Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn, better known as Raygun, sparked a great deal of controversy with her performance at the Paris Olympics. Overall, many social media users accused her of making a mockery of the art and argued that she should have never been allowed to compete in the first place. Evidently, the viral backlash really got to her and even forced her to reconsider her future in breakdancing.
During a recent appearance on The Jimmy & Nath Show, she announced that she’s done with competitive breaking for good. According to her, the hate she received for her inclusion in the Olympics took all the fun out of competing and ultimately led to her decision to quit. She added that while she’ll no longer be competing, she’ll still continue to dance in the privacy of her own home.
“I don’t think people should feel crap about the way they dance,” she explained. “I still break, but I don’t compete. I’m not going to compete anymore.” Raygun’s announcement comes just a couple of months after she issued an apology to the breakdancing community for her controversial performance. “I am very sorry for the backlash that the community has experienced,” she said during her appearance on the Australian talk show The Project. “But I can’t control how people react. Unfortunately, we just need some more resources in Australia for us to have a chance to beat world champions. Historically, unfortunately, we haven’t had the best track record of winning world championships, so I don’t think that’s just on me.”
What do you think of Raygun announcing that she’ll no longer compete after her viral performance at the Olympics? Do you think she made the right decision by quitting or not? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
Joe Budden and his podcast co-hosts discussed the legitimacy of Lil Wayne’s grievances with the NFL after the rapper claimed to have the headlining spot at the Super Bowl Halftime Show “ripped” from him during his appearance at Lil WeezyAna Fest 2024. Despite the next Super Bowl taking place in Wayne’s hometown of New Orleans, Kendrick Lamar will be performing at the event.
“I don’t like when he says this was snatched from me. I don’t like that… We never saw anything where they said you had the Super Bowl. So, what is snatched from you? It was assumed by you and a lot of your fans and a lot of the public,” Ice said on the show. “… That’s not snatched away. That’s entitlement.”
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – NOVEMBER 02: Lil Wayne performs during Lil. Weezyana Fest 2024 at Smoothie King Center on November 02, 2024, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images)
From there, Budden countered that he believes Wayne’s assumption must be based on something behind the scenes. “I think he definitely spoke to Hov or somebody on that board that’s in charge of that, I think they may have told him– laid out a guideline of things that the person they pick has to accomplish and do. I think he might’ve went about trying to check some of the things off that list and maybe he didn’t like how he found out the news that Kendrick was performing.”
The Joe Budden Podcast Discusses Lil Wayne
Check out The Joe Budden Podcast’s full discussion about Lil Wayne and the Super Bowl Halftime Show below. As for Wayne’s initial comments, he said on stage at the festival: “I told myself I wanna be on stage at the Super Bowl in front of my mom and I worked my a** off to get that position. It was ripped away from me but this moment right here… they can’t take this away from me.” Be on the lookout for further updates on Joe Budden on HotNewHipHop.
Joe budden cohost ice says lil Wayne is playing the victim after his recent speech about how the nfl Super Bowl in New Orleans was snatched from him. And how Kendrick Lamar is doing it pic.twitter.com/kEuGVpuQYc
LeBron James is in his 22nd season in the NBA, and has been part of the national basketball consciousness since he was, at least, a junior in high school. His presence as one of the most prominent figures in basketball hasn’t just meant he’s been part of the sports conversation for the last quarter century, but he also became the reference point for basketball in the music world as well.
Similar to Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Allen Iverson, LeBron has been regularly mentioned by artists in the hip-hop world and beyond. You can find hundreds if not thousands of songs that name-drop LeBron, both positively and negatively, and here we wanted to look at 23 notable examples of LeBron’s impact on the music world by way of the lyrics that shout him out, starting from 2003 all the way to 2024.
“Gangsta Sh*t” — G-Unit (2003)
I keep a holster on my shoulder like I’m John Wayne/Shooting these n****s lights out like LeBron James
One of the first LeBron mentions on a track came early in his rookie year in 2003, when Young Buck says he’s shooting like LeBron, which I have to note is a little funny given shooting was the one thing LeBron rather famously wasn’t very good at as a rookie.
“Gettin It In” — Jadakiss ft. Kanye West (2004)
N****s tryna figure out, since Kan’ came/Who the rookie of the year, me or LeBron James?
Kanye West, fresh off the release of “College Dropout” earlier that year, boasts his rookie season is as strong as LeBron’s in his verse on this Jadakiss track.
