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Chester Bennington’s Son Bashes Mike Shinoda Over Linkin Park Reunion

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Linkin Park is one of the most beloved rock/rap groups of all time. They blended the two genres pretty seamlessly, and landed an iconic collab album with JAY-Z. The death of frontman Chester Bennington in 2017 put an end to the group as we know it. Recently, however, co-founder Mike Shinoda has decided to relaunch Linkin Park with a brand new lead singer: Emily Armstrong. The decision has not gone over well with fans. Or Chester Bennington’s son, Jamie, for that matter.

Jamie Bennington took to Instagram on September 9 to make it clear that he didn’t co-sign the new version of Linkin Park. There was a multitude of reasons. For one, he does not condone Armstrong’s Scientology beliefs, or her support of convicted rapist Danny Masterson. For another, he feels that Mike Shinoda is cheapening the legacy that he built alongside Chester Bennington. He pointed to Shinoda’s lack of vetting with regards to Armstrong’s character. “You refuse to acknowledge the impact of hiring someone like Emily,” Bennington wrote. “Without so much as a clarifying statement on the variety of victims that make up your core fan base.”

Read More: Mike Shinoda Net Worth 2023: What Is The Linkin Park Legend Worth?

Jamie Bennington Lamented Linkin Park’s Legacy

Jamie Bennington also feels that Linkin Park’s credibility will be damaged by Shinoda’s decision to revive the band. His criticisms got more stinging as the post went on. He accused Shinoda of erasing his dad’s legacy “in real time,” and and betraying day one Linkin Park fans in the process. Bennington also claimed hypocrisy on the part of the band’s co-founder. He believed Mike Shinoda was not taking the care with the fans that his father did. “You promised us that was your intention,” Bennington asserted. “Now you’re just senile and tone deaf.”

Shinoda has said his peace on the decision to continue Linkin Park without Chester Bennington. He told Billboard that it was a difficult decision, but one he ultimately stood by. “It’ll be a question of, ‘How does it land with people?,’” he noted. “And I don’t know how it will. But I know that, when I hear it, I love it.” It’s been a bumpy start so far. It’ll be interesting to see whether Linkin Park can weather controversy of if this will be prove to be an unsuccessful experiment.

Read More: Linkin Park Pays Homage To Chester Bennington On Anniversary Of His Death

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Tyler, The Creator Calls Out Kanye West For Using Backing Tracks In Concert

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Tyler, The Creator and Kanye West admire each other’s music. They’ve collaborated multiple times over the last decade. The former has cited West as a major musical influence on several occasions. Tyler will speak his mind when something annoys him, though. Kanye West posted footage of him performing the track “On Sight” during his recent concert in Korea, and Tyler, The Creator took to the comment section with some feedback. He wasn’t mean about it, but he did make it clear to West and the fans that he was annoyed with what he saw.

First, the footage. Kanye West is clearly letting the backing tracks do most of the work during the show. “On Sight” is a high energy song, but the rapper seems pretty laid back and content to just vibe out while the crowd sings along. Tyler, The Creator wasn’t thrilled. He left a comment on West’s page calling him out for being lazy on stage. “N**ga u was right there,” Tyler wrote. “Just say the words!!!!” He tried to take some of the sting out of his critique by throwing a few heart eye emojis, but his point stood.

Read More: Star Boy Refuses To Clear Samples For Destroy Lonely And Kanye West Collabs

Tyler The Creator Has Worked With Ye For Over A Decade

Tyler, The Creator may have songs with Kanye West, but he’s been accused of dissing the rapper in the past. A fan theory developed around the 2023 song “Stuntman,” in which many fans assumed Tyler was taking aim at the “Carnival” hitmaker. He was not. Tyler, The Creator clarified this misconception during an interview with Rap Radar. “[People] have terrible comprehension skills,” he told the podcast hosts. “I would never diss—like, no, I love that n**ga. And that is not about him. It’s actually about the rest of the world.”

Kanye West has reciprocated the positive energy. He praised Tyler, The Creator’s fashion sense as far back as 2013. “[He’s an] artist, innovator, and a good mentor,” West told 97.1 AMP Radio. “Because he’s so talented and understands things.” It goes without saying that Kanye West and Tyler, The Creator are very different people than they were in 2013 (especially West), but mutual admiration still seems strong. Hopefully West starts rapping live again, and the two of them can continue to work together.

