SERENA WILLIAMS

Drake Admitted He Wrote This Song About Serena Williams, Even Though It Featured Rihanna

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Since May, Kendrick Lamar made it impossible to mention Drake outside the context of his feud with Kendrick Lamar, which Lamar pretty unanimously won. This week, Drake provided plenty of new talking points by uploading three unreleased songs — “It’s Up” featuring 21 Savage and Young Thug, “Housekeeping Knows” featuring Latto, and “Blue Green Red” — alongside various unreleased content from his past archives. The dump is known as “100 Gigs,” billed as “100 gigs for your headtop.”

People have latched onto one behind-the-scenes video in particular, reposted on X (formerly Twitter) by someone named Ahmed.

In the video, Drake is seen in the studio smoking a hookah while “Too Good” plays. “This is more about me and Serena,” Drake said, referencing tennis GOAT Serena Williams. “It’s funny because when I make songs about women, I also make songs for them, so I know what kind of song to make — if I’m gonna talk about them, I’ll at least do them the justice of making them a song that they like.”

He continued, “So, I know Serena very well, and I know that she’ll hear it loud and clear, but she’ll also not hate me for it because it’s light-hearted.”

Drake was speaking to his mother, Sandi Graham, who was off-camera. She added, “And she is seeing someone else.” Drake exasperatingly responded, “I don’t know, Mom.”

“Too Good” featuring Rihanna, another one of Drake’s exes, was released in early 2016. Drake’s newly released video did not come with a date, but he was briefly rumored to be romantically involved with Williams in 2015. Williams was linked to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, her husband of nearly seven years, by late 2015.

We already knew at least one song was aimed at Williams, at least partially. On “Middle Of The Ocean” from Drake and 21 Savage’s 2022 joint album Her Loss, Drake rapped, “Sidebar, Serena, your husband a groupie / He claim we don’t got a problem but / No, boo, it is like you comin’ for sushi.” Ohanian appeared to respond by writing on X, “The reason I stay winning is because I’m relentless about being the absolute best at whatever I do — including being the best groupie for my wife & daughter.”

Last month, Williams hosted the 2024 ESPY Awards and playfully shaded Drake during her opening monologue.

“If I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that none of us — not a single one of us, not even me — should ever pick a fight with Kendrick Lamar,” the 23-time grand slam singles champion said. “He will make your hometown not like you. The next time Drake sits courtside at a [Toronto] Raptors game, they’re gonna Forrest Gump him. ‘Seat’s taken!’”

Drake Reveals His Rihanna Collaboration, “Too Good,” Is About Serena Williams

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Drake has confirmed that his 2016 collaboration with Rihanna, “Too Good,” was inspired by Serena Williams. The news comes from a behind-the-scenes video of the Toronto rapper explaining the song to his mother that was included in his release of 100 gigabytes of material on Tuesday. He originally dropped “Too Good” on the tracklist to his album, Views.

“It’s funny because when I make songs about women, I also make songs for them. So, I know what kind of song to make. If I’m gonna talk about them, I’ll at least do them the justice of making them a song that they’ll like,” Drake says in the video. “I know Serena very well and I know that she’ll hear it loud and clear but not hate me for it because it’s lighthearted.” His mom doesn’t seem surprised to learn the song takes inspiration from Williams.

Read More: Drake Collaborator BNYX Calls Out Serena Williams’ “Not Like Us” Dance And Deems Song “Old & Corny”

Drake Attends Serena Williams’ US Open Match In 2015

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 11: Drake attends Serena Williams’ semi-final on day twelve of the 2015 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 11, 2015 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/GC Images)

When The Neighborhood Talk reposted the clip on Instagram, fans in the comments section were highly critical. One user wrote: “He’s spiraling somebody in his contacts better check on him. Dropping these videos years later is giving obsessed. Rhianna nor Serena are thinking about you…” Another user remarked: “He definitely going through a midlife crisis.” Check out the full video below.

