]Backed by legendary Hip Hop icon and original Wu Tang swordsman Method Man, TICAL Official is a lifestyle brand known for it TICAL Box and Merchandise, which has been receiveing a lot of looks on social media.
The luxury lockbox is handcrafted and comes with a certification of authenticity signed by Mef himself as well as a healthy list of items for your everyday lifestyle needs. The merchandise, which consists of hoodies, hats, shirts and various accessories are all made from designs hand chosen by Johnny Blaze himself and actively worn by him and his inner circle while on tour.
Happy born day to Mr.Clifford Harris Jr. aka T.I.!
Throughout the years, T.I. has become one of the most relevant forces in hip-hop. Besides his music career, T.I. is an actor, spokesperson for the AKOO clothing, and the leader of Hustle Gang, which includes Iggy Azealia, B.O.B, Young Dro, and more.
Today, we celebrate Tip’s 44th birthday by showcasing jams that highlights his growth as an artist.
Fuck Da City Up Feat. Young Jeezy If T.I. wanted to, his mixtape game would be a lot more extensive. The title track of his first mixtape Fuck Da City Up was finally able to breathe, even if it was an online release. But since the tapes are beneath him, you got to appreciate when he makes a collabo with Young Jeezy pop off.
Rubberband Man Before he was the kang, Tip was known as the “Rubber Band Man.” The hit put T.I. on the map around the country. It was one of the few tracks that initiated Grand Hustle into the game.
U Don’t Know Me Mr. Harris kept his head in the game. Though there were a few signature hits to come off Urban Legendz, “You Don’t Know Me” went hard and made room for tracks like “ASAP” and “Motivation” to gain heavy momentum amongst the masses.
What You Know The Kang of the South put himself on hip-hop’s pedestal with his smash single “What You Know.” The Southern anthem highlighted his King album and was on repeat in every major hip-hip radio station in the country.
Big Shit Poppin (Do It) T.I. wanted to showcase his battle against himself for his fifth album T.I. vs. TIP. “Big Shit Poppin (Do It)” hit the Billboard Top 100 chart at #9, eventually obtaining certified gold.
Live Your Life Feat. Rihanna Paper Trails put T.I. at a plateau with the success of the hit single “Live Your Life” with Roc Nation’s Rihanna. The memorable O-Zone sample created an international buzz that had new fans copping the album just the hear the Tip and RiRi collaboration.
Welcome To The World Feat. Kanye West & Kid Cudi His film ‘Takers’ with Michael Ealy and Paul Walker hit theatres yet he still made the effort to release his sixth studio album, No Mercy. Though his single “I’m Back” sparked some hype, his collaboration with G.O.O.D Music soldiers Kanye West and Kid Cudi remains one of the highlights of the album.
Pimp Feat. Pimp C & Too $hort For a mixtape, Fuck Da City Up featured work from huge names in the game like Dr. Dre, Hit-Boy and Young Jeezy. Too $hort spit along with an appearance by Pimp C in their collaboration “Pimp.”
On this date in 1992, Brick City, NJ’s own Reggie “Redman” Noble, dropped his debut solo release Whut? Thee Album on the Def Jam imprint.
Produced primarily by the legendary EPMD’s Erick Sermon, Whut? introduced the world to Redman, the newest recruit to the supergroup The Hit Squad. The fans wanted more from what they got from the Newark native on “Hardcore” from EPMD’s ‘Business Never Personal’ album, where Redman was first heard by Erick and Parrish fans, making them Redman fans by default.
Tracks that propelled the album’s success include singles such as the visual accompanying “Time 4 Sum Aksion”, “Tonight’s TDa Night,” the weed-rolling anthem “How To Roll A Blunt,” and the beginning of the ever-evolving saga of “The Sooper man Lover.” This four-and-a-half mic album was certified gold by the RIAA in less than a year and certified official by the streets upon its release.
Big shouts to Redman and Erick Sermon for making the Funk Doctor Spock’s first project a certified Hip Hop classic!
On this day in Hip-Hop history, Craig Mack released Bad Boy’s second LP as a label Project: Funk Da World. This successful debut introduced Craig Mack as one of Bad Boy’s original artists alongside The Notorious B.I.G., 112, Faith Evans and Total.
Unlike like Bad Boy’s debut, Biggie’s Ready to Die, Project: Funk Da World concentrated less on the hardcore street aspect of Hip Hop and focused more on getting its listeners moving on the dance floor. Similar to the West Coast’s G-Funk movement, this LP was smooth and effortlessly funky. It created a vibe that every time it was spun, did exactly what it’s title intended. The album featured Craig Mack’s smash hit single “Flava in Ya Ear”. The version of the is single featuring Biggie Smalls was actually Bad Boy’s first release and the duo’s only collaboration.