“Dough Is What I Got” — Lil Wayne (2006)
When it comes down to this recording/I must be LeBron James if he’s Jordan/No, I won rings with my performance/I’m more Kobe Bryant of an artist
Lil Wayne wouldn’t release “Best Rapper Alive” until 2008 on Tha Carter II, but his remix of Jay-Z’s “Show Me What You Got” two years prior asserted that position in the midst of his iconic mixtape run. To illustrate that fact, he made a reference to LeBron but became one of the first artists to use that as a bit of a jab, saying he’s more Kobe than LeBron because he “won rings with my performance.” I’m not sure what the first RINGZ argument was to be used against LeBron, but I have to imagine Lil Wayne doing so three years into James’ career was one of the earliest.
“Make Tha Trap Say Aye” — OJ Da Juiceman ft. Gucci Mane (2008)
Banana donk Chevy interior like the Lakers/LeBron James wrist when I’m f**kin’ with that caper
What did OJ Da Juiceman know in 2008 when he referenced the Lakers and LeBron James in back-to-back lines??? An aside, OJ Da Juiceman is an underrated Atlanta artist, and this isn’t even his best NBA reference off this album (“Nah Ming” is a classic).
“Empire State of Mind” — Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys (2009)
Me? I gotta plug Special Ed, “I Got It Made”/If Jeezy’s payin’ LeBron, I’m payin’ Dwyane Wade
Probably the LeBron reference that pops into most people’s heads first when it comes to a rap lyric. By this point, LeBron had passed Michael Jordan in terms of being synonymous with the number 23 in pop culture. The reference is to Jeezy’s “23, 24” in which he says “I used to pay Kobe (24), but now I pay LeBron (23)” in the chorus, with Jay-Z noting that if Jeezy’s paying 23, he’s just paying Dwyane Wade (3). I have to say, there’s no way this was a profitable venture for Jay-Z’s plug if he was getting bricks for $3,000. Also, in hindsight, it’s kind of wild Jay-Z put this bar down a full year before LeBron left Cleveland for Miami to play with Wade.
“Dead Presidents II” — J. Cole (2009)
I’m nothing like these ho-like rappers, my whole life practice/To be the one, what’s it like to be LeBron
Another artist who has frequently made mention of LeBron (and plenty of other NBA stars), J. Cole compares himself to LeBron with shouldering expectations to be the greatest in this track off 2009’s “The Warm Up”.
“Popular Demand” — Clipse ft. Pharrell and Cam’Ron (2009)
Used to have this white b**ch, she looked like Madonna though/Heard that she f**king LeBron, but s**t, I don’t know/Like that, Bron-Bron? I had that long time ago
As mentioned in the intro, not every LeBron reference was the most positive and this was the time where LeBron fatigue had set in a bit. This one, however, had nothing to do with James’ failures to land a ring by 2009, but instead Pusha T offered up some allegations of impropriety in what I have to imagine is one of LeBron’s least favorite mentions he’s ever gotten.
“Gotta Have It” — Jay-Z and Kanye West (2011)
West: Sorry I’m in pajamas, but I just got off the PJ/And last party we had, they shut down Prive
Jay-Z: Ain’t that where the Heat play? (Yup)/N****s hate ballers these days (Yup)
West: Ain’t that like LeBron James?
Jay-Z: Ain’t that just like D-Wade? Wait
We probably could’ve pulled 23 references about LeBron just by these two, but in their triumphant track off “Watch The Throne”, Jay-Z and West go back-and-forth with a shoutout to the two stars of the Miami Heat at the time.
“Martians vs. Goblins” — The Game ft. Tyler, the Creator and Lil Wayne (2011)
Fall back like LeBron’s hairline against the Mavericks…he lost
Leave it to Tyler, the Creator to have one of the funnier bars about LeBron James, making both a hairline joke and a Heat losing to the Mavs in the Finals joke all in one line on this track with The Game.
“Believe It” — Meek Mill ft. Rick Ross (2012)
I ball hard like LeBron James/And Rozay D-Wade n****
The LeBron/Wade pairing made for a lot of song references in their time in Miami, this time with Meek Mill comparing he and Rick Ross to the Heat duo — these two also are frequent LeBron name-droppers.
“Timber” — Pitbull ft. Kesha (2013)
Club jumpin’ like LeBron now, Voli/Order me another round, homie
One of the biggest songs in terms of popularity to feature a LeBron reference, courtesy of Mr. Worldwide (formerly Mr. 305), who shouts out the then Heat star in one of his biggest hits.
“LeBron James” — Yo Gotti (2013)
I’m LeBron James, you a f**kin rookie
There are a lot of songs that name-check LeBron but Yo Gotti was one of the first major artists to release a song with James’ name as the title, using his name as a main part of the chorus.
