DNC Producer Sets The Record Straight On Beyonce’s Rumored Appearance

The Democratic National Convention was a star-studded event. Lil Jon showed up to perform. Kenan Thompson did a comedic bit onstage. There was even sightings of Oscar-winning director Spike Lee in the crowd. The one celebrity everybody wanted to see, though, was Beyonce. The internet reached a fever pitch during the multi-day event, determining that Queen Bey would give a surprise performance and endorse Presidential nominee Kamala Harris. This, of course, didn’t happen. Beyonce did not show up, and fans were disappointed. The producers for the event, however, are not accepting the blame.

Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss, the executive producer and director of the DNC, broke their silence on the Beyonce rumors August 27. They made it very clear from the onset that Beyonce was never involved with the event. Furthermore, Kirschner told The Hollywood Reporter that he denied the rumors at every opportunity, so that fans wouldn’t be upset. “We never put out anything about Beyonce,” he asserted. “We denied it every time the media asked us. Even though people on my staff didn’t believe me. I kept getting texts from news organizations…”

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Beyonce’s Mother Has Publicly Endorsed Kamala Harris

The executive producer never intended to recruit Beyonce, because he felt her presence would have overshadowed the star of the DNC: Kamala Harris. “We have the biggest star, the Democratic nominee for president,” Kirshner noted. “Why would we overshadow that?” To be fair to the fans, Kamala Harris has aligned herself with Beyonce multiple times. The politician praised Beyonce’s latest album, Cowboy Carter, on social media. She walked out to the Beyonce song “Freedom” when it was first announced she would be running for President. And, Queen Bey’s mother, Tina Knowles, has openly endorsed Harris.

Glenn Weiss, the aforementioned director of the DNC, laid the rumor completely at the feet of people online. “This is the Internet taking on a life of its own and people taking something as fact,” he stated. “Literally to the point that people in my booth are saying: ‘Is she coming? You can tell me.’” Weiss also pointed out that TMZ picked up the rumor, and later had to issue an apology. “It was pretty crazy,” he concluded. “But she wasn’t coming.”

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Rakim Claps Back At Festival Crowd For Throwing Bottles Onstage: Watch

Rakim and Insane Clown Posse are not two acts you’d typically link together. And yet, the former did a show at ICP’s annual Gathering of the Juggalos festival. Rakim had a set of new and old songs in store for the crowd, but things went awry when bottles started being hurled at his head. The rapper made it very clear that he didn’t appreciate the disrespect. He proceeded to stop the show and lay into the ICP audience for putting his safety at risk. Evidently, Rakim is not someone you want to tick off.

“Chill with the motherf**king bottles, man,” Rakim told the audience. He tried to recover the momentum he’d lost after the bottle incident, but it proved fruitless. “For everybody that came to have a good time, make some noise,” he added, to no avail. It was here that the God MC decided to get stern. He laid out his frustration with the incident and made it very clear he wasn’t going to tolerate it again. “‘Cause, you know, I’m not tryna get hit with no f**king bottle, man,” he stated. “I love y’all, but I don’t wanna walk off stage while we having a good time, you know what I mean?”

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Rakim Threatened To Leave The Juggalos Stage

The set was likely not what Rakim had in mind when he first announces his comeback. The rapper put out his first new album since 2009 in July, and spoke endlessly about his desire to prove he still had a musical spark. “The expectations that I not only give myself, but what the people give me,” he explained to Billboard. “I use that as fuel. I’d rather people expect me to succeed than to expect me to fail. I gotta keep doing it at a higher rate because that’s what they expect from me.”

Rakim also talked about the rush he gets from performing in front of a crowd. He told the New York Post that he never thought he’d get the chance to rap into his mid-50s, much less sell out venues. “In one of my rhymes, I said, ‘I’ma move crowds to 2,000 and somethin,” the emcee recalled. “But I had no idea I’d still be here rhyming at 50-something. For me, it ain’t something I could just fall out of love with. It’s who I am.” Hopefully the next show goes better.

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Juicy J Claims He Makes Money From 90% Of New Songs Due To Samples

Juicy J has been making music since 1987. He is a legend in the game, and his work with Three 6 Mafia continues to have an impact on the current wave of artists. There’s no ASAP Mob without Three 6, nor is there dozens of Southern acts who grew up listening to them. Juicy J reflected on his impressive legacy during a Spring Hill interview with Wiz Khalifa. If the rapper is to be taken at his word, his impact on music is even more substantial than we realized. Juicy J claimed that he makes money off a whopping 90% of new rap songs.

