s Blame It On Baby.

While some may be iffy about his music nowadays, there’s no denying the success the rapper has attained over the years. And during a recent interview with Complex, DaBaby reflected on his a few moments during come-up which included one time when he learned that Beyoncé was a fan of his music.

“I remember when Beyoncé walked up to me at Diddy crib and told me she was a fan of my music,” he said to Complex’s Speedy Morman. “Told me she loved what I’m doing. That was dope. I’m like, ‘OK, this Beyoncé, you get what I’m saying?’ Diddy too, that was dope too, he reached out to me…He hold me close to him when he reach out to me.”

During the interview, he also confirmed that fans can expect a new project in the near future. “Another single before the album,” he said before adding, “definitely a new album on the way!” The new single would follow last month’s “Red Light Green Light” and “Ball If I Want To” as well as January’s “Masterpiece.”

Dame Dash’s Attempt To Stop A Meeting Between The Roc-A-Fella Co-Founders Was Denied By A Judge

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The drama between a pair of Roc-A-Fella Records co-founders continues as a judge delivered a new ruling this past week. The label was created more than 25 years ago by Jay-Z, Dame Dash, and Kareem “Biggs” Burke, but recently, Dash sought to sell his one-third stake in the company, a move that Jay-Z is reportedly trying to stop. According to TMZ, Dash recently learned about a meeting that was set to take place between Jay-Z and Burke on Friday and quickly sought to have the meeting stopped by a judge. Unfortunately for Dash, the judge denied his request and told him to file a lawsuit at a later date if he was not pleased with the outcome of the meeting.

This comes less than a month after a judge blocked Dash’s attempt to sell an NFT of Jay-Z’s debut album, Reasonable Doubt. According to The Hollywood Reporter, U.S. District Court Judge John Cronan signed off on a temporary restraining order to the label. Dash denies trying to auction an NFT of Reasonable Doubt, but his partner in the business move, SuperFarm, announced the auction “of Damon‘s ownership of the copyright to Jay-Z’s first album Reasonable Doubt. This marks a new milestone in the history of NFT’s, entitling the new owner to future revenue generated by the unique asset.”

As for Dash’s attempt to sell his one-third stake in Roc-A-Fella, he claims that Jay-Z offered to buy his portion of the label back in March, but it was at “a price I deemed unacceptable.” As a result, Dash was left to find a more suitable buyer for his Roc-A-Fella stake.

Q-Tip And The Hip-Hop Community React To The Death Of Biz Markie At 57

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The world is mourning the loss of another hip-hop legend today. After his hospitalization for complications related to diabetes in 2020, today a family source confirmed to TMZ that rapper Biz Markie has passed away at the age of 57. Best known for his hit single “Just A Friend,” the prolific and multi-talented entertainer was respected by the hip-hop world at large, and plenty of artists and friends are expressing their grief at the loss.

Dubbed the “Clown Prince Of Hip-Hop,” Biz Markie, born Marcel Theo Hall was a member of the Juice Crew and an integral part of the New York rap world during the ’90s. An accomplished rapper, beatboxer, producer and well-known for his out-of-the-box sampling ideas, Markie was also an on-screen presence with a role in Men In Black II and a stint opening for comedian Chris Rock.

One of the most heartfelt and earliest reactions from a fellow artist comes from Q-Tip, who is feeling the loss. “This one hurts baad … RIP to my Aries bro… ahhh man
@BizMarkie damn im gonna miss u so so many memories.. hurts bad. My FRIEND,” he wrote. Check out more reactions from fellow rappers and artists below. Rest in peace Biz Markie.

Biz Markie Has Passed Away At Age 57 Due To Complications With Diabetes

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More sad news for the hip-hop community today, TMZ reports that rapper Biz Markie, born Marcel Theo Hall, has passed away at age 57 due to complications from diabetes. In 2020, he was hospitalized due to the same issue and has now succumbed to the disease. TMZ cites a family source who confirmed the rapper died in a Baltimore hospital at 6:25 PM tonight.

A member of the Juice Crew, out of New York, and primarily known for his rhymes penned by Big Daddy Kane (also of the Juice Crew), the rapper, singer, DJ, record producer, actor, comedian, and writer was a multi-talented artist and entertainer who earned the title “Clown Prince Of Hip-Hop.”

His debut album Goin’ Off was released in 1988 and included underground singles “Nobody Beats The Biz” and “Vapors.” His second album, The Biz Never Sleeps came out just a year later, and even if you’re unfamiliar with Biz Markie’s extended catalogue, odds are most people have heard his breakout hit from this record, “Just A Friend.” After its release in 1989, it became a global hit, and still gets played even today, decades later.

His third album I Need A Haircut came out in 1991, and was followed up in 1993 with All Samples Cleared!. That title referenced a landmark sampling case one of his songs, “Alone Again,” was involved in. Later on, he released his final solo album, Weekend Warrior, in 2003. Aside from his career in music, Markie was also an on-screen presence and a comedian, including an appearance in Men In Black II and a stint opening for Chris Rock’s “No Apologies” tour in 2008.

