Peacock’s limited series Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist packed a punch with a star-studded panel and closing night party at Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival.
The evening kicked off with beats from DJ Trauma ahead of the festival’s founders, Stephanie and Floyd Rance, who introduced the closing night programming starting with POWER OF LEGACY AND INFLUENCE: A CONVERSATION WITH WILL PACKER — a retrospective discussion between the series’ executive producer Will Packer and journalist Danielle Cadet, held on Roc Nation’s Lenny Santiago’s iconic gold couch.
The sold-out screening of Peacock’s Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist screened for the first time, and the audience then heard from Will Packer, showrunner, creator, and executive producer Shaye Ogbonna, and cast members Taraji P. Henson, Don Cheadle and Chloe Bailey, moderated by journalist Tiffany Cross.
After the screening, Peacock hosted the Closing Night Party of the festival at The Loft with notable guests including singer song-writer, Ledisi, actor Glynn Turman, President of MSNBC, Rashida Jones, actress Lynn Whitfield, best-selling author and television personality Elaine Welteroth, and more who celebrated with Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist cast and executive producers ahead of the premiere on Peacock on September 5th.
Continuing a prolific run, four-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated, multi-platinum Atlanta rap superstar Gunna has revealed the music video for his new single “today I did good.” Once again, he re-teamed with frequent collaborator and director Spike Jordan to capture this visual from while Gunna was on the road in places such as Rome, London, South Africa and more.
If you’ve ever wondered what a day in Gunna’s shoes would be like, the video answers that question. It quite literally assumes the rapper’s point-of-view as he wakes up in Rome before dawn, chooses his jewelry, steps out of his hotel room, and starts his day. It follows him through breakfast and blunt smoke as he makes his way to the front row of an Emilio Pucci fashion show.
Ultimately, the clip pulls audiences deeper into his world and affirms his status as one of the hardest working men in show business.
Gunna’s fifth studio album One of Wun notably marks his first full-length release since his 2023 chart topping album a Gift & a Curse. The 20-track album boasts superstar collaborations with Offset, Normani, Leon Bridges and Roddy Ricch.
Ronald “Bee-Stinger” Savage is walking back accusations against Afrika Bambaataa, who he accused of sexual abuse when he was 15 years old.
AllHipHop notes the two were pictured together at an event for the Zulu Nation, which Savage provided context to the moment. “Never underestimate the power of God when he intervenes in an affair he sets everything straight,” Savage said.
Savage stated Bambaataa sexually abused him when he was a teen. The 2016 statement was part of a series of bombshell statements against Bambaataa. Speaking with Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmurk, Savage stated he doesn’t see the legend as a pedophile.
“Bambaataa is not a pedophile and, in my eyes, he was doing something that was consensual with someone that he thought was of age,” he said. “I wish, back in 2016, I remembered about the fake ID. I wasn’t thinking about that I had forgot about that I was in deep depression and still dealing with the trauma as an adult. I want to apologize for the little kid that didn’t know anybody and just wanted to be down with this thing called Hip-Hop so I pretended to be older.
“This is something that took place 35 to over 40 years ago. This man has never been convicted of anything. Let it go. I needed to set the record straight [and get] my closure.”
You can hear the full interview below and read more here.
Last year, Afrika Bambaataa and his role as the co-founder of the Universal Hip Hop Museum sparked some controversy, with an advocacy group demanding the defunding of the recently built museum because of the Hip Hop pioneer’s sexual abuse allegations.
This week, a group called Hip Hop Stands With Survivors released a letter calling NYC Mayor Eric Adams to halt all taxpayer funding funneled into the UHHM and fire the organization’s Executive Director, Rocky Bucano. The letter also calls for all companies, such as Microsoft, to end their financial relationship with the UHHM.
The letter says, “We expect his resignation or for the board to vote him out of the museum’s leadership and for the museum to sever all ties with Bucano, Bambaataa, and the Zulu Nation.”
In 2019, the State of New York donated a $3.5million grant to the museum. It’s scheduled to open sometime in 2023 or 2024 to celebrate Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary.
The protest has been taken to the streets, with an immediate response coming from Mayor Adams.