Drake Speaks On The Making Of “Too Good”

In addition to that video, Drake shared three new singles. They include “It’s Up,” featuring Young Thug and 21 Savage, “Blue Green Red,” and “Housekeeping Knows,” featuring Latto. Fans quickly began theorizing that 21’s verse takes aim at Kendrick Lamar. Be on the lookout for further updates on Drake on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Serena Williams Gets Back At Drake With Some Kendrick Lamar “Not Like Us” Praise

[Via]

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Serena Williams Receives Apology From Paris Restaurant After Being Denied Entry

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Tennis legend Serena Williams has been in Paris for the last eleven days. She is one of the many celebrities in the country for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Over the weekend, she went out to eat with her children at The Peninsula Paris, a fine dining restaurant attached to one of the most esteemed hotels in the city.

Williams took to X (formerly Twitter) to make her issues with her treatment by the restaurant known. “Yikes @peninsulaparis I’ve been denied access to rooftop to eat in a empty [sic] restaurant of nicer places but never with my kids,” Williams wrote, sharing a photo of the sign for the luxury hotel. “Always a first. #Olympic2024.” On Monday evening, The Peninsula Paris issued an apology, reaffirming that Williams is always welcome in their restaurant. They also explained their reasoning for turning Williams away, adding that the empty tables she saw were all reserved ahead of time.

Read More: Serena Williams Roasts Drake While Dancing To “Not Like Us” At ESPYs

Serena Williams Receives Apology From Peninsula Paris Restaurant

After Serena Williams’ original post, fans of hers showed support, especially since she was with her children. Some even accused the restaurant of racism. The Peninsula Paris’ response suggests that Williams being declined was done with much less malicious intent than some of her fans initially believed. Of course, their response also drew a mixed reaction. Some praised the restaurant for honoring the prior reservations made. On the opposite end, one of the top replies to their post asked why they didn’t tell her that while she was there. The implication in that tweet being the restaurant’s statement is more of an attempt at damage control than an accurate telling of events.

As the Olympics enter their final few days, many of the major sports have started to wind down. Gymnastics and swimming concluded over the weekend, while the final track events are set for Thursday. Fans saw Williams most at the gymnastics events, cheering on the Simone Biles-led USA women’s team as they all collected medals. Hopefully, her next visit to The Peninsula Paris goes a lot better than the last one did.

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Serena Williams Calls Out Restaurant in Paris for Denying Her a Table

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Serena Williams is calling out a restaurant in Paris after numerous tables appeared empty.

“Yikes @PeninsulaParis I’ve been denied access to rooftop to eat in a empty restaurant of nicer places 🫠but never with my kids,” Williams wrote. “Always a first. 🙄 #Olympic2024.”

The restaurant issued a response, “Dear Mrs. Williams, Please accept our deepest apologies for the disappointment you encountered tonight. Unfortunately, our rooftop bar was indeed fully booked and the only unoccupied tables you saw belonged to our gourmet restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc, which was fully reserved.

“We have always been honored to welcome you and will always be to welcome you again. The Peninsula Paris.”

The post Serena Williams Calls Out Restaurant in Paris for Denying Her a Table first appeared on The Source.

The post Serena Williams Calls Out Restaurant in Paris for Denying Her a Table appeared first on The Source.

What Did Serena Williams Say About Drake At The 2024 ESPYs?

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The 2024 ESPY Awards went down last night (July 11), and even there, at a sports event he didn’t attend, Drake was not safe. He’s had a target on his back ever since the Kendrick Lamar feud and success of the “Not Like Us” diss track, and ESPYs host Serena Williams took her shot.

What Did Serena Williams Say About Drake At The 2024 ESPYs?

During her monologue, Williams said, “If I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that none of us, not even me, should ever pick a fight with Kendrick Lamar.” A brief clip of “Not Like Us” then played over the PA and Williams did a bit of dancing. She continued, “He will make your hometown not like you. The next time Drake sits courtside at a [Toronto] Raptors game, they’re going to Forest Gump him: ‘Seat’s taken.’”

This comes shortly after Williams spoke at an Essence Festival panel and said of “Not Like Us,”, “I love that song. It’s like the hit of the summer. When they play that jam, I’m jamming.”

Meanwhile, Eminem just addressed Lamar and some other rappers on his new album The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce), saying on “Renaissance,” “Now just travel inside the mind of a hater / ‘Cause I don’t see no fans, all I see’s a bunch of complainers / ‘Kendrick’s album was cool but it didn’t have any bangers’ / ‘Wayne’s album or Ye’s, couldn’t tell you which one was lamer’ / ‘Joyner’s album was corny, Shady’s new sh*t is way worse’ / ‘Everything is either too tame or there’s too much anger’ / ‘I didn’t like the beef so I hated Might Delete Later‘ / You nerdy pricks would find something wrong with 36 Chambers.”

