The UFC organization is being called everything from insensitive to racist after they aired a broadcast where boxer Terence Crawford was mistaken for famed Compton emcee Kendrick Lamar.
The “Not Like Us” lyricist spit this verse on “Euphoria”, saying, “I’m Terence Crawford, yeah, I’m whooping feet.” Many people laughed at the coincidence of his predictions, but they still launched a campaign accusing the UFC of racism, which is understandable. Crawford and Lamar are in two different forms of entertainment, and no insult to either, but the two personalities do not look alike at all.
Eminem took some very vicious shots at Diddy on his new album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de grâce): Expanded Mourner’s Edition, where Em recruits Shady Records’ Westside Boogie and Grip while he delves into Hip Hop’s most reputed unsolved murders and he pulls no punches about who the culprit is.
On “Fuel” Shady goes in on the troubled mogul, rapping, “So who’ll be picked next, whose name gonna be next up? / Notorious B.I.G.’s death was the domino effect of Tupac’s murder / Like facial tissue, whose clock should I clean next? Puff’s? / ‘Til he’s in police handcuffs, guilty, will he step up? / Like gee, never turned himself in, who knows all the murders there’ll have been?!?”
The original version of Fuel featured J.Cole’s artist JID, who goes in on Diddy about the infamous Cassie video among other things.
The Bad Boy founder always denied any involvement in the shooting deaths of either Big or ‘Pac and there’s no evidence that he will be subpoenaed in Duane “Keefe D” Davis’ ongoing murder trial in Vegas.
Eminem fans are actually upset with his latest offering, complaining about the long wait for an album that only contains three tracks.
On today’s date, 45 years ago, Hip Hop’s first Billboard Top 40 single, “Rapper’s Delight,” was released by Englewood, New Jersey’s Sugarhill Gang. As one of Hip Hop’s earliest relics, this single, written by The Cold Crush Brothers’ own Grandmaster Caz, is credited with bringing the art of rap to a multicultural mainstream audience.
In the ’70s, disco and soul still reigned supreme in the clubs and lounges of the country’s urban centers. In its most primitive form, Hip Hop was still misunderstood (and exclusive to New York City and California). Breaking, tagging, rapping, and spinning records were widely recognized as the borderline criminal activities of whatever city’s urban youth. The culture’s cult following was majority made up of housing project residence, the type to not frequent the discos and bars of their respective downtown centers. Every once in and awhile, someone would drop a single that would break through and get some shine on the club scene but never make much of a splash nationally. “Rapper’s Delight” was a different story.
On September 20, 1979, new wave bands Blondie andChic were playing a concert at New York’s renown Palladium with British punk rock band The Clash; Hip Hop’s earliest socialite (and soon to be television host)Fab Five Freddy was on the scene with Sugarhill Gang members Big Bank Hank, Mike Wright, and Master Gee. Having just released a single featuring Chic’s hit single “Good Times” from their recent international album Risqué, it was natural for the gang to hop on stage and start freestyling as soon as Chic dropped the bass line.
Sometime later, Chic’s Nile Rodgers was out at New York’s Club Leviticus and heard a recorded cut of the very song The Sugarhill Gang ever-so-delightfully interrupted his concert weeks earlier. Enraged, Rodgers immediately sought legal action and attempted to sue the Sugarhill Gang for using his band’s instrumental in their single. The lawsuit was settled out of court, and appropriate credit was given to Chic in their part of the song.
With the lawsuit and legal attention came a swarm of popularity. Disc Jockeys in clubs across the country began to spin this record every night of the week. The single gained so much play in the United States that clubs across the globe began to push this song like no tomorrow. Although the single may have peaked at #36 on the Billboard 200, it was #1 in Canada and the Netherlands, #2 in Belgium, France, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and #3 in Germany and the UK. This single song sold platinum in both the United States and Canada, with over 5 million copies sold worldwide.
