Pop Culture

Young Thug Asks Judge To Suppress Involuntary Interrogation In RICO Case

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As the YSL RICO trial nears closer, it seems Young Thug and his attorney Brian Steel are getting their affairs in order in hopes of getting the rapper his freedom back.

Though he was denied bond and is due to remain behind bars until January of 2023, the “Day Before” artist is said to be in good spirits, even somehow managing to show love to his rumoured girlfriend Mariah The Scientist and the late PnB Rock on his Twitter feed.

According to AllHipHop, the latest update from Thugger’s case reveals that he’s filed a motion requesting that the overseeing judge rule to suppress some statements he made while in police custody during an involuntary interrogation.

The Atlanta native’s lawyer has issued claims that two law enforcement officers interrogated his client in the Dekalb County Jail despite him never having waived his Miranda rights. According to Steel, Cobb County Investigator David Raissi and ATF Special Agent T. Cunningham placed the rapper in an interrogation room without his legal counsel’s permission, knowledge, or consent.

“All of [Young Thug’s] statements must be suppressed from the trial in the above-referenced case, and all witnesses must be instructed not to utter the fact that [Young Thug] made any statements which were not voluntarily made, were made in violation of his Constitutional right to counsel and made in violation of Miranda warning,” the filing declares.

In this handout photo provided by the DeKalb County Sheriffs Office, rapper Jeffery Lamar Williams, aka Young Thug, is seen in a police booking photo after turning himself in for outstanding drug and firearm charges September 13, 2018 in Decatur, Georgia. The charges stem from a traffic stop last year where police allegedly found drugs and a gun. (Photo by DeKalb County Sheriffs Office via Getty Images)

“Additionally, no mention can be made that [Young Thug] was given the opportunity to speak with law enforcement since this is post-arrest.”

At the same time, it’s been noted that the 31-year-old has requested that the judge return computers and phones that were seized from his Sandy Springs, Georgia home in July of 2015 when he was handed felony charges.

Thug allegedly threatened a security guard at a mall prior to the incident, leading authorities to raid his house and uncover an assortment of drugs and guns. Ultimately, though, the charges were tossed when a trial ruled that the search was unconstitutional.

The devices taken were suppressed by written order in April of 2017 and intended to be returned to the YSL leader, but he never saw them again. They instead ended up being sent to a company called Cellebrite by Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Sprinkel to be searched.

Steel has pointed out that there was no valid search warrant allowing this after the 2017 ruling, and that searching them in May of that year was a violation of Thugger’s “possessory interests in his lawfully obtained property that the prosecution had absolutely no legal right to possess.”

Ultimately, the end goal of this filing is for Judge Ural Glanville to suppress any statement Thug made during the aforementioned interrogation, as well as any evidence that may have come from his phones, hard drives, and computers.

See the legal documents for yourself here, and tap back in with HNHH later for more hip-hop news updates.

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Jada Pinkett Smith Describes Tupac Kiss As “Disgusting” In Resurfaced Interview

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While hip-hop lovers have often speculated that Tupac and Jada Pinkett Smith may have been each other’s “the one that got away” prior to the rapper’s untimely death, a resurfaced interview from 2015 finds the Girls Trip actress explaining to Howard Stern just how wrong those theories are.

Many have wondered how the mother of two avoided the temptation right in front of her in the form of one of her closest friends, and the host didn’t hesitate to press her by asking, “How were you not attracted to Tupac?”

American actress Jada Pinkett Smith with American rapper Tupac Shakur, 1996. (Photo by Mychal Watts/WireImage)

“I met Tupac at the Baltimore School of the Arts. We went to High School together,” Pinkett Smith recalled, also noting that, while the West Coast artist was undeniably charismatic, he was also poor, and allegedly only owned two pairs of pants and two sweaters when she met him.

As Stern inquired about if ‘Pac was as “gangsta as we all thought he was,” the 51-year-old confirmed the gossip. “He was a revolutionary without a revolution. That kind of energy just transferred into a whole other thing,” she explained.

When the host asked if Pinkett Smith thought the “All Eyez On Me” hitmaker was in love with her due to the beautiful poetry he penned in her honour, she said, “It is so funny. Now being older, I have more of an understanding of what that was between us.”

“When you have two young people who have very strong feelings but there is no physical chemistry… between us at all. And it wasn’t even just for me. It was him too.”

The Red Table Talk host shared that there was once a time when she asked Tupac to kiss her, just to see what would happen. “When I tell you it had to be the most disgusting thing, kiss for us both,” she admitted.

