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Fat Joe Talks Controversy Surrounding Him Getting The Key To New York City

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On August 20, Mayor Eric Adams will present Fat Joe with the key to New York City. According to him, not everybody is happy about the decision. The Bronx legend posted a video on Instagram on Wednesday announcing that he will receive the honor on August 20 in Orchard Beach, just a few minutes from where he grew up. Joe is also scheduled to perform a free concert at the celebratory event. In a video posted after the announcement, Joe explained that people have already criticized his ceremonial key, despite his legendary status in the New York rap scene.

“I get the key to the city the 20th and, boy, was that a hard one. Hip-hop got a black eye,” he said in his video. “The mayor and his crew, his right-hand girl, got me the key to the city. Everybody was a little upset,” Joe said. “But I don’t know another guy who keeps it realer with the streets of New York than Fat Joe, who feeds more people, opens more businesses. I don’t know what to tell you guys.” However, Joe did not go into more detail than that.

Read More: Fat Joe Essential Songs

Fat Joe To Receive Key To The City

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Rise Up NYC (@riseupnycconcerts)

Of course, Fat Joe isn’t the first rapper to receive the key to the city. Mayor Eric Adams faced widespread calls earlier this year to revoke Diddy’s key to the city. The calls came after a video of him brutally assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie in 2016 leaked. The disgraced mogul received the award in 2023. After condeming the attack and discussing the matter with his team, Adams rescinded the honor in June, making Diddy the first person to lose the key to NYC.

“The Key to the City of New York is presented to individuals whose service to the public and the common good rises to the highest level of achievement, and who act as a model for fellow and future New Yorkers,” Adams said in a letter addressed to Diddy. Fat Joe regularly returns to his hometown to give back. In the past, he fundraised for kids in the community to ensure they have new clothes for school. In 2022, he helped the residents of a Bronx apartment building get back on their feet after a fire. Joe’s history of community outreach goes back nearly two decades. It makes sense that the city he grew up in is acknowledging him for it with such an honor.

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Beyonce’s “Break My Soul” Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Dismissed

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In May, Beyonce and Big Freedia were hit with a lawsuit over the songstress’ RENAISSANCE single, “Break My Soul.” New Orleans bounce group Da Showstoppaz accused them of copyright infringement over some of the track’s lyrics. The group didn’t accuse Bey of stealing their work directly, but instead noted that she legally sampled Big Freedia’s 2014 track “Explode.”

Allegedly, that track illegally borrowed lyrics from their own 2002 song, “Release A Wiggle.” Now, the case has been voluntarily dismissed according to Billboard, less than three months after it was filed. Reportedly, the court filing didn’t mention a settlement agreement, and both parties have yet to comment.

Read More: Kanye West Tells Candace Owens That Beyonce Should Let Jay-Z Cheat

Beyonce, Big Freedia & Da Showstoppaz Lawsuit Dropped

Beyonce’s “Break My Soul” Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Dismissed
Beyoncé performs onstage during the “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR” at MetLife Stadium on July 29, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood )

Da Showstoppaz previously alleged that the phrase “release yo wiggle,” used in their 2002 track, was “unique.” They noted how Big Freedia used similar phrases in her song. When the suit was first filed, Billboard noted that simple phrases like this are typically not protected by Copyright law, meaning that the group was unlikely to secure a victory. Following the release of Beyonce’s song, Big Freedia thanked her, saying that she was “honored to be a part of this special moment.”

Legal battles are far from the only things keeping Beyonce busy these days, however. Recently, she also teamed up with NBC to provide Team USA with an iconic introduction during the 2024 Paris Olympics. She later unveiled an uplifting video tribute to Simone Biles’ historic performance, which opened with her Cowboy Carter song “Just for Fun.” What do you think of Da Showstoppaz voluntarily dropping their lawsuit against Beyonce and Big Freedia over the hitmaker’s track “Break My Soul”? Are you surprised or not? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

Read More: Beyonce Highlights Team USA’s Top Athletes In Grand Olympics Opening Ceremony Video: Watch

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Ice Spice Makes Her City Proud With Massive & Star-Studded New York Show

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Of course the Bronx and New York City at large were going to show some hometown love when Ice Spice stopped by for her Y2K! tour stop in the Big Apple. Moreover, you can hear in the clips below how fans are screaming along to the lyrics, and it seems like everyone had a great time overall. She also brought along some very special guests for the occasion, including Sheff G, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Cash Cobain, and more. In fact, a surprise appearance from PARTYNEXTDOOR even got fans wondering whether we will see a collab from the two in the near future.

