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NBA MVP Voting Ends Historic Streak

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On May 2, the NBA officially announced Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid as the 2022-23 MVP. For most of the season, it seemed as though the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic would become the fourth player in NBA history to win back-to-back-to-back MVPs. However, Embiid pulled away in the final weeks of the season to cap off a career year with the MVP title.

Jokic finished second behind Embiid, earning 15 first-place votes. Behind him was the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo with 12 first-place votes. The top five was rounded by Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder). However, with these five players earning MVP nominations, it put an end to a historic streak.

LeBron Misses Out On MVP Votes For First Time Ever

There is no debating that LeBron James is one of the greatest players to every pick up a basketball. He entered the league 20 years ago as a fresh-faced 18-year-old out of St Vincent-St Mary’s High School in Akron, Ohio. However, his impact was immediately felt around the league. Even as a rookie, LeBron finished 9th in MVP voting. Over the next 19 seasons, he has four MVP titles. In 2021, he broke the record for the most number of seasons receiving MVP votes. The previous record was set at 17 by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Last year, LeBron received a single vote for MVP, setting his streak at 19 seasons. That was despite only playing 56 games for the Lakers.

However, with LeBron receiving zero votes for the 2022-23 season, his historic streak is over. It is the first time in the legend’s career that he has not received at least one MVP vote. It does not come as a surprise to many though. LeBron saw an overall decline across the board statistically in a season significantly impacted by injury. While LeBron is showing no sign of retiring and has publicly stated that he wants to at least share the court with his son, Bronny, his days of MVP consideration may be over. Despite this, LeBron could be in line for another ring this year. His Lakers are currently 1-0 up against the Warriors in the second round of the NBA playoffs.

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Sha’Carri Richardson Records Scorching Time In First 2023 Win

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Sha’Carri Richardson must be seen to be believed when on the running track. At 15 years old, she was already running a sub-13 second 100m sprint. Four years later, she was taking home an NCAA title with a 10.75 second time. Richardson turned pro after the 2019 collegiate season, turning her attention to the 2020 Olympics. Even with the Olympics delayed for a year due to the pandemic, Richardson was a heavy favorite for the 100m event. She was meant to be the next great American sprinter.

However, Richardson is better known for the scandal that surrounded her ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Richardson was suspended just weeks before the 2020 Olympics after testing positive for a banned substance. She then became a vocal critic of the IOC, pointing to the fact that at the 2022 Winter Olympics, a white athlete was allowed to compete despite a failed drug test. Richardson received praise and condemnation in equal measure as she remained in the spotlight. Despite the attention, which often skewed heavily negative, Richardson has never stopped running.

Richardson Sets New PB in Florida Race

Richardson’s first on-track appearance of 2023 came at the Miramar Invitational in Florida, where she also rocked some bright pink hair. In the heats, Richardson ran a 10.75, .03 seconds slower than her personal best. That easily put her into the Winner’s Final, where she proceeded to obliterate her previous personal best. Winning the race by nearly three-tenths of a second, Richardson’s recorded time was 10.57 seconds. That lowered her personal best, set at the same track in 2021, by .15 seconds. Furthermore, Richardson’s run will enter the history books as the third-fastest women’s 100m run of all time. She only trails long-standing record holder Florence Griffith-Joyner as well as Elaine Thompson-Herah.

With such success in her first race of the year, Richardson’s season has gotten off to a great start. Her appearances will likely increase in frequency, especially with the 2024 Paris Olympics on the horizon. Having had her first shot at Olympic success snatched away, Richardson will likely be eager to earn her spot at the US trials next February. But for now, she can bask in the glory of a truly historic start to her season.

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Travis Scott Is The Only Rapper With 2 Billion Streams On Each Album: Report

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Travis Scott is undoubtedly a generational talent. Whether or not you like him, his imprint has been left across pop culture. He’s delivered numerous collabs with Jordan, teamed up with McDonald’s for his meal, and created a unique experience on Fortnite for his fans when the world was shut down. But, no matter how big the brand of Travis Scott is, it’s his catalog that’s propelled him to stardom. It’s no doubt that he certainly has the numbers to back up that claim.