Read More: Pusha T Explains How Kanye West Took “Follow God” Away From Clipse

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Future Drops New Snippet And Official Album Trailer For “Mixtape Pluto”

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Future has done a great job of building up anticipation without dropping a single song. Instead of going the traditional single route, the rapper has decided to base his rollout on snippets. He’s dropped three in the last week. One of which, includes a guest verse from longtime collaborator Travis Scott. All three of the snippets make good on the promise of the Mixtape Pluto title, however. Future is really bringing it all back to his legendary mid-2010s run. Now, we have a trailer to hold us over for a little while longer.

Future dropped the trailer on September 9. The 30-second video sees the rapper holed up in an L.A. hotel room. He looks pensive while overlapping voices and police sirens can be heard in the distance. Mixtape Pluto then takes over, and Future treats us to a snippet of a previously unheard (and untitled) song. Yes, it sounds great. The rapper poses alongside a group of women and a car, while bass-rattling beat for the song kicks in. Future definitely isn’t pulling a fast one, here. He’s expanded his sound a little bit with his Metro Boomin collabs, but Mixtape Pluto is for the day one fans.

Read More: Future Drops “Lil Demon” Snippet Ahead Of New Album “Mixtape Pluto”

Future’s Album Is Allegedly Dropping This Month

Frustratingly, the trailer doesn’t provide an official release date for the single or the album. The rumor is that Mixtape Pluto will drop September 13, which would mean within a week of the trailer’s release. Some sources claimed to have seen at least ten tracks on the album, and that producers Southside and London on the Track handle the intro. The same outlets that present this, however, have also noted that these are unverified claims. Future is friendly with Playboi Carti, who is also rumored to drop in September. Carti is famous for his unpredictability, though, especially when it comes to release dates.

There’s also The Weeknd. The Canadian superstar is prepping the release of his upcoming album, Hurry Up Tomorrow. He’s even dropped a few album trailers of his own. Future, Playboi Carti and The Weeknd are all signed to UMG, so it would benefit the company if their respective releases were staggered. That may be part of the reason Future has yet to announce a proper release date. We’ll see if the September 13 rumors prove to be true this Friday.

Read More: Future & Metro Boomin Bring Out Travis Scott In Brooklyn: Watch

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Young Thug Tweets Out Support For Tyreek Hill After Police Detainment

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Young Thug has his hands full. The rapper is currently facing RICO charges, and if convicted, he will go away for an estimated 120 years. That said, Thug took time out of his tight schedule to give a shout out to Tyreek Hill. The NFL superstar got into trouble with the law on September 8, following a traffic stop. Hill was released after receiving a citation, but the media fallout from the athlete’s interaction with the police has been sizable. Young Thug noticed, and showed love to his celebrity peer once he was in the clear.

Young Thug’s tweet got right to the point. “The Cheetah’s free,” he wrote, referencing Tyreek Hill’s nickname. The association may seem tenuous, but Hill has actually voiced support for Young Thug’s cause in the past. Following the Dolphins’ first game of the season, Hill participated in an on the field interview with CBS. The superstar athlete avoided questions regarding the arrest. Instead, he sang the praises of those in his life, and gave a special tip of the cap to Young Thug. Hill wiped his nose and said “SLATT” directly into the camera before resuming his celebration. “SLATT” is a phrase commonly used by Young Thug and the rest of the YSL group.

Read More: Lil Woody Flaunts Social Media Success Amid Young Thug Trial Antics

Young Thug Got A Shout Out From Hill In Return

Tyreek Hill’s traffic stop occurred on Sunday afternoon. The Miami Dolphins wide receiver was detained by police outside of the Hard Rock Stadium right before the game started. ESPN reported that Hill was driving erratically without a seatbelt on. He also had fellow Dolphins teammate, Calais Campbell, riding shotgun. The body cam footage shows that the interaction between Hill and the police escalated when the former opened up his car door. The police then dragged him from the vehicle and pushed him to the ground. Tyreek Hill can be heard telling his agent (who was on the phone) that he was getting arrested.

The union representing the Miami-Dade Police Department issued a statement following Tyreek Hill’s detainment. The statement clarified that Hill was never placed under arrest. It also characterized the NFL star as “uncooperative” with the officers who were on the scene. “Hill was not immediately cooperative with the officers,” the rep claimed. “[He] refused to sit on the ground and was therefore redirected to the ground.” Young Thug’s legal issues persist, but at least Hill’s appear to be behind him.

Read More: Rich Homie Quan Spoke On Young Thug Reconciliation Days Before Reported Death

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Lil Wayne Voices Desire To Play Super Bowl Halftime Show In Resurfaced Clip

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Kendrick Lamar just made another Young Money enemy. The rapper already took out Drake with his historic run of diss tracks. Now, he’s snatched the Super Bowl Halftime Show out from under the New Orleans hometown hero, Lil Wayne. To be clear, Lamar was given the spot, and given his recent run of hits, the booking makes total sense. It’s more the fact that New Orleans fans feel like Wayne should’ve been prioritized given his background. Lil Wayne has stated, point blank, that he wants to lead a Super Bowl Halftime Show in his city.

