Pepsi Decides to “Pass the Mic” on the Super Bowl Halftime Show

Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Artists

After ten years, Pepsi will no longer sponsor the Super Bowl Halftime show. This year Pepsi sponsored what is considered Hip-Hop’s first Super Bowl halftime show, which started Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar. The NFL partners with JAY-Z’s Roc Nation to produce the halftime show.

“After 10 years of iconic Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show performances, we have decided it’s time to pass the mic,” Pepsi wrote on Twitter. “Thank you to the amazing artists and fans who helped us create some incredible moments along the way.”

Pepsi will continue its sponsorship rights with the NFL, despite dropping the halftime show. The renewed agreement will provide Pepsi pouring rights at top events and keep Gatorade on the sidelines. According to CNBC, the previous deal between Pepsi and the NFL was $2 billion over ten years. The terms of the new agreement were undisclosed.

The rights for the halftime show are believed to be net the NFL $50 million.

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[WATCH] Video Surfaces Of 600 Breezy Confronting Charleston White

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Charleston White, the outspoken critic of gangs and gangsta rappers, was approached and confronted by Chicago drill rapper 600 Breezy because of White’s comments about the late Chicago rapper King Von , who White inexplicably called a “demon”.

The video below shows Breezy checking the 52-year-old, while White holds steadfast to his principle that he cannot support anything that he views as “anti-Black”. At one point, Breezy calls the opinionated critic a liar, to which he surprisingly agreed, drawing laughter from those who were present. He went on to say that when he was gang affiliated, he would fight his opps instead of killing.

At the end of the video, White contends that he’s against anything that’s hurting Black people, including gangs, rap music, and white people.

After the video below was released, White took to social media, saying he was ready to called the police on 600 Breezy for threatening him.

See the entire video below.

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Texas School Shooter Identified as 18-Year-Old Salvador Ramos

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Salvador Ramos has been identified as the gunman who killed 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

The identity of the shooter was confirmed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. According to the New York Daily News, Abbott was a resident of the city, which holds 15,000 residents 80 miles outside of San Antonio.

Before heading to Robb Elementary, Ramos shot his own grandmother at home. Ramos was killed during a gunfight at the scene. Two officers received minor injuries in the gunfight.

The motive for the shooting has not been determined.

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Today in Hip-Hop History: Slick Rick Dropped His Last Album ‘The Art Of Storytelling’ 23 Years Ago

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On this day in Hip Hop history, Slick Rick released his final studio LP, The Art of Story Telling.

Mostly produced by DJ Clark Kent and Kid Capri, this album featured guest verses from the likes of Redman, Rev Run, Outkast, Nas, Raekwon, and Snoop Dogg.

Critically the album has been hailed as the only proper sequel to his breakthrough debut album, The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick. Due to continuous run-ins with the law, the public was never really able to fully experience Slick Rick as an artist. For the same reason, the world will never know what his outstanding ability and outspoken persona could have done for Hip Hop culture. What is apparent is that when the master storyteller has the time, he can pen and deliver a masterpiece.

The Art of Storytelling was Slick Rick’s most commercially successful album, peaking at #8 on the Billboard 200 chart and #1 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop charts. The album even went gold during its first week of sales. True to the title, the album is full of narratives that could only be crafted by the pen that scribed the famous “Children’s Story.” And although he has not strayed away from his signature rhetoric, The Art of Storytelling shows improvement and Slick Rick’s ability to stay relevant as far as his own style blending with the popular sound of the time. As a whole, this album is deserving of all accolades and is a proper farewell to Slick Rick as an album rapper.

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14 Students Killed During Shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX

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Texas Governor Greg Abbott has confirmed fourteen students and one teacher have been shot and killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

According to ABC NEWS, the suspect, an 18-year-old student of Uvalde High School, is dead.

“He shot and killed horrifically and incomprehensibly 14 students and killed a teacher,” Abbott said.

Before shooting at the elementary school, the suspect is believed to have shot his grandmother. The suspect is believed to have been armed with a handgun and a rifle.

“When parents drop their kids off at school, they have every expectation to know that they’re going to be able to pick their child up when that school day ends. And there are families who are in mourning right now,” Abbott said. “The state of Texas is in mourning with them for the reality that these parents are not going to be able to pick up their children.”

Two responding police offers were injured but are expected to recover. Fifteen students are being treated at Uvalde Memorial Hospital. Two additional patients were transferred to neighboring San Antonio, and a third is awaiting a transfer.

This story is developing.

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NBA 2K x SoundCloud Announce Winning Artists For NBA2K22 Soundtrack

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The global music search is over for SoundCloud and NBA 2K’s “2K Beats: The Search” to discover the next generation of emerging artists. Today, SoundCloud and NBA 2K revealed the first 10 winning artists including 4KPHIL, J Nolan, Jamari, KC Carter, Lulu Be., Neek, OttoMattic, Samad Savage, Shiwan, and Third Coast Chris whose tracks will be featured in the NBA 2K22 Season 7 soundtrack heard by players around the world. Fans can discover the new tracks in-game starting May 20th, and today in the playlist on SoundCloud here

The winning artists were handpicked by SoundCloud and NBA 2K from more than 15,000 submissions and feature some of the hottest new original tracks from emerging artists who are gaining traction from fans on SoundCloud alongside top artists on the soundtrack such as Aitch, Freddie Gibbs, Megan Thee Stallion, Metro Boomin, Saweetie, Skepta, Smino, and many more. Get to know more about the first wave of winning artists from “2K Beats: The Search” below. 

“I grew up playing NBA2K and the NBA as a whole,” says 4KPHIL. “Rap music goes hand in hand with the game of baseketball, and I’m ecstatic to have my song included in the 2022 soundtrack.” 