“The Universal Hip Hop Museum assured the administration that they cut ties with the Universal Zulu Nation and that Afrika Bambaataa has not had a role at the Universal Hip Hop Museum since 2016,” Adams said in a statement.
Executive Director Bucano also released a statement, denying that Bambaataa was ever a board member of the museum and that he was never a member of the Zulu Nation.
His statement says, “The Universal Hip Hop Museum and Mr. Bucano condemn all acts of acts of violence and abuse. I would like to make it clear that Afrika Bambaataa has not had a role at the Universal Hip Hop Museum since 2016. I and the Universal Hip Hop Museum are not party to any activities affiliated with the Universal Zulu Nation I affirm that the Universal Hip Hop Museum is committed to its mission to empower, educate, and uplift communities.” It goes on saying, “While it is true that Afrika Bambaataa was a founding member of the museum, he was removed from any involvement with the museum as soon as the allegations surfaced. He has never been a board member, advisory board member or volunteer. I have never been a member of the Universal Zulu Nation nor am I an agent of the organization or Afrika Bambaataa. The assertion that UHHM is a financial front for the Universal Zulu Nation, Afrika Bambaataa, or other Universal Zulu Nation members, is irresponsible, false, and misdirected.”
Bambaataa was hit with several sexual abuse allegations going back to the 1970s but has maintained his innocence.
His attorney, Vivian K. Tozaki, issued a statement in 2016 saying, “Recently, defamatory statements were published seeking to harm my client’s reputation so as to lower him in the estimation of the community while deterring others from associating or dealing with him. The statements show a reckless disregard for the truth, were published with knowledge of their falsity, and are being made by a lesser-known person seeking publicity. Valuable cultural resources, such as Afrika Bambaataa’s good name and time, should never be used to assist a mediocre person’s asinine quest for social media popularity and superficial gain.”
Craft Recordings celebrates a pivotal year for Miles Davis with Miles ’54: The Prestige Recordings—a new, 20-track compilation, collecting genre-defining recordings from the music icon’s 1954 output, including music from classic albums Miles Davis with Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis Quintet, Miles Davis All Star Sextet, andMiles Davis Quartet (all originally issued via Prestige Records).Featuring an all-star cast of musicians, including Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Milt Jackson, Kenny Clarke, Art Blakey, and Horace Silver, Miles ’54blends originals by the influential jazz icon, with popular ballads and compositions by his legendary sidemen.
Arriving November 22, 2024, Miles ’54will be available in an array of formats, including 180-gram4-LP, 2-CD, and hi-res digital. All audio has been newly remasteredby GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer, Paul Blakemore, with lacquers cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. Physical editions offer a brand-new essay by GRAMMY®-winning music historian Ashley Kahn (author of Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece, among others) as well as in-depth session notes by GRAMMY-winning writer, Dan Morgenstern. The complete collection is available for pre-order here, while the track “Oleo” can be streamed today.
1954 was a watershed year for Miles Davis. Ten years into his celebrated career, the trumpeter, composer, and bandleader was on the precipice of international fame and more focused than ever. Throughout the year, Davis entered Rudy Van Gelder’s studio for five landmark sessions—each of which would find him honing his sound, maturing as a leader, and collaborating with the era’s brightest rising stars. The resulting recordings would catapult Davis’ career to the next level and set the tone for the mid-late ’50s post-bop scene.
The release of Miles ’54not only coincides with the 70th anniversary of these recordings but also the 75th anniversary of Prestige Records, the venerable independent jazz label founded by producer Bob Weinstock. Launched in 1949, Prestige found itself at the forefront of the genre: ushering in the cutting-edge sounds of bop, hard bop, soul jazz, and beyond, while developing the careers of such iconic artists as John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins, and, of course, Miles Davis.
On this day in Hip Hop history, stoner trio Cypress Hill released their second and most popular album, Black Sunday. Selling 261,000 copies in its first week, Black Sunday was recorded as the highest Soundscan for a rap group at the time, peaking at #1 on both the Top R&B/Hip-Hop and Billboard 200 charts.