“Bitch Better Have My Money” — Rihanna (2015)
Pay me what you owe me/Ballin’ bigger than LeBron
Rihanna was once a regular courtside at NBA games and a noted LeBron fan, so it came as little surprise when she mentioned James in the opening verse of her 2015 hit single.
“Sleep Walking” — Migos (2015)
I’m a fool with the rock like LeBron James
For a time there were few groups that were more prevalent at NBA games and All-Star Weekends than the Migos, and Offset led off their 2015 track with a LeBron mention in the opening verse.
“Trap Trap Trap” — Rick Ross ft. Young Thug and Wale (2017)
Renzel got me all day, I’m Kyrie, he LeBron James
By 2017, the references to James and a fellow star teammate had flipped from Dwyane Wade and LeBron to Kyrie and LeBron, which pops up in another Rick Ross track, this time in Wale’s verse.
“Nonstop” — Drake (2018)
Catch me cause I’m gone (Outta there, I’m gone)/How I go from 6 to 23 like I’m LeBron?
Another artist with plenty of references to LeBron in songs through the years, Drake’s 2018 hit is probably the biggest with a LeBron mention, as he plays off both of LeBron’s numbers from Miami and Cleveland (and L.A.).
“RNP” — Cordae ft. Anderson Paak (2019)
Cordae: I bought a Moncler coat for the times we were broke
Paak: I’ma wear it in the summer on LeBron James’ boat
This might be one of my favorites because it has nothing to do with basketball, it’s just Paak flaunting that his life is dope enough he might get invited to hang out on a yacht with LeBron.
“Disco S**t” — 03 Greedo and Kenny Beats ft. Freddie Gibbs (2019)
Dope game, brought the kilos on the plane/23, LeBron James, got my package on the airline, yeah, now
A decade after Jeezy’s “23, 24” and Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind”, LeBron remained the go-to reference for the number 23 in rap, as Freddie Gibbs proved again on his verse here.
“Está Cabrón Ser Yo” — Bad Bunny and Anuel AA (2020)
LeBron James, cabrón, yo juego toa’ la’ posicione’/Michael Phelps tirao’ pa’ atrá’, nadando en mi’ millone’
LeBron’s influence in the music world isn’t stateside, as he has been regularly mentioned by Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny, including in this 2020 track (along with Michael Phelps).
“All In” — Lil Baby (2020)
I go LeBron when it’s crunch time, it ain’t no holdin’ me
One thing you notice when you lay these lyrics out chronologically is how the narrative around LeBron changed constantly. If someone had rapped “I go LeBron when it’s crunch time” in a song in, say, 2009 it would’ve had a wildly different meaning than in 2020 when Lil Baby said it boastfully.
“Dynamite” — BTS (2020)
Sing-song when I’m walkin’ home/Jump up to the top, LeBron
Further cementing LeBron’s status as a global superstar, he found his way into one of the biggest K-Pop hits with a reference in the opening verse of BTS’ massive 2020 hit.
“The Scenic Route” — Dr. Dre ft. Rick Ross and Anderson Paak (2021)
Ross: In them funny pants, I had a gun in mine
Dre: LeBron James numbers, go ‘head, analyze ’em
By 2021, LeBron had climbed to the top of most pages in the NBA’s record books which Dr. Dre referenced in his boastful track going back-and-forth with Rick Ross.
“Meet The Grahams” — Kendrick Lamar (2024)
Hey, LeBron, keep the family away, hey, Curry, keep the family away
The most sinister of the LeBron mentions comes on Kendrick Lamar’s scathing diss track on Drake from this year, in which he leaves no doubt his feelings on the Toronto star and warns LeBron, Stephen Curry, and others to “keep the family away.”
As Howard University’s 100th Homecoming celebration gets closer, pressure to put on a spotlight-stealing show and live up to the legacy of legendary hip-hop producer, Just Blaze, begins to weigh on the “Showtime” Marching Band and Director Chancellor Mills.
“Make me look good,” Blaze pleads with the band, who look exhausted from rigorous practice in the second video of the Howard Halftime series above. But they are determined to make the mogul proud, one up their rivals, and bring the school’s band program into a new era. Though the reaction to the planned performance is mostly love, Mills has gotten a bit of trepidation from alums worried about “protecting certain traditions.” He’s not deterred though, “This yields an opportunity to say ‘Look, I got it.’”
