On this day in 1991, one of Hip-Hop’s brightest stars, Tupac Shakur, released his first studio album 2Pacalypse Now. Although it didn’t take the Billboard charts by storm upon its original release, it was the first of many albums that hold a place in the hearts of almost all fans of Hip-Hop across the world.
As far as content goes, this is easily Pac’s most politically influenced album. From the opening single, “Young Black Male,” the listener can tell how 2Pac felt about the circumstances facing his people in 1991. The rest of the album follows that aggressive poetic style. Although this approach to the industry wasn’t one that gave him a jump start like the radio heavy songs of his competition during that era, it did hold truth and leave a mark on those that heard it. The lack of commercial success of this album came from its lack of a true radio single. The most popular song on the album, “Brenda’s Got a Baby,” did reach a peak position of 11 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks chart in 1992, the subject matter and lack of hook made it a hard song to flood the airwaves with.
This was not an album for the radio; it was an album for the people. It still is. The nearly 20-year-old Tupac Shakur was trying to talk to his bruised and battered people in the ghettos of America. He took the opportunity of his platform to showcase his poetic ability and address a country that he felt still needed to be addressed on the subject of racism and discrimination. This activist mindset became a theme throughout his career as he became more outspoken about the oppression of Blacks in America until his untimely death in 1997. From this project came the career of a man who has been argued to be the greatest rapper of all time. And whether that is certain or not, the fact still remains that this album started a legacy and we should all take some time to pay homage to the Thug who was taken from us too soon.
With the highly anticipated boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul scheduled for November 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Gametime, the leading app for last-minute tickets, has released updated ticket prices.
Currently, the lowest-priced tickets are available for $71, including taxes and fees, a significant decrease from $91 last week and $132 a month ago. When the fight was first announced, tickets were priced at $420. For those seeking a closer view, ringside seats are available for $1,475, down from $2,094 last week and a staggering $40,000 earlier this year.
The ticket price reductions come as anticipation builds for the event, which promises to be a major spectacle. Fans still have a chance to secure tickets for what is sure to be one of the year’s most talked-about fights.
Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) today announced the three bout preliminary card of the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and Serrano vs. Taylor 2 mega-event on Friday, November 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Headlining the preliminary card will be MVP’s super middleweight powerhouse and the WBO’s #1 contender Shadasia “The Sweet Terminator” Green (14-1, 11 KOs) vs. the WBO’s #2 contender Melinda “The Whip” Watpool (7-0, 2 KO) in a 10 round women’s championship fight contested at 168 lbs for the vacant WBO super middleweight world title. Joining Green and Watpool on the preliminary card, top-ranked IBF and WBA contender Lucas “Prince” Bahdi (17-0, 15 KOs) will take on Orlando, Florida’s Corey “2Smoove” Marksman (10-0-1, 7 KOs) in a 10 round lightweight battle of two of boxing’s undefeated contenders as each puts their undefeated record on the line early in their career. Also on the preliminary card will be an 8 round featherweight fight between two standout prospects, Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington Jr. (13-0, 8 KOs) and Australian action fighter Dana “Deadly” Coolwell (13-2, 8 KOs). Paul vs. Tyson and Taylor vs. Serrano 2 will air live globally on Netflix on Friday, November 15 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT and is anticipated to be the biggest boxing event in modern history, and fans can purchase tickets now at seatgeek.com.
Making her second world title fight appearance in the headlining bout of the Paul vs. Tyson preliminary card will be MVP’s super middleweight powerhouse Shadasia “The Sweet Terminator” Green (14-1, 11 KOs). Green, the former standout college basketball star and Team USA boxing silver medalist, joined MVP in January 2023 after a trailblazing start to her professional career. Shortly after, Green defeated the former unified world champion Elin Cederroos with a vicious sixth-round TKO, marking the first and only time Cederroos was ever stopped in her career. Green’s bout against Olivia Curry in August 2023 led to a resounding unanimous decision victory as part of the Paul-Diaz undercard. Green rose to #1 ranking in the WBC, WBO, WBA, and IBF ahead of her women’s championship fight against former undisputed and now-WBC super middleweight champion Franchon-Crews Dezurn for the WBC world and WBA Interim titles. The bout resulted in a disappointing decision loss for Green, who returned to the ring in July 2024 to prove her status as a title contender, earning a unanimous decision win over Canada’s Natasha Spence. Following her win, the Patterson, NJ native Green is once again the WBO’s #1 contender at super middleweight.