The statement was made back in February. Lil Wayne went YG’s 4HUNNID podcast to discuss his legacy and his relationship to New Orleans. Naturally, the topic of the Super Bowl came up, given that it will take place in the Big Easy come 2025. Weezy told the host that he hadn’t been contacted about playing at the Halftime Show, but he remained hopeful that he would. “We all praying, we keeping our fingers crossed,” he explained. “I’m working hard.” Lil Wayne said that the desire to headline the Super Bowl was actually motivating him during the recording sessions for his upcoming album.

Read More: Master P Wants Kendrick Lamar To Bring Out Lil Wayne For Super Bowl Halftime Show

Lil Wayne Was ‘Praying’ For The Halftime Show Call

“I’m going to make sure this next album and everything I do is killer,” the rapper asserted. His reasoning? If the next album is undeniable, than Roc Nation and the NFL would have no choice but to book him. “I’m going make it very hard for them to [pass me up],” Lil Wayne stated. “I want to just make it hard for them not to highlight the boy.” Unfortunately, Weezy is still working on Tha Carter VI, with no release date set. JAY-Z and the Roc Nation team opted for Kendrick Lamar instead. Lil Wayne hasn’t commended on the perceived snub. His Young Money family, however, has been plenty loud.

Nicki Minaj blasted JAY-Z on Twitter. She didn’t mention names, but the allusions to Colin Kaepernick made it very clear who she was talking about. “One n**ga took a knee,” she wrote. “The other n**ga took the bag.” Birdman, meanwhile, tagged Minaj and Drake in what practically read like a declaration of war against Roc Nation. “These n**gaz P**si @NICKIMINAJ @Drake @LilTunechi YMCMB,” he tweeted out. “I’m make these n**gaz respek us on Gladys.”

Read More: Lil Wayne Fans & Collaborators Express Outrage Over Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl Halftime Show

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Big Boy Thinks “Something Was Done” To Keep Lil Wayne From Halftime Show

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Kendrick Lamar has really been at the center of rap controversy in 2024. He was the consensus winner of the Drake battle, and now he’s set to perform at the Superbowl Halftime Show in 2025. It makes a lot of sense, frankly. Lamar is bigger than ever, having just scored the most significant single of his career. That hasn’t stop the rest of the rap community from criticizing his selection, though. Many have come out and stated that Lil Wayne should have been picked, given that his hometown of New Orleans is the location of the next Super Bowl. Big Boy is one of them.

The legendary radio host sat down with TMZ to discuss the controversial snubbing. Big Boy did not mince words when it came to his thoughts on the matter. He felt Lil Wayne should have been chosen to represent New Orleans. Furthermore, he thinks there’s some fishy things going on behind the scenes. He didn’t mention anybody by name, but JAY-Z and Roc Nation were ultimately the ones who made the final decision. “Something was done there,” Big Boy asserted. “I feel like there’s some people, getting back to the Super Bowl, saying, ‘There’s something there. There’s a reason why.’ And I don’t think people are so far off.”

Read More: Lil Wayne Performing At Super Bowl LIX Would Be A “Big Mistake,” Art Director Argues

Big Boy Wanted To See Young Money Reunite

The radio host also told TMZ that dismissed the notion that Lil Wayne is not relevant enough to play the Halftime Show. He pointed to Wayne’s legacy, his catalog, and the fact that he still appears on popular songs today. Furthermore, Wayne would have been able to call upon Young Money proteges like Drake and Nicki Minaj to make special appearances. “You don’t have to dig Wayne up,” Big Boy stated. “You don’t have to say, ‘Hey, remember Lil Wayne? Like, we need to get someone from New Orleans.’” The radio legend proceeded to dub Weezy the definitive New Orleans artist. “He’s that guy,” Big Boy said. “Young Money was that group.”

Big Boy’s sentiments have been shared by other big names like Master P and Cam’ron. The decision to go with Lamar, however, has fueled speculation that JAY-Z is less friendly with the Young Money camp than the public initially thought. By choosing Lamar, JAY-Z has slighted both Lil Wayne and Drake, who will undoubtedly be a focus of Lamar’s Super Bowl performance. It may have been inadvertent, but the fans have seen JAY-Z wield his power to throw digs at other artists. It’s not proven, but it’s definitely not out of the realm of possibility.

Read More: Birdman Breaks His Silence On Lil Wayne’s Super Bowl Snub

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