The whole thing came about from a simple question. Wiz Khalifa asked Juicy if he keeps tabs on the new wave of artists. The latter confirmed that he did, but not for the reasons one would expect. Juicy J knows who’s popping and who’s not because he gets tons of sample clearance requests on a daily basis. “I feel like the new trends is the old trends,” he explained. “Everybody’s sampling Three 6 Mafia, so I’m already in.” Juicy J went on to estimate that he gets 5-6 sample clearance requests a day from younger artists.

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Juicy J Claims To Clear 5-6 Sample Requests A Day

“On some real sh*t,” he told Wiz Khalifa. “5 to 6 samples a day. I get paid off of pretty much every song. Like 90% of the songs that’s out right now.” Juicy J made it clear that he wants younger artists to sample his music and build on his style. “It’s a blessing,” he asserted. “I love when people sample… I just keep doing what I’ve been doing.” This isn’t the first time Juicy J had shown love to artists who continue to pay homage to Three 6 Mafia. The rapper hopped on Twitter in 2023 to express how grateful he was to still be considered a relevant musical force.

“Peace & love to Three6Mafia,” he wrote. “Great to witness our Music still going strong like it never left. People across the world sampling & remaking the songs we are grateful thank you All.” Juicy J is dead on when he noted that his style still sounds fresh today. The rapper just dropped a new solo album, Ravelite Social Club, and it’s one of his best to date. Juicy pushes his sound into a smoother, jazzy area, and it led to some absolute standout moments.

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Drake Teases Unreleased Kendrick Lamar Collab In New “100 Gigs” Clip

Drake is continuing to play the long game. The rapper has been steadily dishing out content on his 100 Gigs website. More recently, the content seems to be focused on people he currently has beef with. He posted a 2013 clip in which he praised Kanye West. Then, days later, he followed the controversial artist on Instagram. Drake did it again on August 27. The rapper decided to upload a clip in which him and his longtime producer discuss a Kendrick Lamar collaboration. A collaboration none of us knew about.

The bulk of the clip sees producer Noah “40” Shebib tinker with a beat. Drake then enters the frame and proceeds to explain how Kendrick Lamar will sound great on it. “For him, where he’s at,” Drake explained. “I know he’s gonna murder this.” 40’s response suggests that he made the beat specifically for a Drake and Kendrick Lamar collab. “When you told me Kendrick,” he noted. “It just made so much sense.” The beat in question was co-produced by Dreamville artist Omen. We know this because the beat was later used by Action Bronson on the 2013 song “Actin’ Crazy.”

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Drake Was Excited To Rap With K. Dot In Old Footage

The release date of the Bronsolino song helps provide a time frame for when the Drake and Dot collab was supposed to happen. The two rappers linked up for “Poetic Justice” in 2012 and “F*ckin Problems” in 2013. Issues arose later in the year, when Lamar dropped the “Control” verse and Drake threw a few subs his way on the song “The Language.” Drake’s physical appearance in the 100 Gigs clip aligns with this timeframe. It’s unclear whether Lamar ever spit a verse on the “Actin’ Crazy” beat, or if Drake even put down bars.

What is clear, though, is the chess move. Drake is very purposely putting material about Kendrick Lamar on his website. The rapper seemingly wants the battle to keep going, and is resorting to tactics that are less direct than a diss song. An internet theory is that Drake will eventually release evidence that he fed Lamar’s team the false information that was used on “Meet the Grahams.” There’s noting to support this, but we are entering new territory in terms of Lamar-related content. The next few weeks should be interesting, to say the least.

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DJ Scheme Teases Two New Posthumous Juice WRLD Albums

Juice WRLD has been gone since 2019, but his music continues to dazzle listeners. He was a wildly prolific artist, which is why there have been more posthumous releases that official releases during his lifetime. Juice WRLD had a lot of music he wanted to get out. It sounds like fans will get a chance to hear more of it soon. DJ Scheme, Juice’s longtime collaborator, dropped a bombshell announcement on Twitter on August 27. He made it known that two posthumous Juice WRLD albums are in the works.

DJ Scheme told fans that he’d recently been in touch with Lil Bibby. The latter is the founder of the A Grade label that Juice WRLD was part of during his lifetime. Scheme claimed that Lil Bibby gave him an update with regards to new Juice WRLD, and that two different projects would be hitting shelves soon. The first would be an album comprised of entirely new material. The second would be a greatest “leaks” to commemorate some of the unreleased tracks that fans have heard over the years. “I know I said this before,” DJ Scheme wrote. “Bibby told me there an album and then another project full of his ‘greatest leaks.’ Jus tryna keep y’all updated.”

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Juice WRLD’s Estate Will Release Fan Favorite Leaks

Juice WRLD’s posthumous released have been well received by fans and critics. It seems like there is lots of care taken with the mastering process. Plus, the rapper left behind so much music that his estate haven’t had to resort to recycling verses. He even got a posthumous feature on an Eminem album. There has been some hiccups along the way, though. At the top of the month, producer Joshua Jaramillo sued the Juice WRLD estate over songwriting royalties. He claimed that he co-wrote the song “Girl of My Dreams” and was subsequently given the runaround when it came to residual pay.