Facing Green for the WBO super middleweight title will be Canada’s Melinda ‘The Whip’ Watpool (7-0, 2 KO). Ranked the WBO’s #2 super middleweight contender and WBA’s #1 middleweight contender, Watpool most recently had a decisive win over Natasha Spence to claim the WBA International Middleweight Championship in September 2024, and now will step up to face Green for the WBO super middleweight title. Watpool, the former five-time Canadian amateur champion from Pefferlaw, Ontario, has taken the professional ranks by storm since she turned professional in late 2022, racking up seven consecutive wins and now positioning herself for her WBO world title challenge against Shadasia Green.
Canadian boxer Lucas “Prince” Bahdi (17-0, 15 KOs) comes to the ring by way of Niagara Falls, Ontario. The 30-year-old top contender has gone undefeated since making his professional debut in mid-2019, winning his first 11 fights by knockout. Bahdi had unanimous decision wins against Diego Fabian Eligio and Diego Andrade Chavez in 2022 before resuming his knockout streak. In May 2023, Bahdi defeated Jesus Amparan to claim the IBF North American Lightweight title. Bahdi is a top-ranked lightweight by both the IBF and WBA and most recently, proved himself among the best title contenders in the lightweight division when he scored a knockout of the year contender win over H2O Sylve on the main card of Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry in July 2024.
Orlando, Florida’s Corey “2Smoove” Marksman (10-0-1, 7 KOs) will take the ring against Bahdi in a 10-round lightweight bout. The talented 24-year-old prospect made a name for himself in his first major PPV appearance on the Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry main card in July 2024, in a rematch against Tony Aguilar. The pair’s first meeting resulted in a well-fought split decision draw, contested during MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 5 in February 2024. In the rematch, Marksman impressed with grit, power, and endurance, taking home a majority decision win. He now enters the most difficult test yet of his young career, aiming to prove himself against one of the best lightweight contenders of the world in Bahdi.
The preliminary card will also feature a bout between two top-ranked featherweight talents, the undefeated Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington Jr. (13-0, 8 KOs) vs. Australia’s Dana Coolwell (13-2, 8 KOs). The 27-year-old standout prospect Carrington comes to the ring from Brownsville, NY, home of Mike Tyson. Carrington is a three-year pro who has emerged as the featherweight division’s fastest-rising contender, currently ranked No. 2 by the WBC and WBO. He entered the professional ranks following a storied amateur career that included a 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials gold medal. He began his 2024 campaign with February’s highlight-reel knockout of Bernard Torres, which was featured on SportsCenter’s Top 10. Four months later, he dominated Brayan De Gracia en route to an eighth-round stoppage. Carrington now comes into this high-profile fight coming off the stiffest test of his young career, his September 27 majority decision win over Sulaiman Segawa.
Dana “Deadly” Coolwell (13-2, 8 KOs) is a 25-year-old Australian Indigenous boxer, known for his resilience and remarkable journey from adversity to success. A proud Aboriginal man from the Mununjali tribe in Queensland, Coolwell overcame an early life marked by hardship, struggling with direction and purpose amidst family struggles. He discovered boxing at age 14 at Hinterland Boxing Club, where he met Steve Pitt, his coach, mentor, and father figure. Using his natural speed, athleticism, and hard work, Coolwell progressed throughout Australia’s boxing ranks under Pitt’s guidance, most recently securing the IBO Intercontinental featherweight title in a unanimous decision win over Fernando Tagpuno Jr. The talented young prospect is undefeated at featherweight and aims to become the next Indigenous Australian world champion and Australia’s next great boxing story, following names like Anothy Mundine, Daniel Geale, and Lionel Rose.