Either way, it’s great to see Ice Spice in this mode, whether for working her hardest for her performances or engaging with fans. Given how the Internet goes a lot of the time, and especially with Y2K!‘s poor critical reception, she’s had to stay focused on the positive aspects of her career while acknowledging that online hate rarely translates into in-person treatment. For example, the Bronx femcee recently thanked fans for their support of her new album despite 28K in first-week sales being a pretty low number for many. Still, it’s a step up from her Like..? EP, and she’s very grateful for that climb.

Read More: Ice Spice “Y2K!” Album Review

Ice Spice And Her Guests Go Hard For New York City

But elsewhere, drama is brewing in the Ice Spice world for very unrelated and salacious reasons. A lot of fans think that, following her comments on her at-arms-length but still positive relationship with Nicki Minaj, her “Barbie World” collaborator is actually not the biggest fan. This assumption comes from a recent Instagram post of Nicki’s, on which Spice left a comment. Even though the Trinidadian MC liked comments from folks like Sexyy Red and Akbar V, she didn’t like Ice’s, which led to many unconfirmed and purely speculative fan theories that there’s a strain in their bond.

Meanwhile, other fans are still mad about the cheating scandal involving Ice Spice and Central Cee. As you can see, there are a lot of online narratives that might make you believe she’s in a rut. But from what these tour performances indicate, the 24-year-old has more than enough reasons to ignore it all. Let’s see what’s next on her trek, and what other headlines and rumors end up falling to the wayside.

Read More: Ice Spice Admits She Gets Jealous Of How Easy Men Have It In A “Misogynistic World”

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Kanye West Fan Discovers Old Storage Unit With Never-Before-Seen Items

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Kanye West fans are going through a pretty rough time these days, as no amount of extra tracks can diminish the disappointment of VULTURES 2 with Ty Dolla $ign. However, at least one lucky die-hard got a welcome surprise after purchasing some of his old storage units from the mid-2010s era. These boxes contained Yeezy clothing samples, pictures of designs, schematics and drawings, studio equipment, microphones, and even the outfits that Ye and company wore for his 2015 Hollywood Bowl performance. While it’s a lot of random stuff that might not even work or be fashionably relevant anymore, there are still some curious details throughout. One shirt in the pile, for example, looks a lot like the VULTURES merch designs that would arrive years later.

Furthermore, we’re sure that so many people out there, Kanye West fans or not, would love a chance to peruse these storage units themselves. But sadly, fans are concerned with more pressing matters related to the Chicago artist right now, mainly his alleged nitrous gas addiction. His former presidential campaign affiliate Milo Yiannopoulos made these accusations online, which have sparked a lot of debate, discussion, and discomfort. Considering all of the controversies that Kanye’s been involved in over the past two years, this is either a possible explanation or a sign that things are more difficult than we imagined.

Read More: Kanye West’s Alleged Nitrous Oxide Supplier Denies Milo Yiannopoulos’ Accusations

Kanye West’s Old Storage Unit Unboxed By TikTok User

Speaking of which, Kanye West blamed his antisemitic rants in 2022 on being under the influence of alcohol. “You wanna know what alcohol I had inside me? Hennessy,” he told Candace Owens during their sit-down interview in 2022, conducted very soon after these attacks resulted in heavy public fallout. Unsurprisingly, many don’t find this to be an acceptable excuse, or think that it’s just a fake ploy to get him out of accountability. All of this is mostly speculative and unconfirmed, so take it all with a grain of salt.

Elsewhere, we know that Kanye West will continue to make headlines for all the good and bad reasons under the sun. On a more positive note, he explained during this Candace Owens interview why he thinks that Jay-Z and Drake are “the greatest rappers ever” for two very different reasons despite his conflicts with them over the years. Still, many of these more expected and music-related takes fall under a whole lot of baggage. So like this TikTok user, a lot of fans are digging back through history to remember simpler times, or at least, times in which we didn’t know all of the disturbing and worrisome sides to this story. And that’s whether you’re saving empathy for Ye or not.

Read More: Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign Unleash “Fried” Music Video

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Kanye West Drops “Vultures 2” Bonus Tracks Featuring Kid Cudi, Kodak Black & Bad Bunny

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Over the weekend, Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign unveiled their eagerly anticipated album, Vultures 2. The release took fans off guard, as it arrived by surprise following multiple delays. The project has had listeners split since it dropped. While many were satisfied, others raised issues with the mixing. Ye later announced that he’d be delivering updated versions of various tracks.

He even recently unveiled three new bonus tracks, “Believer,” “Drunk” featuring Bad Bunny and Kodak Black, and “Gun To My Head” featuring Kid Cudi. They’re currently available for purchase exclusively on the Yeezy website until midnight ET. As expected, these too have elicited mixed reactions from fans. While many think these would have been valuable additions to the original release, others are questioning their price point.