This week, new statistics emerged which revealed the surging number of streams on Scott’s Spotify page. Travis Scott is now the only rapper to have over 2 billion streams on each of his albums. It’s certainly an impressive feat for any rapper but we could imagine he’ll keep this momentum high when he decides to release Utopia. So far, Scott has three official albums to his name: Rodeo, Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight, and 2018’s critically acclaimed Astroworld. Despite releasing excellent mixtapes early in his career, none of them are officially on streaming services like Spotify.

Travis Scott Gears Up For New Album

Over the past few months, Travis Scott began revving up for the release of his highly anticipated album. While the rapper hinted at its release over the past few years, it seems like it could’ve dropped last year. Following the deadly Astroworld tragedy, the rapper seemingly scrapped plans to release a mixtape titled Dystopia, a project that he intended to serve as a precursor to his Astroworld follow-up. Around the time, he also dropped off singles like “Escape Plan” and “Mafia,” though neither record took off the way it should’ve.

We’ve received a few updates on Utopia, though. Kevin Durant recently suggested that the album was “insane,” while Alchemist also hinted at having a beat on the album. However, the most significant update came from Epic Records CEO Sylvia Rhone who said that Scott’s album was due out in June. Though Travis hasn’t confimed the news itself, it’s still a promising update. Hopefully, we’ll have a new album from Travis Scott to ride out to for the summer. Who do you hope to see Travis collaborate with on Utopia? Let us know in the comment section below. 

The Weeknd Is Officially The “Most Popular Artist”, According To The Guinness World Record

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The Weeknd shattered a number of records throughout his illustrious career but according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Canadian star is officially the biggest artist across the globe. According to statistics, largely made up of unmatched streaming numbers, The Weeknd is now the “most popular artist” worldwide. The Guinness World Records bestowed the title upon the After Hours singer this morning, weeks after Spotify named The Weeknd as the only artist to surpass the 100M listener mark.

In late February, the streaming platform revealed the Weeknd as the sole artist who ever reached this benchmark. However, he’s accrued even more followers since. Guinness reports that the “Starboy” artist’s streaming followers boosted to 111.4M since he reached the milestone in late February. The Weeknd leads the pack by a landslide with Miley Cyrus just behind him at 82.4M monthly listeners and Shakira in third place with 81.6M. Both of these accomplishments have been documented as two separate records in the Guinness Books.

The Weeknd Makes History In Guinness World Records

If numbers are any indication, then The Weeknd will go down as the greatest of all time. It’s an interesting feat, especially since he just matched Michael Jackson’s record as the only two male soloists to have numerous #1 hits on the Hot 100 from three separate albums. This came after the release of the “Die For You” remix ft. Ariana Grande, which spread across TikTok and propelled to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 a week after its release. Guinness credits the song’s success and massive streaming numbers for boosting The Weeknd to the title of most popular artist. 

Besides The Weeknd’s world record, he has a few projects in the world right now. Along with the controversial HBO series The Idol, which has been under scrutiny following a report from Rolling Stone, he’ll make his feature film debut in his first starring role, where he’ll also serve as a writer and producer. Little information surrounding the movie is available but perhaps, we’ll find him breaking another Guinness World Record when he makes his official foray in the film world. 

The Weeknd Ties Michael Jackson’s “Billboard” Record

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The Weeknd has tied Michael Jackson’s Billboard record for having multiple No. 1 hits that stem from three separate albums. According to the outlet, Michael Jackson earned multiple No. 1 hits on his albums Off The Wall in 1979, Thriller in 1982, and Bad in 1987. The Weeknd has now achieved multiple No. 1 hits on 2015’s Beauty Behind The Madness, 2016’s Starboy, and 2020’s After Hours.

The Weeknd earned his seventh No. 1 on Monday after he and Ariana Grande’s duet “Die For You” jumped to the top of the Hot 100 chart. The song is featured on The Weeknd’s album, Starboy. The Weeknd reacted to achieving the feat on Instagram, Tuesday, sharing the news with a star emoji in the caption.