“From start to finish, Paul vs. Tyson will deliver an exciting night of boxing to fans at AT&T Stadium and across the globe on Friday, November 15, beginning with an action-packed preliminary card,” said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions. “Less than a year after her first title shot, MVP’s own Shadasia Green has fought her way back and is ready to claim the WBO world championship, but first she has to get through Melinda Watpool, who has her eyes on the prize. We are proud to continue our commitment to showcasing women’s boxing by featuring another title bout on this incredible card. Corey Marksman first caught our eye on Most Valuable Prospects, and after his standout performance on Paul vs. Perry, we’re thrilled to have him return to face Lucas Bahdi, who delivered a knockout-of-the-year contender on the same card. With the thrilling addition of Shu Shu Carrington and Dana Coolwell, a proud Aboriginal fighter from the Mununjali tribe, this card truly embodies the diversity and world-class talent that defines MVP.”
The Paul vs. Tyson main event will feature the 8-round heavyweight battle between international superstar Jake “El Gallo” Paul (10-1, 7 KOs) vs. The Baddest Man on the Planet Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs). In the co-main event, undisputed super lightweight champion Katie Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs) will put all her super lightweight belts on the line against boxing trailblazer and unified featherweight champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (47-2-1, 31 KOs) in a 10 round women’s championship fight, the most anticipated women’s boxing rematch in history. Also on the main card will be the 12-round men’s championship fight for the WBC welterweight title between reigning champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios (29-2, 18 KOs) vs. Abel Ramos (28-6-2, 22 KOs) and a 6-round super middleweight fight between India’s number one boxer and MVP’s first international signee Neeraj Goyat (18-4-2, 8 KOs) vs. Brazil’s multi-talented superstar Whindersson Nunes (2-2-1, 1 KO combined boxing record).
Tommy Richman has officially announced a 27-stop tour across North America and Europe in support of his debut album, COYOTE, released on September 27th via ISO Supremacy / PULSE Records. The 2025COYOTE Tourwill kick off early next year on February 19th in Seattle with stops in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., New York, and Paris, before coming to an end on May 5th in London.
This announcement follows news of Tommy’s upcoming performance at this year’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival and his recent stunning live performance of “TEMPTATIONS” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Local pre-sale will start Wednesday, November 14th at 10am local with general on-sale starting on Friday, November 15th at 10am local.
COYOTEcomes as Tommy Richman’s debut album following the record-breaking star being signed to fellow DMV-native Brent Faiyaz’s label, ISO Supremacy/PULSE Records. The LP contains songs that began years ago when Tommy was broke and lonely but confident in his art. In early 2024, he finalized these sketches and ideas in the desert. The rugged terrain and big skies inspired Tommy, who sees COYOTE as a thematic follow-up to his 2022 E.P., ALLIGATOR, and the second installment of his ANIMAL Trilogy. COYOTE is about artistry and range.
In an exclusive interview with Joe Rogan on The Joe Rogan Experience, tycoon and lifestyle figure Elon Musk slammed singer/actress Jennifer Lopez for not “warning” people in the industry about her former beau, Diddy.
Musk started with Lopez’s comments about President-elect Donald Trump and his statements about the island of Puerto Rico to which the Tesla founder responded with her personal relationship with the troubled music mogul from 1998 to 2001.
Musk said, “J.Lo was like his ex-girlfriend, and now all of a sudden, she’s warning people about Trump. How many people did she warn about Diddy? Oh, zero. Maybe we shouldn’t trust her opinion.” He went on to say, “People in the music entertainment industry had to know that Diddy was, like, abusing, you know, kids basically, and yet they still fed him kids. Where’s the accountability?”
