News Exclusives

ICYMI: Suspect in Young Dolph’s Murder Attacked While Making Jail Phone Call

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U.S. Marshals and Tennessee Authorities Name Suspect in Young Dolph's Murder

Justin Johnson, aka Straight Drop, one of the suspected killers of Young Dolph, has been reportedly attacked in jail. According to TMZ, Johnson was struck by a fellow inmate.

Johnson is in Tennessee’s Shelby County Jail. During a phone call, Johnson was punched by a fellow inmate while he was in the middle of a phone call. Johnson’s attorney states he was in a visitation area and was decked by a fellow inmate. Johnson is said to have not been severely injured.

This past Friday, Johnson was involved in another incident. According to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Johnson and another inmate were under investigation for a separate incident.

Johnson was arrested this past January after being captured by U.S. Marshalls. He has maintained his innocence.

Last week, the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center in Memphis released the autopsy report of Young Dolph. According to Fox 13 Memphis, Dolph suffered 22 gunshot wounds.

The report states wounds both entered and exited the body. Dolph was shot in multiple places, including the forehead, face, back, arms, chest, chin, neck, shoulder, and more.

Born Adolph Thorton Jr., Dolph was killed on Nov. 17, 2021, outside of Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies. Johnson and Cornelius Smith have been charged in the case. A warrant is currently active for Shundale Barnett for his place in the connection. Devin Burns and Joshua Taylor have been named as persons of interest.

The post ICYMI: Suspect in Young Dolph’s Murder Attacked While Making Jail Phone Call appeared first on The Source.

[WATCH] Quavo Criticizes The Grammys And XXL Magazine Following Kanye West Ban

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Even though there were thousands of supporters who petitioned to have Kanye West banned from Coachella and now the Grammy Awards due to his online behavior towards his ex-wife and her new beau, there is still a myriad of people, celebrities in particular, who are not necessarily supporting West’s antics, but they are definitely condemning the cancel culture when it comes to the music/fashion mogul.

Migos’ Quavo shares the sentiments of Rap-A-Lot CEO J. Prince, who says that Hip Hop should form its own award shows and boycott the Grammys as other Hip Hop frontrunners have done in the past. Quavo also criticized XXL for not properly highlighting up and coming artists, telling TMZ, “Instead of a Freshmen Class, we need the “Best New Artist” in the streets whenever they come out,” he said. “[Migos] couldn’t go on Freshmen Class because we was a group. So, just s**t like that. All these little stipulations on our artistry is lame because we’re creators.”  

See the video of his comments below.

The post [WATCH] Quavo Criticizes The Grammys And XXL Magazine Following Kanye West Ban appeared first on The Source.

[WATCH] TMZ’s Harvey Levin Rejects Signature Sneakers As Gift From Soulja Boy

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Hip Hop’s self-proclaimed pioneer Soulja Boy has been overly excited about the release of his new signature sneaker called the Soulja Star, but when the “first rapper” to do anything offered a free pair of his new kicks to TMZ managing editor and founder Harvey Levin, the “Superman” YouTube sensation din’t expect what happened next.

Levin immediately tried to turn down the offer, exclaiming, “You know what would happen to me if I wear these?”

It din’t take long before Levin nonchalantly put the neon green sneaker back in the animated Soulja Boy covered shoebox and went about his business. Not the reaction Soulja was looking for.

The post [WATCH] TMZ’s Harvey Levin Rejects Signature Sneakers As Gift From Soulja Boy appeared first on The Source.

Former NFL Running Back Mark Walton Arrested For Armed Robbery In Miami

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According to a report from the New York Post, former NFL running back Mark Walton has been arrested for an alleged armed robbery that took place last month in Mami.

Police in Miami say that Walton and another man brandished guns following a confrontation, demanding everything from the alleged victim. Authorities claim that Walton and his accomplice made off with a Rolex watch in the stick up.

Jail records show Walton was charged with robbery/armed/firearm or deadly weapon.