Read More: Kanye West Alleged Nitrous Addiction: #SaveYe Trends On Twitter Amid Fan Concerns

Kanye West Unveils Three New Vultures 2 Bonus Tracks

“Vultures 2 going from worst album ever to Album of the year,” one X user writes in Kurrco‘s comments section. “They ain’t finished,” another suspects. Vultures 2 is far from the only reason Ye is making headlines as of late, however. Earlier this week, his former Chief of Staff Milo Yiannopoulos made some shocking claims about his dentist Thomas P. Connelly in an affidavit. He alleged that Connelly has been supplying the Chicago-born performer with large quantities of nitrous gas for recreational use since he installed his titanium grill.

Yiannopoulos expressed concern for Ye’s well-being, alleging that he has a “dependence” on the substance. For obvious reasons, fans are worried. #SaveYe began to trend on X earlier today as social media users urged him to seek help. Many are even calling for Ye to put off the release of Vultures 3 so he can focus solely on his health for the time being. What do you think of Kanye West dropping new Vultures 2 deluxe tracks? Which one is your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

Read More: Kanye West’s Alleged Nitrous Oxide Supplier Denies Milo Yiannopoulos’ Accusations

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Boosie Badazz Has Questions About Dwyane Wade’s Sexuality

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Boosie Badazz and DJ Vlad’s VladTV platform are pretty much one and the same these days thanks to their many conversations together. Moreover, their most recent sit-down contained some interesting thoughts on Dwyane Wade’s controversial decision to start a nail care line. While this would just be any old business venture under normal circumstances, conventional machismo and the basketball star’s transgender daughter made people jump to conclusions and lash out in outright bigoted ways. That’s what Vlad pushed with this latest discussion, and what the Baton Rouge native had some curious thoughts on.

“I don’t even got to say nothing,” Boosie’s remarks on Dwyane Wade’s nail care line began. “The world is going to say it.” “I mean, look,” DJ Vlad posited. “You have a gay daughter. You can support your kids without having to go through all these extra steps, you know what I’m saying? Like, you can still love your kids and be supportive, you know what I mean? Without having to start a nail polish line and start wearing dresses along with them and wearing lipstick and… You know? Wear wigs and whatever else. Listen, your [daughter] is trans, let [her] be trans. That’s cool. But to have to start a nail polish line… Why? When you’re a superstar athlete in your day, you got all the money you need, still making money, I’m sure. Your wife is making money, like… What’s the point?”

Read More: Cam’ron Walks Off “It Is What It Is” Set Upon Hearing Of Dwyane Wade’s Nail Care Brand Plans

Boosie & Vlad Discuss Dwyane Wade’s Nail Care Brand

“I think you know the answer,” Boosie responded. “I don’t know the answer!” Vlad replied. “Oh, you think that Dwyane is actually…?” “I don’t know,” the rapper expressed. “I mean… He part of the movement. I mean, I don’t like to say too much about those people because I don’t want that to be in my motherf***ing… When people think of me, they think of that.

“A lot of people do, but… I just, you know, he do what he do,” Boosie concluded. “He feel like that’s how he support his… It make me shake my head. Because, you know, I don’t like that, bro. When… I don’t know. He might be living through… I don’t know, I don’t know.”

Read More: Shaq Reveals How Argument With Dwyane Wade Led To Them Winning The NBA Championship

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Ice Spice And PartyNextDoor Link Up, Fans Speculate On Collaboration

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Ice Spice performed at Terminal 5 in her hometown of New York City on August 7, the first of a two-night home stand at the venue during her Y2K! Tour. Producer Cash Cobain opened for her. However, he was not the only guest on the night. Fellow New Yorkers Sheff G & Sleepy Hallow, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, and Fivio Foreign also performed, turning the night into a celebration of the new New York. Additionally, R&B star PartyNextDoor made an appearance at the show. He sang a medley of his most popular songs, including “Break From Toronto.”

After the show, PartyNextDoor posted a picture of him and Ice Spice together backstage on Instagram. “Get it while it’s hot,” the caption reads. This led to fans speculating that the two of them have music on the way. The thought of the two of them collaborating led to an overwhelmingly negative reaction from PND fans. “Should’ve been Summer Walker instead,” reads the most liked comment on the post. “ABSOLUTELY NOT. She gon’ get party to start talking bout farts,” said a second user. “Coulda did a collab with ANYBODY else,” said a third Instagram user.