The album was certified gold within the year of its release although partially overshadowed by the quadruple platinum Ready to Die.
The title of “super producer” should not be taken lightly. For every era of Hip-Hop, there is a man behind the keys set the tone. Dr. Dre, Pete Rock, RZA, Swizz Beatz, Jermaine Dupri, Timbaland, The Neptunes, Mike Will Made-It, and Metro Boomin are among the few who have dictated what Hip Hop has sounded like over the years. Super producers have even spanned genres to influenced music as a whole, bringing the Hip Hop style to the masses.
On this day in Hip Hop history, the culture’s first super producer, Marley Marl, released his debut compilation, In Control, Vol. 1, and forever changed the sound of Hip Hop. Before this album, Marley Marl’s true importance to Hip Hop had yet to be openly stated. It was known that he had a hand in some of the biggest records to have out at the time but this album put them all in the same place, proving what Marley Marl was doing to help Hip Hop evolve.
Before Marley Marl, hip-hop production was quite primitive: the drums sounded synthetic, the loops were monotonous, and as a whole, production was more of a skeleton waiting to be filled by an MC. Marley Marl gave the instrumental life. His signature drum loops and soulful samples brought a new tone to Hip Hop. A Marley Mal beat served less as a compliment to the artist’s ability and more as fuel to jumpstart the intensity of the rapper, bringing out the best in him or her.
Commercially, this album was the success it was bound to be. Featuring Juice Crew members Biz Markie(RIP), Craig G., Roxanne Shante, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, Heavy D, and more from Marley Marl’s private army. Pushed by the infamous Cold Chillin’ Records, the album peaked at #163 on the Billboard 200 and brought great publicity to Cold Chillin’ as a top label in Hip Hop. Following this album, the label rose to become a household name in Hip-Hop, and Marl Marley grew to become an immortal icon of Hip Hop culture.
GRAMMY-nominated artist GloRilla has raised the bar once again by dropping a huge announcement: her debut album GLORIOUS is set to arrive on October 11. The studio album comes after Big Glo trailblazed her way through the music industry with infectious hit records and high-profile collaborations that have won fans over around the globe. Fans who pre-order the album will get two instant gratification tracks, “Hollon” and her summer smash “TGIF.”
In addition to the album announcement, the 25-year-old has given fans a surprise by releasing “Hollon” as her latest single. The track has been teased several times on social media and went viral with fans who couldn’t get enough of the song by recording their own videos to it. “Hollon” is another banger from the CMG product as she weaves through the speaker-rattling production and dishes out fierce bars about how she handles her business with her collective of fierce women. “H*e, you must not know what you just started (da f*ck) / Me and my b*tches go gnarley / Give a f*ck about this party / We gone step on sh*t regardless (stamp dat),” Glo states triumphantly to open the track.
GloRilla has been on a tear over the last several months, starting with her last project, a 12-track effort titled Ehhthang, Ehhthang, which was released in April and generated over 550 million streams in the U.S. to date. The mixtape propelled Glo further into the spotlight and had her dominate the summer season as two of the project’s biggest songs, “Yeah Glo” and “Wanna Be” with Megan Thee Stallion, simultaneously hit Urban Radio Top 10 list along with her biggest anthem to date, the Rihanna-co-signed “TGIF.” Glo became the first female artist to achieve that feat in almost a decade and she didn’t stop there as all three songs went on to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, with each peaking at the Top 30. In particular, “Wanna Be” went #1 on the Rhythmic Radio chart while “TGIF” is still active, cracking the Top 10 this week and still climbing.
Glo also received the key to the city of Memphis for her musical achievements in September and also performed an exhilarating set at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, where she was also nominated four times and turned heads with a red carpet look inspired by Vogue, which was highlighted in a ‘Get Ready With’ piece with the iconic publication. The bonafide hitmaker also hit the road alongside Megan Thee Stallion as an opening act on her sold-out Hot Girl Summer tour earlier this summer. She was also invited to serve as a presenter at the ESPYs, iHeartRadio Music Awards, and Billboard Women in Music. The Glo train isn’t stopping there either, as the rapper has been nominated seven times for the upcoming 2024 BET Hip Hop Awards in October.
In his historic, record setting fashion, L.A. Dodgers’ DH Shohei Ohtani went 6-6, with 10 RBIs including 3 HRs in the Dodgers win over the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park; all while putting himself in a solo class as the only player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal rack up 50 stolen bases in single season.
Ohtani’s 10 RBI game set a franchise record for Los Angeles to help lock in their 12th postseason berth in a row.
The 30-year-old native of Japan became the sixth member of the 40/40 club last month with a monstrous walk-off grand slam in his 126th game of the season against the Rays.