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First Annual Impacting Futures Gala Honors Charles Oakley, Mona Scott-Young, Treach, Mr Commodore And More

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On May 19, Founder of Bold Beginnings Tiffany Mack held the First Annual Impacting Futures Gala honoring NBA Legend Charles Oakley at Grand Café & Bistro in Elizabeth, New Jersey. 

The silent auction raised over $15,000Notable guests include Charles Oakley, Mona Scott-Young, Treach, Commissioner Stan Neron, Producer Karriem Mack, Tyhem Commodore (Mr. Commodore), Khairy Williams (Spotify), Brenda Green (Fit4abtterme), Tiffany Emmanuel (Ms. Emmanuel), Stacey Wade (sexxystaceface), and Sarah Stone (starringsara). 

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The mission of Bold Beginnings is to bring awareness, raise funds and to help fight for homelessness and domestic violence in our community and provide resources for unprivileged and underserved women, men, children, and families to give them Bold Beginnings.

Photos: Claude Yao Sahi   @hijo_elconquistador)

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[WATCH] Fulton Co. Prosecutor Alleges Young Thug And Gunna Were “Followed By Snipers”

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The RICO charges against YSL headliners Young Thug and Gunna have stunned many in the Hip Hop community, with Gunna recently being denied bond and not given a hearing date until 2023. Now, a video of a court hearing shows a prosecutor claiming that the two Young Slime Life artists were part of a “command structure” of YSL and even allege they had snipers always around to protect them from law enforcement.

The Fulton County prosecutor claims that Thugger, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, and Gunna, whose real name is Sergio Kitchens, would “taunt” their officers by rapping about the snipers they kept on deck that were trained to go. The prosecutor detailed a law enforcement encounter where YSL associates were arrested with illegal guns after they were stopped for allegedly tailing the police.

Both Young Thug and Gunna remain behind bars until their court hearings.

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Happy Heavenly Birthday To “The Overweight Lover” Heavy D (R.I.P.)

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On this day in Hip Hop history, “The Overweight Lover” Heavy D was born in Mandeville, Jamaica in 1967. If he were alive today, he’d be 55 years old.

Heavy D, born Dwight Errington Myers, moved to Mount Vernon, New York in the late 1970s. In the mid-1980s Heavy D along with DJ Eddie F and dancers T-Roy and G-Wiz signed to Uptown records and began their journey to fame and adoration as Heavy D & The Boyz. The group’s debut Living Large released in 1987 and was a marginal success selling 300,000 copies.

The group began to rise in popularity, helping Heavy D to become pop sensation. The success of the group’s second and third albums, Big Tyme and Peaceful Journey, brought Heavy D the opportunity to collaborate with artists like Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, B.B. King and more. Through the start of the 1990s, Heavy D began making more and more appearances in music videos and on TV and in films.

In the mid-1990s Heavy D became the first rapper to run a record label when he became president of Uptown Records. Prior to becoming president, Heavy D was instrumental in the hiring of Sean Combs as an intern. He also convinced Andre Harrel to sign Jodeci. As president, Heavy D worked with and developed boy band Soul for Real and was the executive producer and principal writer for majority of their debut album. His success as an executive led to him becoming senior vice president of Universal Music.

Heavy D passed away on November 8, 2011 from complications caused by a blood clot in his leg. His final performance at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards was his first televised performance in 15 years. Heavy D’s legacy will live on forever in the work that he created and the mark that he left on the Hip Hop industry as a whole.

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Lil Kim, Junior M.A.F.I.A., Fat Joe And More Celebrate Biggie’s 50th Birthday In NYC

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The rainy weather didn’t keep Brooklyn and the rest of the New York from showing up and showing out for the exclusive, black-tie Notorious B.I.G. 50th Birthday Gala. Last weekend, the city’s biggest influencers and tastemakers were all on hand the bring in what would’ve been Biggie’s 50th born day(May 21). Sponsored by Pepsi and put on by the Christopher Wallace Estate, Manhattan’s Guastavino’s was the locale of the prestigious bday bash for the game’s most celebrated emcee, which drew celebs from all facets of urban entertainment.

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B.I.G.’s real friends, family and diehard supporters were in attendance for this second annual event. Everyone impactful in his career was in attendance; from his original Brooklyn family/crew, Lil’ Kim , Lil Cease and Junior M.A.F.I.A., to his extended family in the Hip Hop community, including Fat Joe and Sway Calloway, who conducted Biggie’s last radio interview just four days before he was killed in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997.

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The night began with an exclusive full course dinner while a live band called The Frank White Experience played some of Biggie’s most revered hits, which preceded some of his “Notorious” hits being played in digital format by none other than HOT 97’s DJ Enuff for the capacity crowd to enjoy. A large ice sculpture with the letters “B.I.G.”graced the stairs to the entrance of the upper level gala, where many of the attendees took their “I was there” pics.

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Some of the other notables who came through to show Biggie sone Brooklyn love include Biggie’s children T’Yanna and C.J. Wallace, Havoc of Mobb Deep, Smif N’ Wessun, Caesar Emanuel of Black Ink, Karliee Redd of Love And Hip Hop ,Don Pooh, Bri Steeves, Coodie (director of Kanye West’s Jeen-Yus documentary}, Lil Kim’s business partner Alyi V, marketing guru Greg Walker, entertainment attorney/The Source Magazine owner Londell McMillian and countless others.

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Performances included a set by Lil Kim and Junior M.A.F.I.A., including a “Quiet Storm” cameo with Kim and Havoc. The surprise of the night was watching “Lil Biggie” Christopher “C.J.” Wallace perform his one of his father’s premiere hits, “One More Chance”, as the crowd felt the spirit of Biggie through his only son.

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