“Rapper’s Delight” may be the most important single of Hip Hop culture. It didn’t event style, it wasn’t the first to gain mainstream success, it wasn’t even from New York, but it was the biggest of its time. What “Rapper’s Delight” did was make it “ok” to listen to and support rap music out in the open. Before this single, Hip Hop was an urban taboo. Upon its release, the connotation transformed from one synonymous with the ghetto to a new and hip musical genre. In a way, “Rapper’s Delight” gentrified Hip Hop in a way that made it profitable. Without it, the culture would not be a powerful as it is today.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza might really be re-thinking his choice of pitchers over the weekend against the Phillies as Bryce Harper and the Phillies take the last two of the three-game series, severely jeopardizing the Mets’ chances of an NL Wild Card berth.
The Amazins came into Philadelphia on Friday with everything in their favor; they were one game ahead of the Braves in the NL Wild Card race with a 8-2 record in their last 10 games and no one knew about superstr shortstop Francisco Lindor’s impending back injury. Fast forward to Sunday evening and the Mets are a half game behind Atlanta, risking their spot in the Wild Card, which now heavily depends on how the Braves do against the Dodgers on their home turf in Truist Park tonight(September 15).
On Friday, New York embarrassed the Phils, beating them 11-3, headed off by three 3-run HRs from Alvarez, Nimmo and Bader and a solo shot from first baseman Pete Alonso in the top of the ninth to seal the slaughter. Jose Quintana took control of the mound in the Mets’ first outing against Philly, shutting down four batters and only giving up three hits in seven frames. The Phillies got all their runs in one shot from Brandon Marsh, who blasted a three-run shot off Alex Young in the bottom of the ninth.
Maybe it was the superstition of Friday the 13th that moved the Mets up to the third spot in the NL East, just eight games behind the division leading Phils, but equally as esoteric, Lindor’s back injury had him pulled in the 7th inning, obviously raising questions about the team’s now unstable playoff position. In the second game of the series and the first game that the NL MVP candidate has missed in the past three seasons, the Phillies took the Mets down 6-4, with Bryce Harper banging two homers off Mets right hander Luis Severino in the 4th and 6th innings. Mendoza sent Young back to the mound for New York for only one out and gave up two hits and two runs, even after giving up three runs in one inning . Mets fans had hope on Sunday as Lindor returned to the lineup as the lead off batter, but was swiftly withdrawn from the game in the second inning. The Phillies edged the Mets 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth with a single from J.T Realmuto off Edwin Diaz, who replaced Phil Maton in the last inning.
With the Mets striking out at the plate more than the Phils in all three games, it may not just be pitching thats failing the Mets. The Mets seem to be hinging on Lindor’s uncertain return to the lineup, but the follow through from players like Nimmo and Alonso is needed, but isn’t happening. The Mets will also be missing RHP Paul Blackburn during this crucial point in the season after he was cleared for his hand injury just two weeks ago, but placed back on IL for a spinal fluid leak in his back yesterday(September 14).
Will the Mets maintain their position as the best team in MLB since the All Star break or will the combination of injuries, pitchers and fallen stars cost the Mets their chance at the pennant?
On this day in 1999, the late great Ol’ Dirty Bastard of the Wu-Tang Clan released his second LP Ni**a Please on the Elektra label. Before it’s release, ODB was quoted saying that the then-untitled album had two contenders for its name; God Made and Dirt Don’t Hurt and The Black Man Is God, White Man Is The Devil. Ni**a Please was decided on after the original two were considered too outrageous.
Known for his controversial nature, ODB’s idea of promoting this project was to get his name in the headlines as much as possible, whether it be positive or negative. In the time in between his debut and sophomore release ODB was all over entertainment news and tabloids. His antics included a bail money fundraiser, surviving a shootout with police, interrupting the 1998 Grammy Awards, and even popping up at the welfare office in Brooklyn in a limousine to pick up his food stamps.
Obviously, all press is good press because the album debut on the Billboard 200 at #10 and sold 93,000 copies in the first week. The album went on to be certified gold by the RIAA in the year of its release.
Today marks the 51st birthday of one of hip-hop’s most treasured lyricists, Nas.
By many, Nasir Jones is number one on their top, 10, 5, and 3 lists of the greatest emcees to ever touch the mic in Hip-Hop history. Marbled as the prodigal, deep, and lyrically intellectual spitter, Nas’ coming into Hip-Hop owned multidimensional potency. Not only was he a dexterous battle rapper, but the Queensbridge emcee was also gifted with a melodic touch for wax.