While Stern suggests the lack of sexual chemistry was due to the “platonic” nature of their relationship, Pinkett Smith offered a more philosophical explanation.

“The only way I can put it is the ‘Higher Power’ just did not want that,” the Baltimore native suggested. “I feel as though if Pac and I had any kind of sexual chemistry we might have killed each other because we were both so passionate and we loved deeply.”

In the same interview, Pinkett Smith said she didn’t feel guilty about not being on good terms with 2Pac at the time of his death, as she knew that he knew that she loved him.

Check it all out below, and tap back in with HNHH later for more hip-hop news updates.

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DaniLeigh & DaBaby’s Daughter Velour’s Cutest Moments: IG Gallery

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27-year-old DaniLeigh’s relationship with DaBaby may not have worked out exactly as planned, but it did produce the pair’s adorable 1-year-old daughter, Velour.

In the time since the young girl’s arrival, the “BOOGEYMAN” rapper and his ex have gotten in plenty of public blowouts, one of which even resulted in a bowling alley brawl between Baby and DaniLeigh’s brother, Brandon Bill$. At this time, they appear to have a civil co-parenting arrangement, although Dani didn’t hold back on venting about her feelings about their tumultuous split when sharing her My Side EP in July.

While the 30-year-old is already a father of several other children, Velour is the Miami-born singer’s firstborn, and the pride she clearly has for her little girl shines through all the way down her Instagram feed.

We’ve scoped out DaniLeigh’s social media to find her sweetest mother-daughter moments with her little one – keep scrolling to see the heartwarming photos for yourself.

The “Cravin’” hitmaker’s fans were first introduced to her baby girl at the end of 2021. Currently, the earliest photo of Velour on her mom’s feed was shared in December and sees Dani gushing over the infant’s eyes, smirk, and face. Other uploads from the same month see the baby at her smallest, before she would go on to grow into Leigh’s mini-me.

DaniLeigh took a hiatus from posting for almost the entire first half of 2022, but when May came around, she returned to celebrate her first Mother’s Day in a very public (and adorable) way. The month saw plenty of fun in the sun for the two as well when the entertainer showed off her child’s luxurious Burberry bathing suit and snapped some selfies during golden hour.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd1avxYLFgD/

Things got busy for the 27-year-old in June as she prepared for the release of her juicy EP, but she still found time in her busy schedule to arrange time for Velour to join her at work in Los Angeles.

She may only be one, but BabyLeigh was still able to assist her mom with her latest project, appearing in both the “Dead To Me” music video and a teaser trailer for the My Side project.

July brought plenty of celebration for DaniLeigh, but once August rolled around, it was Velour’s turn to take over the spotlight. The growing girl celebrated her first birthday on the 12th by cruising around in her own little car to match her mama’s, and when it was time for her party, she spent the day dancing and making memories with her friends and family.

As the summer came to an end, DaniLeigh headed out on the road to our her new music until mid-October. While she’s certainly having fun chasing her dreams, based on a recent IG upload, it’s clear that she’s missing her daughter now more than ever.

Akbar V Revists Being Slapped By Young Thug: “We Are A Family”

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After getting her Twitter account suspended in the midst of a nasty feud with Cardi B and her husband, Offset, Akbar V has taken some time to address other past beef that caught her a lot of attention in the media.

During a sit-down on The Progress Report podcast, the mother of five opened up about the 2017 incident during which YSL rapper Young Thug reportedly slapped her across the face in a parking lot, and although it was undeniably a tense moment at the time, she seems to have found peace with the situation now.

ATLANTA, GA – AUGUST 16: Akbar V attends Young Thug’s 30Th Birthday Party at a private location on August 16, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.(Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)

“It wouldn’t just like that, we was beefing, me and that boy…” Akbar began. “I done got in fights with all of them. Y’all got to understand, like, this is a family.”

Though she seemed to be having trouble getting words out, the rapper eventually said, “Chile, we done jumped down… We done… It’s family!”

“My little cousin Slug, we done jumped him at the park, like… We are family!” Akbar continued. “We gon’ have disagreements and arguments, I’m never gon’ say like ‘Oh, he beats women,’ and all of that.”

The “Super Freaky Girl (Queen Mix)” collaborator went on to describe Thug – who she reportedly previously hooked up with – as a “good person” with a “good heart,” even with all their past drama.