Rest in peace to a legend.

SpotemGottem Arrested By US Marshalls On Firearm Violations And Aggravated Assault

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19-year-old Jacksonville rapper Nehemiah Harden, better known as TikTok sensation SpotemGottem, was reportedly arrested by US Marshalls in his hotel room in Aventura, Florida, according to NBC Miami. Harden was scheduled to perform Rolling Loud’s return event next week in Miami, but now faces a litany of charges including aggravated assault. He was granted an $18,500 bond today.

Courtesy Miami-Dade Police Department

Marshalls had a warrant Spotemgottem from a June case in which the rapper and several friends broke the gate at a parking garage in Miami and reportedly threatened someone who tried to stop them — the story doesn’t make clear whether this was a passerby or the garage attendant — with a semi-automatic weapon. Marshalls say that Spotem had an AK-47 pistol lying on the bed next to him, which added a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon to his existing charges of aggravated assault with a firearm and accessory after the fact to a felony.

The rapper is best known for his viral single “Beat Box,” which has since received remixes from numerous rappers including DaBaby, Deante’ Hitchcock, Latto, Polo G, Lil Yachty, and NLE Choppa. The song is, fittingly, about SpotemGottem’s gun, which can “make a beat box” when fired. It became a TikTok favorite when creator Junebug created the #JunebugChallenge dance, which was used in numerous videos on the popular app.

Brockhampton’s Kevin Abstract Unveils The Good-Vibes Solo Single ‘Slugger’ Featuring Snot And Slowthai

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A few months back, LA hip-hop boy band Brockhampton released their album Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine. They’ve also got a needle-drop on the recently released reboot Space Jam: A New Legacy. Now, Brockhampton leader Kevin Abstract has an upbeat new solo single out called “Slugger,” which features guest spots from Slowthai and SoundCloud rapper Snot.

As Stereogum notes, “Slugger” is co-produced by Abstract, Al Hug and Brockhampton’s Romil Hemnani. Plus, its release coincides with the first collection from Abstract’s own Video Store Apparel. “Slugger” also has an accompanying video where Abstract and friends lay out verses in what looks like the Video Store warehouse, while, of course, modeling the clothes.

Back in March, Abstract, who released solo album Arizona Baby in 2019, announced that Brockhampton’s next two albums would be their last as a group. Addressing impending split on Twitter, he wrote, “We all love each other and we wanna continue making the best music we can,” he wrote. “Everybody just getting a lil older and got a lot to say outside of group projects. We’ve dedicated the last ten years of our lives to making music together. This next project we’re just doing what’s rite.”

Listen to “Slugger” above. The first Video Store collection is available here.

Megan Thee Stallion Celebrates Her First Platinum Album By Showing Gratitude For Her Fans

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2020 was big for Megan The Stallion thanks to her debut album, Good News. It features hit singles like “Savage” and “Body” and achieved a peak at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album came out in November 2020, and now, about eight months later, it has reached a major milestone: The album is now certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA), making it her first Platinum album.

The certification was confirmed on July 14, and last night, Meg celebrated the feat on Instagram by sharing a message for her fans, writing, “HOTTIESSSS GOOD NEWS IS OFFICIALLY PLATINUM [crying emoji] This is my first platinum album and I’m so proud! I made majority of this album in my living room during quarantine and to see it really do it’s thing makes me so happy ! Thank you everyone involved and most of all thank you hotties for RUNNING IT TF UP [horse emoji] can’t wait for y’all to see what’s next.”

Meg has long been appreciative of her fans and has shown it in tangible ways. She teamed up with Cash App to give away $1 million to fans in June. Earlier that month, she paid for a late fan’s funeral.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Logic Is Feeling Self-Assured On His Smooth New Single ‘My Way’

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Logic’s “retirement” was less of a departure from music and more of a break between projects. He has remained active since his 2020 album No Pressure and has dropped a handful of new songs so far this year. The latest of them is “My Way,” which features a dream-pop-inspired instrumental and Logic rapping about being confident in his way of going about life: “I’ma do it my way / Oh yeah, I’ma do it my way / They lookin’ at me sideways / But I ain’t livin’ for the dead today.”

This is his second new song of the month, as he started July by dropping “Vaccine.” At the end of May, he also dropped a pair of new songs: MadGic’s “Mafia Music” and a solo cut, “Over You.”

Meanwhile, Logic revealed last week that he landed an acting role in the upcoming Apple TV+ series Mr. Corman, which was created, written, and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Gordon-Levitt also stars, alongside Arturo Castro, Juno Temple, Debra Winger, and others. The show is set to premiere on August 6.

The rapper also has a new memoir, This Bright Future, coming out this year. He says of the book, “This is the story of everything I’ve gone through and it’s been a beautiful and difficult journey to relive. There’s honestly so much that I’ve never been able to express in my music and the interviews that followed. I’m so happy and proud to finally give my fans and the rest of the world my entire story. The way I never could with my music!”

Listen to “My Way” above.