Lopez has yet to comment on the federal sex trafficking case that Diddy currently faces nor has she made an public statements about the Cassie assault video, which led to the impending chargers.
Mush also referenced Diddy after Eminem’s support of Kamala Harris at a rally in Detroit, saying on X, “Yet another Diddy party participant.”
ABC News along with other news outlets have reported that a deadly shooting took place at Tuskegee University this past weekend during its 100th homecoming celebration, leaving one person dead and several others injured.
The university released an official statement to the press after the shooting stating, “The university is in the process of completing student accountability and notifying parents. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.”
As of today (November 11), an arrest in the shooting has been made. Jaquez Myrick, 25, of Montgomery, has been arrested and charged federally with possession of a machine gun. Authorities say Myrick was found in possession of a handgun with a machine gun conversion device.
He is not charged for firing or using the gun in the shooting.
Law enforcement found Myrick leaving the scene of the shooting, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. confirmed Sunday afternoon. Myrick is being held at the Montgomery County Detention Facility until he is picked up by a federal agency, a sheriff’s office spokesperson said.
Macon County Sheriff André Brunson said he believes there are multiple suspects in the shooting.
“If you‘ve seen some of the videos, there was shooting all over the place. So, I think there will be multiple suspects,” he said. “We’re going to deal with it and try to get every last one of them.”
Officials say an 18-year-old was confirmed dead at the scene. Macon County authorities have identified him as Latavion Johnson. He was a graduate of Charles Henderson High School in Troy, but he was not a student of Tuskegee.
Back in May of this year, NYC drill rapper Isaiah Dukes aka Lil Zay Osama entered a guilty plea in his federal gun case. Earlier this week, a press release issued by the United States Attorney’s Office in New York’s Eastern District stated that Osama was sentenced to a mere 14 months in prison and a $10,000 fine, which is a slap on the wrist for aa federa lgun charge.
“Today’s sentence serves as a warning that those who possess illegal guns, particularly with switches that convert those guns into machine guns, will be held accountable for their actions and for the danger they pose to our community,” United States Attorney Breon Peace stated in the press release about Osama’s sentence.
According to police reports, the 27-year-old rapper left a loaded Glock 22.40 caliber pistol with a “switch” (allows the gun to fire more than one bullet with one trigger pull) in an Uber in Queens. The driver saw Dukes holding his weapon and noticed it was still in the vehicle when he got out and reported the weapon to law enforcement.
Kodak Black has been in the news recently about his behavior on Kai Cenat’s “Mafiathon” livestream last week, but now, allegations are coming from a lot closer to home for Yak. Following the pill-popping debacle on Cenat’s show, the child of Black’s two-year-old daughter took to social media to speak about Yak’s family life, including the troubled relationship with his infant daughter.
Daijanae Ward, the mother of Black’s 2-year-old daughter Isabella who they call “Izzy”, took to social media to speak about the family dynamics between herself, Kodak and the daughter they share. After joking about her behavior, asking “where [she came] from”, Ward answered a question in her IG Live as to whether or not Yak feels the same about their daughter.
“He wouldn’t know ‘cause he don’t be around her,” Daijanae Ward said about Kodak’s relationship with Izzy. “He don’t know how the f**k my baby act, he don’t even know her.” Also, she insinuated that Isabella Kapri is afraid of the “Versatile” MC due to her actually seeing him being allegedly physically violent. “If he kept his hands to himself, she wouldn’t be so scared of him,” Ward added.
Ward claimed they started dating in 2017, whereas their daughter was born in 2022. In the Live, Ward also suggested that a paternity dispute had arisen, but insisted that the courts were arranging a DNA test.
Popping sensation MT Pop became the first Vietnamese dancer to claim the Red Bull Dance Your Style title after delivering a high-energy performance against French dancer Rubix in the 2024 World Final in Mumbai, India on Saturday.