“I love him,” she said of the currently incarcerated rapper, earning her some backlash down in @theneighborhoodtalk’s comment section.

“Bruh. Nah. Idgah if we really are family. You smack me we enemies! We fighting,” one user wrote. Another added, “Don’t get me wrong, she’s talented, but she want fame sooooooo bad she’s willing to go through anything with big celebrities, girl that’s not family behaviour.”

Check out Akbar V’s full appearance on The Progress Report below, and tap back in with HNHH later for more hip-hop news updates.

New Episode Of “Atlanta” Includes A Surprise Gunna Cameo

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Gunna may have spent the last couple of months (and potentially the next few as well) locked up in jail, but that doesn’t mean the DS4EVER hitmaker isn’t still managing to make major career moves.

As HipHopDX reports, Thursday (September 29) night’s episode of Atlanta saw the 29-year-old make his acting debut, playing himself alongside Brian Tyree Henry’s Paper Boi, who he was filmed playing cards with in the studio for their scene together.

Gunna attends the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center on January 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

The pair were engaged in a tense round of Uno – one which Gunna appeared to be losing – as Paper slammed down a “wild” card before selecting the colour yellow as his choice.

At this point, the “P Power” hitmaker accused his competitor of cheating, saying, “You know I ain’t got no more yellow cards.” Henry’s character responded by stating that that was the whole point of his move before throwing down two “draw four” cards, prompting Wunna to opt for an L.

Just a few seconds later, Childish Gambino’s Earn arrived in the scene, followed by Paper Boi’s Aunt Jeanie who promptly kicked everyone out of the studio.

It’s been noted that the episode was filmed this time last year inside Studio 9000, or the “A Room” at Atlanta’s own Pathwork Studios.

Aside from his TV triumph, Gunna is also likely feeling good to have his attorney Steve Sadow working so hard for his freedom. Currently, the rapper’s legal team is filing their third attempt at getting their client his ability to bond out of jail.

“Franz Kafka would be shocked to learn that ‘imprison him now; present the evidence sometime in the future’ appears to be the State’s reality in Fulton County,” Sadow declared in court. “The prosecution has been afforded ample time to develop evidence to support its motion to detain Kitchens. It has not succeeded.”

Though the lawyer makes a compelling argument, it should be noted that if the Fulton County judge denies this attempt, Gunna will remain behind bars until his trial is set to begin in January of 2023.

Tap back in with HNHH later for more hip-hop news updates.

Kendrick Lamar Includes Just One Name In His “Mount Rushmore Of Style”

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Twitter users often debate about who belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Rap, but when it comes time to hand out the awards to those who belong on the Mount Rushmore of Style, West Coast rapper Kendrick Lamar believes that just one person should be recognized.

On Thursday (September 29), the Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers artist hopped on Twitter to show some love to Grammy Award-winning producer Taz Arnold, who has an undeniably distinct sense of fashion that’s earned him praise from fellow creatives all across the industry.

Taz Arnold at Proximity Greenhouse on January 21, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ella Hovsepian/Getty Images)

“The Westside original,” Lamar wrote above four photos of Arnold included in his tweet. “My Mount Rushmore of Style.”

As HipHopDX notes, aside from just admiring his fashion sense, the father of two has also connected with his friend on a musical level. Arnold, who’s a part of the genre-bending L.A. group The Sa-Ra Creative Partners, co-produced three tracks on 2015’s To Pimp a Butterfly – “u,” “Momma,” and “For Sale? (Interlude).”

The “Glorious” artist had high praise for Lamar after working with him in the studio, saying, “He’s ill man. He directs people.”

“He writes his own material to a whole other level. He writes your material. He’s like, ‘Can you say these parts?’ He’s good to work in the studio. I was very impressed with his acumen and his skill set.”

In other news, Kendrick was recently announced as the musical guest on an upcoming episode of Saturday Night Live – read more about that here, and tap back in with HNHH later for more hip-hop news updates.

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Nick Cannon & Brittany Bell Welcome Their 3rd Baby Together

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Nick Cannon is a father, once again.

On Friday (September 30), the 41-year-old announced via Instagram that he and Brittany Bell have welcomed their third child together – a boy named Rise Messiah Cannon – making the entertainer now officially a father of 10.

(L-R) Brittany Bell, Powerful Queen Cannon, and Nick Cannon pose for a photo at LEGOLAND California on May 11, 2022 in Carlsbad, California. (Photo by Daniel Knighton/Getty Images)

Though some have expressed disappointment in Nick’s decision to have so many children with an assortment of baby mamas, he continues to maintain that his current approach is what feels right to him.