Blaze, on the other hand, couldn’t be more excited about the collab. “I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life, and didn’t even realize it until now.” He’s not the only person thoroughly anticipating a great performance. Denise Saunders Thompson, Assistant Dean to the Chadwick Boseman College of Fine Arts, takes time out of her busy schedule to meet Mills, Blaze, and the band on the field to complement and encourage their progress. “Were gonna break the internet with this performance,” she tells the group, hoping to manifest this new standard-setting moment with her words.
Check out this and future installments of the series to see if the dream becomes reality.
Cam’ron and Mase discussed the feud between Drake and DeMar DeRozan during the latest episode of their show, It Is What It Is. In doing so, they explained that Drake is justified in feeling offended by the Sacramento Kings star appearing in Kendrick Lamar’s music video for “Not Like Us.” The discussion comes after Drake trolled DeRozan during his return to Toronto, earlier this month, which received mixed responses on social media
Mase began by admitting that DeRozan’s appearance in the “Not Like Us” music video clearly hurt Drake “more than any other person that was there because this is a person that he shares a lot of history with.” He ended by praying that the feud stays “harmless” and that “everyone stays safe.” As for Cam’ron, he made similar comments but admitted DeRozan is from Compton at the end of the day. He also brought up the excited energy at Lamar’s The Pop Out concert. Fans have been having mixed responses to the discussion on X (formerly Twitter), with one user labeling the takes “bland.” Another wrote: “If this was anybody else other than Drake Cam & Mase would’ve been clowning them. Treating him like he’s a toddler lol.”
When DeRozan took on the Toronto Raptors, last Saturday night, Drake hopped on the team’s broadcast to throw some shade his way. Describing DeRozan as a “goof,” he added: “If you ever put up a DeRozan banner, I’ll go up there and pull it down myself.” After the game, DeRozan appeared unbothered by the comment, telling reporters: “He’s going to have a long way to climb to take it down, so tell him good luck.”
Cam’ron & Mase Speak On Drake & DeMar DeRozan
Check out Cam and Mase’s full comments on Drake and DeRozan below. Be on the lookout for further updates on Cam’ron and Mase as well as Drake and DeMar DeRozan on HotNewHipHop.
cam’ron and mase on Itiswhatitis talking about Drake having and demar derozan drama . And should drake feel upset that he was on stage with Kendrick Lamar pic.twitter.com/UqJGmojkj2
The Toronto Raptors retired Vince Carter’s jersey last week, the highest honor the team can give to one of the most iconic players in franchise history. The game happened against the Sacramento Kings, which are the current team of someone else who will probably get his jersey retired by the Raptors some day, DeMar DeRozan.
While the night was all about Carter, there was some tension between DeRozan and noted Raptors fan Drake, which presumably all revolves around DeRozan appearing in the music video for Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” The whole ordeal rubbed former Toronto player Lou Williams the wrong way, which he expressed on FanDuel’s “Run It Back.”
“If I’m gonna speak candidly, I thought that was selfish of Drake,” Williams said. “Drake, as well as the country of Canada, the city of Toronto, they know what DeMar DeRozan has contributed to the culture up there, and what he’s contributed to the Toronto Raptors, and to that community. It goes way bigger than his personal relationship with Drake, it goes way bigger than his personal relationship with Kendrick Lamar. So for Drake to say, ‘If you put up a banner and I’ll personally pull it down,’ it’s like, is it just about you or is it about the Toronto Raptors?”
Drake expressed during the game that if the Raptors put up a DeRozan banner, “I’ll go up there and pull it down myself.” DeRozan was asked to respond to this after the game and told the press that “He gonna have a long way to climb to take it down. So, tell him good luck.” The following day, DeRozan posted a clip from Friday to his Instagram Story, and it’s not hard to read between the lines that he was talking about Drake.
Jason Kelce is more popular on a national scale now than he ever was as an All-Pro center with the Philadelphia Eagles — although, his Super Bowl parade performance cemented his status as a Philly legend. Kelce is on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown now and has a wildly popular podcast with his brother Travis, as the brothers have seen their stardom leap from the sports world to pop culture in general, due in no small part to Travis’ relationship with Taylor Swift that has brought her legions of fans to them.
While there are the obvious benefits of that popularity in the form of massive media deals, there are also the trappings of fame that come with the territory of being immediately recognizable to most any person. On Saturday, Jason was reminded of that when he was in State College for Ohio State-Penn State and had a heckler call Travis a gay slur for dating Swift while holding his phone out recording. That jackass was seeking a reaction and got one in the form of Jason grabbing his phone and spiking it on the ground, with videos from other nearby going viral immediately.