There have been some accusations of exploitation on the part of the rapper’s estate. Especially with lead singles being released under the ghoulish title of “Already Dead.” That said, the estate claimed that Juice WRLD wanted his music to be heard and shared with the world. “There was nothing more [he] enjoyed more than delivering new music to his millions of fans around the world,” the statement read. “He left behind an astonishingly deep catalog of music that will ensure his fans will have new songs to listen to for years to come.”

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Octavian Previews Unreleased Drake Collab During Concert: Watch

Octavian and Drake have admired each other’s craft for years. The latter rapped along to Octavian’s “Party Here” single at a Golden Globes party as far back as 2018. Octavian returned the love by sampling Drake’s “Chicago Freestyle” on a song in May. The 6 God took note, and reposted the song on his Insta. The real one, too, not the plot twist account that’s taken the internet by storm. Drake has been keeping his fans well fed in recent weeks, but Octavian has decided to flood the streets with even more Drizzy music. He previewed an unreleased collab during a show on August 27.

First off, the concert looks wild. The footage is not the best quality, but Octavian is clearly given the fans what they came for. That said, the most exciting part is the music. Octavian dances around the stage and raps along to his verse. Then, we get to hear Drake spit. The snippet only last thirty seconds, but it’s long enough to realize that Octavian and Drake have a banger in the stash. The crowd is definitely into. It also sounds like Drizzy is doing his UK accent on the untitled song. Given that Octavian is a leading voice in the current drill scene, the decision makes sense.

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Octavian And Drake Have Been Rocking Since 2018

Drake’s passion for UK rap is undeniable. It’s arguably been the least successful in terms of scoring crossover hits, but the rapper has continued to adopt the sounds and style of drill. He dropped two drill songs on 2017’s More Life, and two more on 2020’s Dark Lane Demo Tapes. This has led to widespread criticism from UK artists who feel Drake is playing the culture vulture card. He addressed these critiques during a 2019 interview with BBC.

In Drake’s eyes, he’s helping shine a light on a sound that he loves. “That’s some real confused hater shit,” the rapper told the outlet. “I see it a lot. I’ll never understand how supporting someone’s song or going a step further and giving someone a song, linking up. I’ll never understand how that’s not viewed as something admirable.” Octavian is one of the UK rappers who agree with Drake. He gave the rapper flowers for the co-sign, but clarifies that he wants to use the co-sign to build his own brand. “It proves that it’s all possible,” he told Pitchfork. Fingers crossed we get to hear the full collab soon.

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Jaden Smith’s Ex-Girlfriend Links Up With Diablo After Cheating Scandal

Jaden Smith made headlines for all the wrong reasons on August 14. The rapper and Will Smith progeny was caught kissing influencer and model Khleopatre. The issue is, he was dating social media influencer Sab Zada at the time. To make matters even worse, Sab Zada was with Smith on the same Ibiza trip in which he was seen cheating. The internet’s judgement was swift, and the relationship between Jaden Smith and Zada remains unclear. It does, however, appear as though Zada is getting back at Smith.

On August 27, Sab Zada posed for photos with rapper Diablo. The two flashed a middle finger to the camera and subsequently posted it to Diablo’s Instagram Story. No caption or additional context, but it doesn’t take a detective to figure out who the fingers were intended for. Jaden Smith’s actions seemed to have a pretty major impact on Sab Zada, and understandably so. The social media influence took to Twitter after cheating rumors surfaced, and voiced her disappointment. “Maybe it’s funny for a moment but after a while, it’s just a reminder of heartache for everyone,” she wrote.

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Jaden Smith And Sab Zada Have Dated Since 2020

Jaden Smith and Sab Zada’s relationship dates back several years. The two celebrities were first spotted together in 2020, even though they officially confirmed their romance in February 2024. Zada even went with Jaden Smith to the premiere of his father’s film, Bad Boys: Ride or Die. Jaden Smith’s dating history has been widely speculated since he entered the public eye. He famously turned heads in 2018 when he claimed that he was in a relationship with fellow rapper Tyler, The Creator. “Tyler doesn’t want to say but Tyler’s my motherf*cking boyfriend,” he told a concert audience. “And he’s been my my motherf*cking boyfriend my whole f**king life.”

Jaden Smith’s relationship with Sab Zada seemed more substantial. The former would repeatedly post photos of Zada on his Instagram. He also playfully blamed Zada for the delay of his upcoming album. He informed fans that new music was coming, but that he was “distracted” by his girlfriend. “Album soon I been distracted,” he wrote back in February. We will see what the future holds for these two.

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