When sharing the exciting news of his youngest’s arrival, Cannon wrote, “Another Blessing!!! As my journey on this planet becomes more and more remarkable and unfathomable, all I can do is thank God and continue to ask the Most High to order my steps. He has given me stewardship and dominion over a family dynamic that to some is unimaginable.”

The California native continued, “But more importantly he has blessed me with loving individuals to guide me with care through this purposeful life. I am so indebted and grateful for the matriarch energy in my time of need,” before thanking Bell for being “the rock and foundation of [his] Fatherhood journey.”

Cannon praised the mother of three for educating him “about parenting, psychology, spirituality, love, and just life in general.” He mentioned that his co-parent “didn’t want a baby shower and needed NOTHING! All she desired was PRAYER from her authentic Loved Ones!”

Although Bell was a champion throughout it all, her baby daddy revealed that her labour was far from easy, consisting of “48 hours of excruciating pain and life-risking danger” before their 10-pound bundle of joy arrived.

The pair are already parents to 5-year-old son Golden Sagon and nearly 2-year-old daughter, Powerful Queen.

Tap back in with HNHH later for more pop culture news updates.

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Jhené Aiko Shares A September Bump Dump Featuring Big Sean: Photos

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It’s been a busy year in the baby-making department for several of our favourite recording artists, including Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, NBA YoungBoy and Jazlyn Mychelle, as well as Big Sean and Jhené Aiko.

The R&B songstress is already a mother of one from her past relationship with Omarion’s brother, O’Ryan, but for the better part of the last year, she’s been carrying around her first child with the “Mercy” rapper, who hasn’t been able to stop gushing about how eager he is for fatherhood.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 09: Jhené Aiko attends the The Daily Front Row 8th Annual Fashion Media Awards on September 09, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Jennifer Graylock/Getty Images for The Daily Front Row )

As her due date nears closer and closer, Aiko has shared a “September bump dump” with her 15.1 million Instagram followers, revealing to the world just a few of the amazing outfits she and her bump have been sporting over the past few weeks.

The “Sativa” hitmaker kicked things off with a mirror selfie wearing baggy blue jeans and a white tank top, keeping things casual before she changed into a tight white dress with some glamorous makeup on the second slide.

Afterward, Big Sean made an appearance, holding his girlfriend’s budding belly in his hands while she made duck lips for the camera – the same expression later appeared in more of the uploads.

Aside from the mirror selfies and romantic couple snapshots, Aiko also posed alongside her oldest, 13-year-old Namiko Love Browner, showing how similar the two look thanks to the California native’s clearly strong genes.

Despite being almost ready to pop, Jhené has been booked and busy in recent weeks, performing a “magical” show for audiences at the Greek Theatre while 31 weeks pregnant.

In other news, Aiko’s Trip album was recently certified platinum, five years after its initial release – read more about that here, and tap back in with HNHH later for more pop culture news updates.

Seth Rogen Details Smoking A Joint With Jay-Z

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Seth Rogen recalled the time he shared a joint with Jay-Z in a new interview with Complex.

The Pineapple Express actor sat down for an expansive interview. He covered everything from his illustrious career and the celebrities that he’s shared joints with in the past.

The prolific stoner stood in smoker circles with the likes of Method Man, Travis Scott, and more. He explained the backstory to the iconic photo of himself, Wiz Khalifa, and Snoop Dogg smoking the iconic cross-joint. It went down following Rogen’s appearance on Snoop and Martha’s cooking show.

LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 15: Recording artist Snoop Dogg (L) and actor/co-founder of HFC Seth Rogen perform onstage during Hilarity for Charity’s 5th Annual Los Angeles Variety Show: Seth Rogen’s Halloween at Hollywood Palladium on October 15, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images)

“There was kind of a moment where I feel like me, and Snoop, and Wiz looked at each other and we were like, ‘we should probably all go smoke,’” Rogen said. “And often, when I’m with Snoop, he asks me to roll the cross joint because he’s fascinated by them and think they’re fun.”

Rogen went on to reveal that he also smoked out with many members of the Wu-Tang Clan. His work alongside RZA presented opportunities to smoke with the Wu-Tang Clan’s defacto leader. However, it was the sessions with Method Man that stood out the most.