The Weeknd & Ariana Grande

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 27: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) (EDITORS NOTE: This image has been retouched) (L-R) In this image released on May 27, The Weeknd and Ariana Grande perform onstage at the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards at The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, which was broadcast live on FOX on May 27, 2021. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)

The new feat is far from the first historic Billboard accomplishment The Weeknd has achieved. With the release of Dawn FM, he earned 24 songs on the Global 200 chart, six of them coming from the album. Those included “Sacrifice,” “Take My Breath,” “Gasoline,” “Out of Time,” as well as “Is There Someone Else?” and “How Do I Make You Love Me?.” It was the first time a male artist had ever done so. Kanye West and Drake have both come close, however, with 23 and 22, respectively. The Weeknd has also broken the all-time record for most monthly global listeners among all artists on Spotify.

The Weeknd was even compared to Michael Jackson by Timbaland in 2022, following the release of Dawn FM. “Yo… this album different y’all. This shit right here, this on some Thriller shit,” the iconic producer said at the time on social media. “Trust me when I tell you. And the way he dropped this shit, yo. Congrats, this shit is amazing.” The video went viral with people arguing both sides of the opinion.

The Weeknd’s Response

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DJ Envy Says Irv Gotti Owes Him $10,000 For A Record He Produced Years Ago

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It seems like artists and producers are recently trying to get back what they’re owed. DJ Envy said Irv Gotti never paid him $10,000 for a record he produced years ago. Moreover, he told the story while Jess Hilarious spoke of her contract and payment issues with Master P. Furthermore, the Breakfast Club hosts and Hilarious broke down their individual situations and spoke on their circumstances.

“I produced a record … [Gotti] definitely owe me $10,000,” Envy said on the popular radio show on Thursday (February 23). “Me and [DJ] Mono produced a record for Murder Inc. back in the day. I got my front end and I never got the back end. They was just like ‘keep it moving.’ So I kept it moving.” According to TMZ, Envy and Mono split the original payment between themselves, since Gotti never paid them the owed $10K. Also, continuing on that lane, Jess Hilarious spoke about her own contract issues with Master P.

DJ Envy Addresses The Irv Gotti Situation

“Basically, it all boils down to this,” she began, taking the time to explain another one of P’s contract issues. “Fat Trel said that he was promised by Master P that he would be put in a Menace II Society sequel that never came to fruition. I do believe him because that man will talk a good game to you. Even with me, I Got the Hook Up. I’m still owed [$15,000] for that. I’m not gon’ lie. I ain’t gon’ lie.”

However, the No Limit boss refuted these claims via various Instagram and interview statements. “For the cowards hiding behind their computers enforcing fake news, I do have @jesshilarious_official contract from 5 years ago for I Got The Hook Up 2 and the copy of the check that was cashed and paid,” he wrote on social media. “She was joking about a second check that was never in her contract. That’s the narrative they ran with for clickbait and fake headlines. Thank God for receipts!” Regardless of your take, check back in with HNHH for the latest on DJ Envy, Irv Gotti, and updates in these business stories.

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Jay-Z Honors LeBron James Ahead Of All-Star Game

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Jay-Z paid tribute to LeBron James ahead of the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. The legendary Los Angeles Lakers star recently passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time scorer. Jay-Z spoke about his “excellence” during a video played for Sunday night’s game in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“Being able to perform at a high level for a long period of time, that’s excellence,” Jay-Z said. “Long after you’re gone, people may look at your name and like, ‘That’s what greatness is. There’s not many you can compare LeBron to. A 19-time All-Star, a remarkable feat. The all-time leading scorer, all-time! I mean, what can you say? He’s been through many iterations of the game and in each era, he’s been the best. ‘The Chosen One’ and that’s it.”

Jay-Z’s Tribute

Jay-Z added that he’s excited to see the rest of the players take the court as well. “The players, they’re super excited to play with one another,” he said. “The league is in a great place right now. Every team has major stars, amazing, amazing performers.”

LeBron James passed Abdul-Jabbar’s record earlier this month during a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. At the time, a number of celebrities congratulated James including Drake, Magic Johnson, and more.