His 1991 debut on Main Source’s “Live At the BBQ” was an impressive display of the young Nas’ lyrical dexterity on a collective track with ridiculous blows.
“Verbal assassin, my architect pleases/When I was twelve, I went to hell for snuffing Jesus,” Nas easily launched the most compelling debut of a Hip-Hop emcee.
The mesmerizing drop eventually leads to a deal with Columbia Records, where he cements a legacy.
Over the course of two years, Nas huddled some of the culture’s best producers of the time, Large Professor, DJ Premier, Q-Tip, and Pete Rock to mold the echo of his debut album, Illmatic. The 1994 gem gained the likes of Hip-Hop purists and the young black youth. Drawing up the panoramic narrative as the young black boy from Queensbridge on the quest for survival, the 10-track piece is considered to be the greatest Hip-Hop album of all time.
The lyrical finesse of Escobar season continued to sizzle throughout Hip-Hop’s most prominent eras with profiled classics such as his certified sophomore debut, 1996’s It Was Written, followed by I Am…(1999), Nastradamus (1999), Stillmatic (2001), God’s Son (2002), up to 2018’s NASIR.
Nas has truly made his way into the prestigious lines of Hip-Hop heights. As of 2018, Nasty Nas is respectfully heralded as rap royalty. His influential reach stands beyond his lyrical supremacy, but his unmatched spirit which is true to the art form of rap.
Happy Birthday to one of the greatest lyricists in Hip-Hop history, Nas.
The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, a Low-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, fired catcher Derek Bender for the unspeakable; Bender was tipping batters from the opposing team as to what pitches were coming from the mound, giving them a heads up. For the non-followers of baseball, it’s probably one of the most blatant forms of cheating.
The sixth round draft pick out of Coastal Carolina was playing in a doubleheader last Friday(September 6) against the Lakeland Flying Tigers, a fam team for the Detroit Tigers, when he was reportedly telling several batters what pitches were being thrown by Mussels’ starter Ross Dunn.
Lakeland brought in four runs in the second inning and took a 6-0 shut out to win the Florida State League West division and eliminate Fort Myers from playoff possibility after the Mussels held a six-game lead just three weeks earlier.
The Lakeland coaches informed Fort Myers’ coaches after the game of Bender’s antics and the Flying Tigers gave no indication either. Sources say that he told his teammates that he wanted the season to be over. Bender spent the final two games of the season in the team’s bullpen instead of in the dugout. Ironically, the Mussels won both games.
Bender played 19 games for Fort Myers, hitting .200/.273/.333 with two home runs and eight RBIs. In three seasons at Coastal Carolina, he hit .326/.408/.571 with 32 home runs and 153 RBIs in 144 games.
A catcher and first baseman selected with the 188th pick this year, Bender signed for $297,500, slightly below the $320,800 slot for that selection. He will keep the entirety of his bonus, sources said.
Both Bender and the Twins organization declined to comment.
Yolanda Adams, the platinum-selling legendary gospel singer makes her grand return today with the release of her latest solo studio album, Sunny Days, the four-time GRAMMY winner’s first album since 2011’s Becoming. Sunny Days is a 15-track offering and includes features from Terry Hunter, Sir The Baptist and Donald Lawrence.
The release of Sunny Days comes amidst Ms. Adams’ co-headlining The Reunion Tour with some of gospel’s most decorated heavyweights: Kirk Franklin, Marvin Sapp, Fred Hammond, The Clark Sisters and Kierra Sheard-Kelly. The 29-date trek is underway and in the thick of its midwestern swing; Ms. Adams will perform live in Cincinnati, OH this evening. Ticket and tour stop information is here.
Sunny Days is supported by its lead single, “Church Doors,” a resounding and powerful performance from Yolanda Adams, who reprises her role as one of the most explosive vocal performers in all of music—sacred or secular—on her first new single in over a decade. “The world has been through so much,” Adams said of the song’s theme to Billboard. “So to have some good news about what God has done is what we need right now. Ms. Adams is joined by Sir the Baptist, Donald Lawrence and J. Ivy on two remixes of the song, both by three-time GRAMMY-nominated house DJ Terry Hunter. Earlier this month, Ms. Adams performed the heralded new single on The Tamron Hall Show, a performance that left fans in awe of her continued excellence on social media.