“Once I got to smoke weed with Method Man while he was, like, reading raps off his phone that he had written, just literally standing in a parking lot. Rapping to me as we smoked weed for 45 minutes or something like that,” he recalled. “It was truly one of the greatest things of my life.”

He also divulged details of the time he got to smoke out with Jay-Z, who approached him and his wife for a puff.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 11: Jay-Z attends the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony for DJ Khaled on April 11, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

“I was at a party he was at and I was smoking weed with my wife and he came over and smoked a little bit of weed with us,” he said. “It was great,” he added, revealing that he supplied the weed.

Check out the full interview below.

Kid Cudi Unveils “Entergalactic” Production Credits, Says He Doesn’t Want To Release Any More Albums

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It could be the end of an era for Kid Cudi.

After the arrival of the Ohio native’s highly anticipated Entergalactic album, fans have been praising both Scott Mescudi’s musical work as well as the Netflix Original film that it was released alongside. While the rapper looks to be in a strong place creatively at the moment, he revealed in an interview with Zane Lowe that he’s actually considering walking away from his performance alter ego – for the time being, anyway.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 28: Kid Cudi and Elsie Mescudi attend Netflix’s “Entergalactic” New York premiere at Paris Theater on September 28, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

“The Kid Cudi stuff, I think I want to put it on the back burner and chill out with that. I think, I want to be done with it. I think, closing the chapter on Kid Cudi,” the 38-year-old shared when asked about his current plans for the future.

Mr. Rager then added, “I’ve made a lot of music, man. I’ve said a lot and I have other desires, I have other things I want to do. And I do not see me never making music, I’ll always f*ck around in the studio, or make something here and there. But, as far as getting in the studio and working on an album, and then going and touring it, I just don’t have it in me. I don’t have the desire.”

At this time in kid life, Mescudi is interested in putting more energy into his personal relationships, particularly the close bond he’s formed with his daughter as she’s gotten older. “We’ve been kicking in a lot lately and I’ve been having more time and it’s good, she’s growing up, our relationship is super tight. It’s what I always dreamed of,” the father of one revealed.

Without music as a primary focus in his life, Lowe was curious about how Cudi plans to channel his creative energy in the future. “I want to just write more TV shows, write more movies, produce more,” the rapper told the host.

“I just want to focus on Mad Solar Productions and just get that shit out a little bit more. And then, on the side, I got my clothing line that’s debuting in January, in Paris, during fashion week. So, I got those two things I’m really focused on and just designing and writing and that’s where I see myself headed.”

Aside from sharing the interesting news, Cudi has also unleashed the production credits for his Entergalactic album, which you can read below.

1. Entergalactic Theme
Prod. by Dot Da Genius, Kid Cudi and William J. Sullivan

2. New Mode
Prod. by Dot Da Genius and Kid Cudi

3. Do What I Want
Prod. by Levi Carter, Roy Lenzo, Russ Chell and Take A Daytrip

4. Angel
Prod. by Dot Da Genius, Jean Baptiste, Justin Raisen, Kid Cudi and SADPONY

5. Ignite the Love
Prod. by Carlton McDowell, Dot Da Genius, Heavy Mellow, Kid Cudi, Rex Masamune Kudo and Skrillex

6. In Love
Prod. by Dot Da Genius and Kid Cudi

7. Willing To Trust (Feat. Ty Dolla $ign)
Prod. by Dot Da Genius, E. Vax, Kid Cudi and Ramii

8. Can’t Believe It (Feat. 2 Chainz)
Prod. by Dot Da Genius, Hot Sugar, Kid Cudi and Plain Pat

9. Livin’ My Truth
Prod. by 18yoman, Dot Da Genius, E. Vax and Kid Cudi

10. Maybe So
Prod. by Dot Da Genius, Kid Cudi and Teo Halm

11. Can’t Shake Her (Feat. Ty Dolla $ign)
Prod. by Dot Da Genius and Kid Cudi

12. She’s Lookin’ For Me
Prod. by Dot Da Genius, Kid Cudi, Ramii and William J. Sullivan

13. My Drug
Prod. by Dot Da Genius, Kid Cudi, Sensei Bueno, William J. Sullivan and Yuli

14. Somewhere To Fly (Feat. Don Toliver)
Prod. by Dot Da Genius, Kid Cudi, Lucy Clubhouse and wondaGURL

Bonus:

15. Burrow (Feat. Don Toliver, Steve Aoki & Dot Da Genius)
Prod. by Dot Da Genius, Gazzo, Kid Cudi and Steve Aoki

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