This album’s success came in large part from the project’s first single “Insane in the Brain,” which grew to be a crossover smash hit and a timeless relic of stoner culture. Thanks to Cypress Hill’s heavy metal aesthetic, the branding of this single appealed heavily to a fan base that wasn’t reached with their debut. The single’s crossover appeal led to promotion and praise of the album by both Hip Hop and Rock ‘n’ Roll publications.
Across the board, the album has been regarded by music critics and listeners. The album received outstanding reviews from all leading music publications and was even nominated for a Grammy. Singles from the project were used in popular films such as the cult classic How High, where Cypress had a cameo appearance. Commercially, the album is a classic, selling 3.4 million copies and being certified triple platinum by the RIAA.
Over the weekend, YG and Saweetie showed that there is trouble in paradise when the couple had a vicious verbal altercation, causing the authorities to be called to their Los Angeles home.
The L.A. Sheriff’s Dept. reported that an argument between the two rappers got so loud Saturday afternoon that someone called them “out of concern”. Deputies arrived on the scene and separated YG and Saweetie just to find out that the couple got into a spat over cell phone drama.
The deputies determined that there was no physical violence, but there was obviously a very loud, boisterous argument. A noncriminal report was taken to document the incident, but no crimes were committed.
These two were originally confirmed as a dynamic duo back in April 2023 after being spotted hugged up at Coachella.
Neither YG or Saweetie have commented on the skirmish at their residence.
Grammy® Award-Nominated, chart-topping, global superstar Spice,is lighting up the Summer with the arrival of her highly anticipated third studio album, ‘Mirror 25’ which released on Friday, August 9, 2024 via Spice Official Entertainment with distribution through Empire.The chart-topping album made history within minutes after its release, debuting at #1 in Canada, #2 in the United States and United Kingdom on the All Genres Top Albums iTunes chart, and #1 at the Reggae Top Albums iTunes chart simultaneously, making Spice the first Jamaican female artist to land the highest chart entry on the all-genres chart!
‘Mirror 25,’ the 25-song project quickly dominated the charts, landing in second place behind Rapper, Kanye West’s ‘Vultures 2’ album which held the number one spot. The milestone album, Executive Produced by Spice, solidified its global dominance worldwide, charting as the #1 Apple Music Top Album in several countries such as Canada, Israel, Jamaica, Italy, UK, Cayman Islands, Antigua Bermuda, Trinidad, and Saudi Arabia among others. It is also the #1 album in Jamaica on Apple–both explicit and clean versions of the album are at #1 and #3 in the US on the iTunes Reggae Chart.
In addition, Spice’s Gospel song, ‘You are Worthy,’ the second track featured on the celebratory album, quickly soared up the charts, debuting at #1 for Gospel on the Apple Music Top Songs in Jamaica, also charting in 11 countries on Apple Music.
Even Nicki Minaj, “the Queen of Rap” co-signed Spice’s independent project, acknowledging the Platinum-Gold selling Grammy nominated artist’s ‘musical evolution.’ ‘Mirror 25’ is an iconic 25 trackalbum showcasing Spice’s legendary sound infused with a unique kaleidoscope of rhythmic tracks intertwined with a melting pot of genres; further reinforcing the powerhouse performer’s signature influence in the genre of Reggae/Dancehall and beyond; cementing her presence as one Jamaica’s most versatile and creative artists of today’s time. Across 25 tracks, ‘Mirror 25’ is a unique body of work serving as Spice’s raw, open diary of her past trials and tribulations– with each track revealing a vulnerable part of her life. The album title, ‘Mirror 25’ symbolizes reflection and self-discovery, marking a new era for Spice to artistically showcase her growing pains and lessons learned as an artist and as a woman.
“I’m so grateful for the unwavering support,” says Spice, the Queen of Dancehall in response to the worldwide success of the album. “I knew that the album was a masterpiece, but I’m excited to see the positive responses because I was very meticulous in creating ‘Mirror 25.’ I knew my fan base is very diverse, so I wanted to make sure that there was something on it for everyone. Learning that this is the first time a Female Jamaican artist has entered the USA All Genres Chart at #2 I’m grateful to open up another international door for women in Dancehall. I’m humbled and grateful for this milestone.”