Drake Collaborator BNYX Calls Out Serena Williams’ “Not Like Us” Dance And Deems Song “Old & Corny”

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Drake has been haunted by Kendrick Lamar’s smash hit “Not Like Us.” Overall, this was the biggest song in their beef, and it remains one of the biggest songs in the entire world. Moreover, Kendrick just dropped a music video for the track. If anything, this song still has legs, once and the marching bands get a hold of it during college football season, it will only become that much more popular. Having said all of that, some people are starting to get tired of the song.

Some of this discourse took place last night during the televising of the ESPY Awards. Serena Williams was hosting the show, and at one point, she made a joke about “Not Like Us” and why you should never beef with Kendrick Lamar. She also danced to the song and it was seen as a troll in Drake’s direction. Not everyone was a fan of this bit, including one of the artist’s recent collaborators. Below, you can see that producer BNYX tweeted about Williams, saying “this shit is getting old and corny.”

Read More: Drake Trash Talks Black People Around White People, Lord Jamar Speculates

Drake Gets A Defense

A couple of decades ago, songs would last for months on end. In the streaming era, songs die off extremely fast now. Having said that, it is easy to see why someone might be growing tired of “Not Like Us.” After all, most songs don’t get consistent play for two months straight anymore. However, it’s clear that “Not Like Us” is a bonafide hit and it would have been regardless of the shots at Drake. Good music will always be just that.

Let us know what you think of these comments from BNYX, in the comments section down below. Do you agree that the popularity of the song has gotten out of hand? Do you believe what Serena Williams did at the ESPYs was corny? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.

Read More: Drake Gets A Double Helping Of Pain With “Story Of Adidon” x “6:16 In LA” Mashup

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Serena Williams Roasts Drake While Dancing To “Not Like Us” At ESPYs

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In 2016, Drake hosted the ESPYs. He was praised for his performance and comedic timing. In 2024, however, Serena Williams made the ESPYs an anti-Drake affair. The tennis superstar took the stage during the event and addressed the elephant in the room. She was referenced (positively) in the diss track “Not Like Us,” and she gave the love right back to Kendrick Lamar by dancing to the stage in the middle of her speech. Serena Williams also suggested that Drake is going to have a difficult time living the song down.

Serena Williams was the host for the 2024 ESPYS, so the chances were high that she was going to make a joke about the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar battle. She didn’t waste any time. “If I’ve learned anything this year,” she noted. “Its that none of us should ever pick a fight with Kendrick Lamar…” The song “Not Like Us” then kicked in, and Williams danced while the crowd looked on in delight. The real blow was dealt after the song came to an end, though. Serena Williams then used Drake as an example of what can happen when someone challenges K. Dot. “He will make your hometown not like you,” she explained. “The next time Drake sits courtside at a Raptors game, they’re gonna Forest Gump him, seats taken…”

Read More: Coco Gauff Picks Kendrick Lamar Over Drake Because Of Serena Williams Diss

Serena Williams And Drake Were Romantically Linked For Years

Serena Williams and Drake have a complicated personal history. They were seen together throughout 2011, which is when rumors swirled that the two were dating. Their friendship lasted several years, and the two allegedly left the 2015 US Open semi-finals together. Williams and Drake ended their friendship sometime before 2017, as the former married Alexis Ohanian and welcomed a child. Drake is believed to address the split in the song “Nothings Into Somethings.” The rapper also took aim at Ohanian in “Middle of the Ocean” from 2022. “Sidebar,” he raps. “Serena, your husband a groupie. He claim we don’t got a problem but. No, boo, it is like you comin’ for sushi.”

Serena Williams wasn’t a fan of Drake’s bars. Neither was Kendrick Lamar, evidently. He blasted Drake for talking badly about the tennis icon on the aforementioned “Not Like Us.” The bond between K. Dot and Williams tracks, given their shared Compton upbringing. “I’m glad DeRoz’ came home, y’all didn’t deserve him neither,” Dot spits. “From Alondra down to Central, n**ga better not speak on Serena.” Drake’s trash-talking came back to haunt him, and Williams just handed him another embarrassing moment on a stage he once dominated.