Read More: PARYTNEXTDOOR Reveals Exciting New Details About Drake Collab Album

During a guest set at a PartyNextDoor show in Toronto earlier this month, Drake announced that the two of them were releasing a joint album towards the end of 2024. “When it gets a little chilly, PartyNextDoor and Drake album will be waiting right there for you,” he told the crowd to a raucous reception. Because of Drake’s prior announcement and the OVO signee performing at her concert, additional speculation arose about if Ice Spice is appearing on their album. Drake co-signed Ice earlier into her career, so it is possible.

For Ice Spice, the Y2K! Tour started in the beginning of July, before her album of the same name even released. You can read our review of the album here. Ice Spice’s shows in New York City are sold out, marking a very successful homecoming for the artist. We’ll see if anything more comes from the photo of the two or if it was nothing more than that.

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Ne-Yo Receives The Key To The City Of Las Vegas During Residency Show

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Ne-Yo was born in Camden, Arkansas, but after relocating, he soon became a proud representative of Las Vegas, Nevada, a place he continues to call home. Moreover, he’s been rocking Sin City as of late with his Human Love Rebellion residency, a concert series that set the stage for a very special honor in his career. Moreover, the city’s Mayor Carolyn Goodman surprised the “2 Million Secrets” singer at his Wednesday show (August 7) and honored him with the Key to the City. Not only that, but Goodman also declared that Vegas will celebrate Ne-Yo Day on August 7 from this year onward.

“Yours has extra jewels [compared] to the one we gave Usher two months ago. You’re homegrown, my dear man … Congratulations!” the mayor told Ne-Yo two songs into his set. Goodman also remarked on his prowess, talent, and success as a musician, as well as his philanthropic efforts that have supported Las Vegas. While the 44-year-old still catches salacious headlines these days, such as dating rumors between his ex-wife and Maino, his music and art continues to speak louder than these elements… for better or worse.

Read More: Ne-Yo’s Ex-Girlfriend Continues To Divulge On Their Fight

Ne-Yo Honored By Las Vegas Mayor: Watch

“Thank you,” Ne-Yo emotionally told the crowd chanting his name as he accepted the Key to the City in a leopard print get-up. “I don’t want to get emotional, I’m trying to be fly. I can’t cry in this suit. Thank you to our lovely mayor, thank you to the city of Las Vegas, thank you all for being here.” This follows more concerning and divisive stories surrounding this legacy and career. He recently faced accusations from a former partner alleging assault and child neglect, though this hasn’t resulted in any sort of conclusion or verdict at press time.

But we know that Ne-Yo is in a very different, polygamous state right now when it comes to his love life. While there are still plenty of unanswered questions, these controversies exist within an otherwise beloved and continually successful trek as an artist. We’ll see what happens next, but for now, we can celebrate his artistry and acknowledge the great things he’s done for the city of Las Vegas. There will be a time, place, and due process for all the rest.

Read More: Ne-Yo’s Ex-Girlfriend Explains Why She Accused Him Of Being “Diddy Junior”

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Foolio Murder Suspect Allegedly Tried To Kill Him Previously

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Late last month, police made four arrests in connection to Foolio’s murder. The rapper was shot at a Tampa Holiday Inn, where he was celebrating his 26th birthday, in June. Now, police are accusing one of the suspects of being involved in a previous attempt on Foolio’s life, dating back to October of 2023. At the time, Foolio was shot in the foot on his way to a gas station.

“It appears that the suspect or suspects were waiting for the victim and ambushed him,” the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said at the time. Sean Gathright, one of the alleged gunmen, was found with a Glock 9MM pistol, a rifle, and nine spent rifle casings in his vehicle at the time of his arrest. Reportedly, the casings matched the ones from the October Foolio shooting, as well as a separate murder in May.

Read More: Foolio Murder Suspect Promises To “Be Home Soon” Despite Arrest

Sean Gathright Tied To October 2023 Foolio Shooting

Police accuse the five suspects of traveling to Jacksonville to carry out the attack. Gathright was charged with three counts of premeditated attempted murder in the first degree, two counts of murder in the first-degree premeditated with a firearm, and tampering with physical evidence. One of the other suspects, Isaiah Chance Jr., recently declared that he’ll be home soon. For obvious reasons, such as the high-quality surveillance footage released last month, social media users have their doubts. “I miss y’all and I miss the [world],” he wrote, “I’ll be home soon.” He’s facing two counts of first-degree murder premeditated with a firearm.

Police are still searching for their fifth and final suspect, Davion Murphy, who is at large. What do you think of Sean Gathright being accused of trying to kill Foolio back in October of 2023? Are you surprised or not? What about police making four arrests after the Jacksonville rapper’s murder? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

Read More: Foolio’s Mom Breaks Silence On The Unusual Instagram Activity On Her Son’s Account

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