Ohtani stole third base for his 50th bag after smashing a sharp double to right field in the first inning off RHP Edward Cabrera. In the sixth, Ohtani blasted his 49th homer to right fields upper deck, knocking in two runs off righty George Soriano. In the next inning, the 6’4″ switch player took Mike Baumann’s low knuckle curve to the opposite field , making him 5-5 at his next to last at-bat, with four extra base hits, including two homers and two steals. Another MLB record in what could be called the greatest single game for any player in history.
In his last visit to the plate of the night, the Marlins put second baseman Vidal Brijan on the mound and baseball’s “unicorn” did exactly what was expected of him with a 68 mph fastball; Shohei sent another ball to the upper deck for his 51st homer of the regular season.
Before Ohtani’s 50/50 record, the closet any other player got to 50 stolen bases with 50 HRs was the Alex Rodriguez(24) in 2007 and the late, great Willie Mays(24) in 1955.
This single season, record-breaking performance on the diamond comes exactly one year to the day after his elbow surgery, which took the multi-faceted player off the mound for 2024, but is expected to make a full recovery in order to make a pitching comeback in 2025.
Surpassing the comparisons of players such as Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron, Shohei Ohtani just proved that fans won’t see a player of his caliber anytime in the foreseeable future.
During a conversation with Sway on his Sway In The Morning SiriusXM show, Eve spoke about her new memoir which details her journey from chart-topping rapper to philanthropist, actress, and beyond. Eve opening up about her struggles and triumphs, her early days breaking barriers in the male-dominated rap industry to her candid reflections on challenges like her DUI and the pressures of fame.
While speaking with Sway Eve opened up about her experience as a dancer for two months and quitting the day after she met Mase.
Sway Calloway: The last day you danced, what happened?
Eve: So, the night before is when I met Mase and he was like, “What you want to do?” It was a slow night and I was like, “I want to rap,” and he was like, “Well, let me hear you,” and we rapped a bit. He was like, “Yo, you’re kinda dope.” He was like, “Why don’t you get dressed and we can ride around the city, and we can just listen to music,” and I was like, “I’m not coming with you. If my homies ain’t coming, I’m not coming. I don’t know you.” He was like, “Alright, be cool. Relax.” He was like, “My homeboy is with me. They can drive in the car with him, and they can drive behind us,” and that’s exactly what we did. Literally drove around until the sun came up, listened to music, homegirl’s in the back, went to his sister’s house when the sun came up, had some food. We fell asleep, the girls. When I woke up, he was gone and did not see him again and I stopped that day. I was like, “Never again.”
See her comments about her short lived dancing career HERE
Stevie Wonder announces today that he will be playing select dates in October, at the height of a critical election season and a pivotal juncture in American politics and culture, in a call for “joy over anger, kindness over recrimination, peace over war.” The 25-time GRAMMY winner – whose other accolades include an Academy Award, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom among countless other honors – will do ten performances across the nation this October.
As a special thank you, Stevie Wonder will be offering a designated amount of complimentary tickets to those in our communities who are already working tirelessly to fix our nation’s broken heart.
The performances, titled “Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart,” are produced by Wonder Productions and promoted by AEG Presents in partnership with Free Lunch, begin Tuesday, October 8 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA, with stops in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Greensboro, Atlanta, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis before concluding Wednesday, October 30 at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI.
“Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart” Dates
As reported by Black Cannabis Magazine, MJBizCon, the largest, most established cannabis business conference and expo in the world, welcomes NBA legend and entrepreneur, Carmelo (Melo) Anthony to the main stage, Wednesday December 4, 2024 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The 10-time NBA All-Star, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Anthony has continued his winning streak off the court with an expansive business portfolio committed to supporting underserved communities and bringing diverse voices into the industries he enters. Alongside Jesce Horton and Brandon Drew Jordan Pierce, Anthony recently co-founded Grand National, a one-of-a kind agency designed to empower cannabis companies who share their passion for culture, cultivation, and community. The first brand under the agency is STAYME7O Cannabis which leverages expertise of the organization and embodies the Grand National mission of empowering ventures aligned with their values including increasing diversity and representation in the cannabis industry.
This moderator-led panel discussion, Empowerment + Innovation: Reshaping the cannabis landscape while championing diversity and inclusion to propel community and culture forward, will highlight the transformative initiative being pioneered by the Grand National team to drive change through innovative practices that not only enhance the cannabis industry but also prioritize community engagement and cultural inclusivity.
This dynamic agency leverages the combined expertise of Anthony’s business acumen, Horton’s unparalleled cannabis experience, and Pierce’smarketing savvy to equip its brands with the resources, sales, and marketing muscle needed to succeed. Together they will share strategies that promote diversity and inclusion, showcasing real-world examples of how these efforts are creating a more equitable cannabis industry.
Join us for this exploration of empowerment, innovation, and social responsibility in cannabis and how it is reshaping the industry’s landscape. Cannabis industry expert Zoe Wilder will lead this timely discussion.