Following 145 events in 48 countries, the world’s top 16 dancers travelled to Mumbai for a chance to compete for the prestigious title. The first step saw the eight pre-final winners and eight wildcards compete in the pre-final at Famous Studios on Wednesday, November 6 and Thursday, November 7. Eight dancers then progressed to Saturday’s World Final which was hosted by South African star Candice Modiselle and iconic Indian dancer Melvin Louis. Held at NSCI Mumbai, more than 5,500 spectators created an incredible atmosphere for the competitors.
The dancers competed to unpredictable hits from funk, pop, rock, hip hop, disco and more and – with no panel of judges, no planned choreography and no pre-chosen music – the competitors needed to flex their skills, musicality and stamina to win the crowd’s votes to progress. In the final, it was popping star MT Pop who clinched victory with a dynamic display in an electrifying showdown against French hip-hop dancer Rubix.
MT Pop said, “There are a lot of emotions right now, I am super happy and excited. We are here for the love, for the culture and for the dance. We don’t speak the same language but here tonight we shared a language and a message with dance. For me it was really an honour dancing with all the competitors, it was a special moment in my life.”
MT Pop now joins an elite group as just the fourth dancer to win the coveted global title. The inaugural World Final took place in Paris, France in 2019 where Dutch dancer Shinshan was crowned the first-ever champion. In 2022, Japan’s The D Soraki dazzled the audience at the World Final in Johannesburg, South Africa, while last year Waackxxxy from South Korea became the first female World Champion.
The next Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final will light up Los Angeles, USA, on October 11, 2025.
On this day in 1997, the Norfolk, Virginia-based duo of producing legend Timbaland and rapper Magoo released their first studio album Welcome To Our World. For a debut album, this LP was widely successful, going platinum during the first year of its release. Welcome To Our World also led to the relationship that Timbaland built with DeVante Swing, which jumpstarted his career to superstardom.
This album is a classic among all-rap duos in Hip Hop history. Down in the Seven Cities/Hampton Roads area, Timbaland was already well known as a producer working with artists like Missy Elliot and Ginuwine who are also from Virginia and, at the time, rising star Aaliyah. The release of this particular album only fueled the fire of their local success to set them off toward greater things.
Welcome to Our World was very popular on the HBCU circuit and gave Timbaland and Magoo opportunities to perform at homecomings and other parties on campuses in the Southeast. The promotional success of this album even got it a peaking spot of 33rd on the Billboard 200 in 1997. The album also gave way to three hit singles: “Up Jump da Boogie”, which peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart, “Clock Strikes” featuring VA ghostwriter Madd Skillz, and “Luv 2 Luv Ya”. After this project, Timbaland and Magoo dropped two more successful studio LPs.
On this date in 1989, Bed Stuy emcee Pete Nice joined forces with Far Rock mic ripper MC Serch and DJ RIchie Rich for the release of 3rd Bass’ debut LP The Cactus Album on the Def Jam/Columbia imprint. Produced primarily by Sam Sever alongside Pete and Serch, Prince Paul and the Bomb Squad, The Cactus Album contained more songs than any other album that dropped that same year and its kaleidoscopic production made it one of the most recognized LPs of the year. Not bad for a couple of white boys in Hip Hop’s “Golden Era”.
Standout tracks on that album include the lead single “Steppin’ to the A.M.”, “Brooklyn Queens” and “The Gas Face”, which was produced by Prince Paul and featured the late MF DOOM who was then known as Zev Love X of the group KMD(Kausin Much Damage). The album featured several skits which added to the album’s allure because outside of De La Soul’s 3 Ft. High and Rising, there weren’t any concept albums in Hip Hop during that time period.
Salute to Sam Sever, Prince Paul, The Bomb Squad, Pete, Serch and Rich for this important piece of Hip Hop history! What makes it even more exclusive is this year in New Jersey at the Prudential Center in Newark, Pete and Serch reunited for the first time in over two decades to launch a 25-city 3rd Bass tour.