Boosie Badazz was welcomed to Iowa with gunshots, after it was reported that two men were shot and killed outside of the venue where he was scheduled to perform before the show even began.
Pacific Junction, IA was the spot where Boosie was slated to headline for “The Pull Up Car Show”, featuring muscle cars, drag races, and live performances. Shots rang off in the venue’s parking lot before the show began, leaving two men in their late twenties from Omaha, NE, dead following the shooting.
The motive is unclear and no one has been named as a suspect in the killings.
Boosie responded to the aftermath on his IG with the video you can see HERE
The Baton Rouge legend tried to explain that he was waiting hours for his performance and didn’t seem to know that the shootings even occurred. Police report that an investigation is ongoing.
Scarface fans are saddened after the news of the passing of one of the film’s co-stars, Angel Salazar, reportedly passed away over the weekend in Brooklyn.
Salazar was 68 years old.
Salazar was staying at a friend’s house and when the friend went to check on Salazar in the morning to wake him up, they found his body in the bed, according to his rep and closest friend, Ann Wingsong.
Salazar is best known for his role as “Chi Chi”, the quiet, trustworthy member of Scarface’s crew in the Brian De Palma-directed film and was most recognized in the bloody hotel scene on Miami Beach, when Tony Montana yelled to his partner, “Chi Chi, get the yayo..”
Outside of his work in Scarface, Salazar was also known for working opposite Tom Hanks in the 1988 drama/comedy Punchline and Pacino again in 1993 drama, Carlito’s Way.
Condolences go out to Salazar’s fans, family and friends.
On this day in Hip Hop history, we celebrate the birth of a man who loved asses more than most without shame, Six Mix-a-Lot. Although some may only now him for his timeless crossover mega hit, “Baby Got Back,” to call the man a one hit wonder would be an ignorant oversight of the career of a successful crossover pop-rappers. His multiple Grammy nominations and platinum selling albums may be overshadowed by his affinity for big butts (which got him a double platinum #1 single and a Grammy), but they exist nonetheless, proving Sir Mix-a-Lot has earned his place in Hip Hop history.
When people think of Seattle in the late ’80s, an ever-growing and evolving Hip Hop scene is the last thing that comes to mind. The overcast, grunge capital was much more intrigued by the birth of new sound in Hip Hop to match their local climate. In these days, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Alice in Chains ruled the Pacific Northwest with the lane for rappers to gain support virtually nonexistent. This was Sir Mix-a-Lot’s world.
Without any infrastructure or support system to guide his development, Sir Mix-a-Lot was forced to build his brand from the ground up. With his partner Nasty Nes, he founded his own record label, Nastymix Records, in 1983. In 1988, Mix-a-Lot put out his first hit single “Posse on Broadway,” peaked at #70 on the Billboard Hot 100, earning Nastymix a distribution deal with Def Jam. What followed was his platinum debut LP Swass. A year later he released his second album on Nastymix, 1989’s Seminar, and finally earned himself a record deal with Def American Recordings.
After three years of studying the game under Rick Rubin, Sir Mix-a-Lot put out his masterpiece album Mack Daddy. Although it may not have been on par with the hardcore gangsta sound that was beginning to become the tone of the industry, this album still hit the scene hard and peaked at #9 on the Billboard 200. The album’s hit single “Baby Got Back” claimed the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and made appearances on charts across the world.
Following Mack Daddy and “Baby Got Back,” Mix-a-Lot’s career began to lose some steam. His fourth LP Chief Boot Knocka peaked only at #69 on the Billboard 200 chart although being nominated for a Grammy in 1994. His next two albums were met with the same decline in support.
Sir Mix-a-Lot’s career is a DIY fairy tale. Coming from an area in the country where rap music isn’t widely accepted, he rose up against the odds to become a household name. His name may never come up in the “best rapper of all time” conversation, but Sir Mix-a-Lot’s career will never be erased from Hip Hop history. From everyone here at The Source, Happy Birthday Sir Mix-a-Lot. May you see many more years of success and big butts.