“I’ve had so many producers say hey why don’t you come and do this,” says Ms. Adams about her commitment to gospel music in conversation with Indiana’s News 8 while on tour. “But I look at the patterns of different types of music. Gospel music is the only genre where you can sing from the age of 13 to the age of 100. Because, my thing is, if I’m using my gift in the right way then God will always provide.”
GRAMMY Award-winning artist Bilal will unveil new single “Tell Me,” the latest from his forthcoming album Adjust Brightness, out September 27. Following the success of his June Black Music Month release, Live at Glasshaus featuring Questlove, Common, and Robert Glasper, Bilal is back with his first album of new music in eight years. The new work features 11 brand-new tracks that will take listeners on his most daring musical journey yet, marking a bold step forward in Bilal’s already innovative sound.
“Tell Me” is a standout piece from Adjust Brightness, offering a glimpse into the forward-thinking sonic journey Bilal has crafted. The mesmerizing layered vocals are both intimate and raw, creating an abstract yet captivating listening experience.
Bilal has long been revered for his genre-defying artistry, collaborating with icons like Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé, and Erykah Badu, while consistently pushing the boundaries of soul, jazz, and R&B. With Adjust Brightness, he delves even deeper into experimental territory, blending electronic elements with his signature organic sound. This new album marks a bold evolution in his career, showcasing his relentless creativity and continued influence on modern music.
Ever since the Baseball Writers Association of America started casting votes for the Kenesaw Landis AL/NL Most Valuable Player Awards in 1931, the same city has claimed the coveted titles only 12 times, with New York players taking it home over half of those occasions. In 2024, for the first time in almost 70 years, NYC could possibly gloat about having both of the best baseball players in Major League Baseball.
The Big Apple hasn’t welcomed both MVPs home since 1956 when Mickey Mantle won MVP for the AL and Dodgers’ Don Newcombe brought it back to Brooklyn. Only a year prior, Yanks HOF catcher Yogi Berra took the American League trophy. At the same time, Brooklyn’s Roy Campanella won the NL MVP in his last season before he was left paralyzed after a tragic car accident. In ’54, it was Yogi Berra again. Willie Mays (Giants), Berra and Campanella took their first MVPs twin titles in 1951, Joe DiMaggio and Dolph Camilli of the Dodgers won both MVPs a decade earlier(1941), while the Yankees legend Lou Gehrig and NY Giants’ Carl Hubbell were the first to bring both AL and NL Most Valuable Player titles back to NYC in 1936. Lindor and Judge may just have the magic to make it happen here once again.
No one can ignore the wave that the Mets have been riding, given their eight-game winning streak, which locked in their Wild Card spot and those feats would have been unattainable without superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor and his red hot appearances at the plate. The 30-year-old belted nine of his 31 HRs of this season were in those last eight outings, including two in the same game against the Padres with one of those dingers being a grand slam. As the Mets’ ironman, Lindor has not missed a game this season and only missed three games since suffering an oblique injury during his rookie season in 2021. Sure to surpass 30 stolen bags before the end of September, there’s no question why Lindor is a close second in the NL MVP rankings., this year.
Bronx Bombers’ right fielder Aaron Judge has posted unequaled stats this season while helping the Yanks lead the helm in the AL East, including the most home runs in MLB(51), only to be trailed by the number one NL MVP contender, Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani. #99 has the 3rd highest batting average in the league(.319), only behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr., who have played more games and had more plate appearances than Judge in 2024. Judge also leads the league in RBIs(126), forcing teams to deliberately attempt to keep him from making contact with the ball, which is why he also leads the league in walks.
As with anything in baseball and life, there is no such thing as a sure thing. Many critics believe that Lindor batting under .300 is a no for an MVP. However, despite the entire baseball world watching Ohtani on his road to 50/50, Lindor’s only MVP competition still hasn’t broken the .300 mark either. Even Judge, with his phenomenal hitting feats, still ties Oakland’s Brent Rooker with the most Ks in the league(156). Additionally, Judge’s bat has been going cold lately, with no HRs in his last 13 games since the Home Run Derby, which has the Yankees’ record split 13-12 in their last 25 games.