Read More: Serena Williams Has Fans In Awe While Stunning In A Curve-Hugging Black Dress

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Serena Williams Warns ‘None Of Us Should Ever Pick A Fight With Kendrick Lamar’ While Dancing To ‘Not Like Us’ During Her ESPY Awards Monologue

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Kendrick Lamar’s metaphorical beatdown of Drake was so bad, it’s still getting referenced months later in all kinds of contexts outside of hip-hop. For instance, Ken’s fellow Comptonite, Serena Williams, name-dropped him while dancing to his song “Not Like Us” during her monologue as host of the 2024 ESPY Awards.

“If there’s anything I’ve learned this year,” she joked, “it’s that none of us — not even me — should ever pick a fight with Kendrick Lamar.” The show’s DJ took the opportunity to play a clip of the song, allowing Williams the chance to reference one of her own viral moments and do a little C-walk before continuing, “He will make your hometown not like you. The next time Drake is at a Toronto Raptors game, they’re going to Forest Gump him,” she laughed, launching into an approximation of the country bumpkin accent of that film’s protagonist’s bullies. “‘Seat’s taken.’”

It wasn’t the first time she’s referenced the song recently. During a panel at the 2024 Essence Fest, she called “Not Like Us’ the song of the summer (prompting Uproxx’s own Derrick Rossignol to take a swing at identifying all the candidates for that honor). “I love that song,” she said. “It’s like the hit of the summer. When they play that jam, I’m jamming.”

Poor Drake. It wasn’t too long ago, that he was the only makin’ ’em laugh at the ESPYs. Live long enough, you will become the villain (although, again, he brought all this on himself).

Serena Williams Has Fans In Awe While Stunning In A Curve-Hugging Black Dress

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Serena Williams has been having an interesting past couple of months. Overall, much of this has to do with her inclusion in the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef. If you remember, Serena was name-dropped in “Not Like Us.” This was due to the fact that Drake and Serena were rumored to be an item at one point. Moreover, Drizzy has taken shots at Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian. Kendrick clearly did not like that and it let it be known that people should keep Serena’s name out of their mouths.

On top of all of this, there has been discourse online about Serena Williams and her outfit choices. Some fans have even gone after her stylists for not understanding how to style her properly. Well, these criticisms were put to rest recently thanks to the Instagram post below. As you can see, Serena was sporting a form-fitting black dress that hugged her curves in all of the right places. It was a nice change of pace and fans loved it.

Read More: Serena Williams’ Husband Alexis Ohanian Is Team Kendrick Lamar

Serena Williams Has Some Speechless

“The wink was to let yall know, she hear y’all’s cry. She got it together now,” one person wrote. “Whoever the stylist and make up artist do not I repeat DO NOT let them go idc if they got outstanding warrants,” said another. Needless to say, Williams is giving fans exactly what they want right now. Her post-tennis career has been a huge story for a lot of fans, but for now, it seems to be going quite well.

Let us know what you think about Serena Williams and her post-tennis career, in the comments section down below. How did you feel about her shoutout in “Not Like Us?” What did you make of her subsequently giving the song a co-sign? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the entertainment world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite personalities and their projects.

Read More: Coco Gauff Picks Kendrick Lamar Over Drake Because Of Serena Williams Diss

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Serena Williams Calls “Not Like Us” the ‘Hit of the Summer’

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Has the song of the summer debate ever been wrapped up this early? Kendrick Lamar is running a victory lap with “Not Like Us,” and Compton’s own Serena Williams, who was previously romantically linked to Drake, is enjoying it.

Appearing at the ESSENCE Festival, Williams revealed that “Not Like Us” is her jam.

“I love that song. It’s like the hit of the summer. When they play that jam, I’m jamming,” said Williams. “That jam is jamming.”

And that jam gives a shout-out to Williams.

The post Serena Williams Calls “Not Like Us” the ‘Hit of the Summer’ first appeared on The Source.

The post Serena Williams Calls “Not Like Us” the ‘Hit of the Summer’ appeared first on The Source.