James ended up being injured during the All-Star Game after going up for a block attempt early in the second quarter. He finished with 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting and four assists. The status of his finger is unclear at this point, although James says he’ll be fine. “I’ll be fine. I don’t think it’s too much to worry about,” he said afterward. The Lakers’ next game will be Thursday against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena. The team is ranked 13th in the Western Conference at 27-32. As for the rest of the All-Star Game, Team Giannis defeated Team LeBron 184-175. Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum was named the Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP. He finished with a record-breaking 55-points on 22-for-31 from the field with 10 rebounds and six assists. Post Malone and 21 Savage also performed at the event earlier in the night.

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SZA Ties Whitney Houston’s Billboard Record

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SZA’s newest album SOS tied Whitney Houston’s record for the longest-running R&B album at Billboard‘s No. 1 spot. Moreover, SOS just accomplished seven weeks atop their 200 album chart, which Houston did with her 1987 sophomore album, Whitney. While that album was the first R&B by a woman to reach the top spot, the new generation also pushed boundaries.

AUSTIN, TEXAS – OCTOBER 07: SZA performs during weekend one of 2022 ACL Music Festival at Zilker Park on October 07, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Erika Goldring/WireImage)

Furthermore, SOS is the longest-running No. 1 album by a woman since Adele’s 25 in 2016. Additionally, it’s the first album to spend at least seven weeks straight on the charts since Disney’s Encanto soundtrack in March of 2022. Moreover, the last R&B or hip-hop album to do so was Drake’s 2018 album Views, which spent 13 non-nonsecutive weeks at No. 1.

Overall, the TDE artist’s success is nothing short of astounding. For example, the new album garnered over 400 million streams for the biggest first-week album streams ever in R&B. Also, it’s the second-biggest streaming week of all time for a female artist. With dominant singles like “Kill Bill,” we’re sure that the numbers will keep stacking.

However, it’s not all the 33-year-old has to look forward to. Moreover, her first arena tour starts soon, kicking off in Columbus, Ohio in late February. Later, SZA’s scheduled for 17 shows in total, ending in March in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, SZA also recently teased a collaboration with Miley Cyrus, who just dropped the much-anticipated single “Flowers.” Cyrus also shouted her out for her success, and said she’s looking forward to linking up. Given similar praise from the likes of Taylor Swift and many more, the “Gone Girl” star is dominating the industry. What’s more is that her song even got actress Vivica Fox to want to star in another Kill Bill.

Still, what did you think of SZA and Whitney Houston having some of the longest-running No. 1 albums in R&B? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news on SZA, chart numbers, and amazing voices in R&B.

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Kirk Cousins Details Halftime Scene After Record-Breaking Comeback Win

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Kirk Cousins recalled the inspiration Patrick Peterson gave the Vikings during halftime while the team was down 33-0 to the Colts on Saturday. Minnesota ended up coming back to win the game in overtime, making for the largest comeback in NFL history.

“There was belief,” Cousins told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. “Patrick Peterson said all we needed was five touchdowns. I thought he was being sarcastic. Obviously, there was some yelling, there was some frustration but that doesn’t just happen. Basic people don’t do that, what we just did.”

LANDOVER, MARYLAND – NOVEMBER 06: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates after the Wikings defeated the Washington Commanders 20-17 at FedExField on November 06, 2022 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

“It was a nice little moment for me to lead into,” head coach Kevin O’Connell further said of the moment. “I said, ‘Pat you’re exactly right.’ That’s what we needed at the time. It was probably the most motivated I’ve been to challenge our players, so they just knew that regardless of the outcome today, that first half was not good enough. It will never be acceptable to have that type of performance, regardless of the outcome today.”

The first half concluded with home fans booing their own team off the field.

Cousins finished the game having thrown for 460 yards and four touchdowns. Greg Joseph clinched the win with a 40-yard field goal as time expired in overtime.

The previous largest comeback is owned by the Bills, who beat the Oilers in the 1992 wild card round after trailing by 32. Additionally, the Vikings have now won 10 one-score games, tying the most such wins in a season in NFL history.

With their unlikely victory, the Vikings improve to 11-3 while the Colts fall to 4-9-1.

Check out Kirk Cousins’ interview with Tom Pelissero below.

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