The 2018 4th round draft pick played for the Bengals for his first season out of U. of Miami, but played for the Dolphins the following year. According to the Post, the 24-year-old RB “was released by the Bengals after he was arrested three times, and then by the Dolphins after he was accused of attacking a woman who was pregnant with his child.” 

The post Former NFL Running Back Mark Walton Arrested For Armed Robbery In Miami appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: The Diplomats Released Their Debut Album ‘Diplomatic Immunity’ 19 Years Ago

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On this date in 2003, Cam’ron’s crew from Harlem, The Diplomats, dropped their debut album Diplomatic Immunity on the Roc A Fella Records/Def Jam imprint during the pivotal time when Dame Dash appointed Cam’ron as the President of Roc-A-Fella Records.

Coming on the heels of the release of Cam’s Come Home With Me LP, Diplomatic Immunity introduced the entire Dipset squad including Juelz Santana, Jim Jones, Freekey Zeekey, Un Kasa, and Hell Rell, who was incarcerated by the time the album was available for purchase. With production from the likes of Heatmakerz, DR Period, and a then virtually unknown Kanye West, the trailblazing sound of old soul samples pushed Dipset to the forefront of the creative curve of Hip Hop, which offered the Blood-affiliated crew from Uptown an almost cult-like following.

The album was saturated with longstanding hits such as “I Really Mean It”, the infectious “Dipset Anthem”, the female-friendly “Hey Ma” and the Master P assisted “Bout It Bout It…Part III”. Commercially, the album was considered average debuting at #8 on the Billboard 200 and selling 92,000 copies in its first week, but the album was certified Gold by the RIAA in 2005.

Salute to Cam, Juelz on the inside, Jim Jones, Freekey and Hell Rell for this classic piece of Hip Hop history!

The post Today In Hip Hop History: The Diplomats Released Their Debut Album ‘Diplomatic Immunity’ 19 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: The Notorious B.I.G.’s Posthumous ‘Life After Death’ LP Turns 25 Years Old!

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A quarter century ago today in Hip-Hop history, Notorious B.I.G. released his second album, Life After Death. The double LP was released posthumously by Bad Boy Records. Biggie, who was killed two weeks prior to its release, was nominated for three Grammy’s for this project: Best Rap Album, Best Rap Solo Performance for “Hypnotize” and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “Mo Money Mo Problems.”

Featuring artists like 112, Jay-Z, Lil’ Kim, Ma$e, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Too $hort and R. Kelly, along with tracks like “Kick In The Door,” “What’s Beef,” “Notorious Thugs,” “Ten Crack Commandments” and “Sky’s The Limit,” it can be said that Life After Death is one of the greatest rap albums of all time. The album hit #1 on the Billboard 200 chart and the US Top R&B/Hip Hop chart. It went diamond (that’s 10,000,000 copies sold) in the United States alone, double platinum in Canada, and platinum in the UK. Life After Death has also made appearances on top music charts across the globe. The album has been ranked by countless publications as one of the top rap and Hip-Hop albums of all time (The Source ranked it as #8 in 2005).

Salute to Diddy and the rest of the Bad Bot family for this timeless piece of Hip Hop history!

The post Today In Hip Hop History: The Notorious B.I.G.’s Posthumous ‘Life After Death’ LP Turns 25 Years Old! appeared first on The Source.

Megan Thee Stallion Documentary From Roc Nation Gets Green Light

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According to a recent report from Variety Magazine, Roc Nation has a docu-series in the making about rap sensation Megan Thee Stallion, delving into the personal and professional world of the real life Megan Pete. The multi-part documentary will also focus on the tribulations faced by Tina Snow, both publicly and privately, in order to become the star she is today.

“We are thrilled to be able to work with Roc Nation to share Megan’s story with the world,” said Loren Hammonds, Time Studios’ co-head of documentary. “Millions of people are familiar with her as an entertainer, but this series will give her a chance to share her truth as never before. She added, “We feel lucky to have this opportunity to capture her at a crucial moment in her life and career, as she continues to grow exponentially in both her artistry and global impact.”

Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez and TV & Film EVP of the Roc Lori York are also slated to executive produce the series, which has not found a home on any of the major streaming services.

Perez said in a statement, “Her journey is inspirational and we’re proud to have partnered with TIME Studios to highlight her personal and professional trajectory over the years. Our hope is that this documentary will inspire viewers to stay the course and pursue their passions through the ups and downs.”

The post Megan Thee Stallion Documentary From Roc Nation Gets Green Light appeared first on The Source.

42 Dugg Accused Of Assault, Holding Woman And Her Friend Hostage Inside Hotel In Miami

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According to several news reports, a woman claims that Detroit slang spitter 42 Dugg assaulted her and held her and a friend hostage inside of a hotel room in Miami.

In several posts on Instagram, the accuser insinuated that her and her friend were offered “hush money” not to speak about the incident, but she wasted no time taking the alleged assault to social media.

“What n*ggas did to me and @_serenitysky is not worth any money sh*t is not a joke,” she wrote. A set of photos was shared by IG user young.poca showing several pics of a woman with a bruised arm and swollen lip, saying, “This is what ya favorite celebrities do on close doors… Like grown man beat on my friend @_serenitysky and literally didn’t let US LEAVE and the HOTEL DIDNT DO ANYTHING.”

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42 Dugg nor anyone from his squad have yet to respond to the allegations.

The post 42 Dugg Accused Of Assault, Holding Woman And Her Friend Hostage Inside Hotel In Miami appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: Chi Ali’s Debut Album ‘The Fabulous Chi-Ali’ Turns 30 Years Old!

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Three decades ago today, Chi Ali released his first and only album The Fabulous Chi-Ali. Chi-Ali first appeared on De La Soul’s single “Say No Go” and on Black Sheep’s debut album, A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing featured on “Pass the 40”. Chi Ali at the time was a core member of Native Tongues, a New York City-based hip-hop collective, and also had connections with the Legion family, along with Showbiz and A.G.

In 1992, Chi-Ali released his first solo single, “Age Ain’t Nothing But a #”, which was a moderate hit and reached #6 in the US Hot Rap Singles chart. The song was popular on urban radio stations, and the music video received good rotation on Yo! MTV Raps and Rap City. The album in which the song was featured was released shortly thereafter, which yielded two other singles; “Roadrunner” and “Funky Lemonade,” which were both remixed and re-recorded.

In the late 1990s, Chi-Ali appeared on Dres’s solo album, Sure Shot Redemption, and began featuring with other artists. His most recent collabo was with Jadakiss on a song entitled “G-Check”.

On January 14, 2000, Chi-Ali shot and killed a man during an argument in The Bronx. He was later arrested in 2001 for the death of his girlfriend’s brother, Sean Raymond, after spending a year evading police and even appeared on an episode of America’s Most Wanted. Chi-Ali hid in numerous East Coast cities until he was apprehended on March 5, 2001, in New York City and was subsequently convicted of the killing and served a 12-year bid at Sing Sing Correctional Facility.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Chi Ali’s Debut Album ‘The Fabulous Chi-Ali’ Turns 30 Years Old! appeared first on The Source.

Onyx To Face Cypress Hill In VERZUZ Battle In L.A.

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An announcement from Triller and VERZUZ has confirmed the battle between NYC legends Onyx and West Coast pioneers Cypress Hill, which is set to take place in Los Angeles.

After a dope year of memorable VERZUZ battles such as Ja Rule vs. Fat Joe, Snoop vs. DMX, Gucci Mane vs. Jeezy and the legendary landslide where The L.O.X. defeated Cam’Ron and Dipset, two of the greatest groups in Hip Hop history, Onyx and Cypress Hill, will face off in a hit-for-hit competition.

Onyx vs. Cypress Hill is scheduled to take place on May 14.

The post Onyx To Face Cypress Hill In VERZUZ Battle In L.A. appeared first on The Source.