On Monday night, Kelce addressed the incident at the top of Monday Night Countdown and issued an apology, noting that’s not how he wants to act and that he doesn’t want to “greet hate with hate.”
Jason Kelce opens “Monday Night Countdown” with an apology.
“I chose to greet hate with hate, and I just don’t think that’s a productive thing.” pic.twitter.com/9rScqAKpVD
The truth is, the majority of people saw him spike the phone and felt that was an extremely reasonable response, as we need to remind people that there are real consequences to saying vile things — something the internet has made far too easy to do with no repercussions. Still, Kelce felt bad enough about it to issue an apology on national television and seemed very genuinely upset by his own actions, even if the majority of people saw them as defensible.
It seems that any sort of respect between Drake and now-Sacramento Kings wing DeMar DeRozan is gone. The two developed a strong relationship during the latter’s time with the Toronto Raptors. But after appearing at The Pop Out and making a cameo in Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” video, he chose a side in the eyes of many (including Drake’s), even if though he may have meant nothing by it. The all-star spoke pretty confidently that he’s got no ill will toward him despite his moves in supporting K.Dot. But Drake has clearly been feeling some type of way since the rap battle and he let his true emotions get out about it.
While making an appearance during the Raptors home matchup against the Kings this past Saturday, Drizzy joined the broadcast team. It all went down after the local announcers asked about the potential of retiring DeRozan’s jersey as a result of Vince Carter’s now being up in the rafters. Overall, let’s just say the team’s global ambassador is not a fan of the idea. “If you ever put up a DeRozan banner, I’ll go up there and pull it down myself.” DeRozan clapped back later on with a Friday reference on his IG Story. This whole back-and-forth has drawn a lot of reactions from the internet, with people mostly taking both sides.
Wack 100 is one of those folks who’s also offering up his take, but he’s playing the role of mediator instead. In a recent clip, the talent manager had a word to the wise for Drake, essentially warning him to “chill out.” He brought up multiple times that Compton is the “land of gangbanging,” and that DeRozan was right to side with his city instead of Drake up in Canada. His debaters argued against that latter point, citing that they were boys for years. But Wack continued to urge to them that DeRozan’s going to pick his hometown every time. Furthermore, he believes that the NBA veteran is pretty numb (despite his love for Lamar) to this rap feud and that’s why Drake is the only one pressed as a result.
What are your thoughts on Wack 100’s reaction to Drake and DeMar DeRozan’s ongoing feud? Does the manager make solid points, why or why not? Do you think Drizzy is coming across hurt or does DeRozan? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Wack 100, Drake, and DeMar DeRozan. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the worlds of music and sports.
Stephen A Smith referenced Ice Cube’s iconic diss track, “No Vaseline,” to respond to Kevin Durant calling him a “clown” in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday night. “As the great @icecube said in ‘No Vaseline, @KDTrey5 …’Damn I’m glad y’all went and set it off.’ See y’all tomorrow,” Smith wrote. Durant had discussed the ESPN pundit during an interview with The Athletic, earlier in the day.
Fans had mixed responses to Smith standing up for himself in the replies. “He’s right though you always talking from outside the window never played pro ball but always got something to say,” one user wrote. Another joked: “Go on Stephen! Shout em down and tell them how you were 2nd team all league in high school.”
Nov 2, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) dribbles through the screen set by center Jusuf Nurkić (20) in the first half during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images
As for Durant’s comments, he voiced his frustration with Smith and other commentators criticizing his leadership skills. “Yeah, Stephen A., I don’t understand how people even listen to Stephen A.,” he told the outlet. “I’ve been in the league for 18 years, I’ve never seen Stephen A. at a practice, or a film session, or a shoot-around. I’ve never seen him anywhere but on TV talking s— about players. … He’s a clown to me. He’s always been a clown. You can write that, too.”
Stephen A Smith Responds To Kevin Durant
Check out Smith’s full response to Durant on X below. It comes as the Suns improved to 5-1 with a win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night. Their next game will be against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night. Be on the lookout for further updates on Stephen A Smith and Kevin Durant on HotNewHipHop.
Kevin Durant slammed Stephen A. Smith during an interview with The Athletic published on Sunday night, labeling the ESPN pundit a “clown.” Smith has been critical of Durant over the years, but recent comments about his abilities as a leader have particularly irked the Suns star.
“Yeah, Stephen A., I don’t understand how people even listen to Stephen A.,” he told the outlet. “I’ve been in the league for 18 years, I’ve never seen Stephen A. at a practice, or a film session, or a shoot-around. I’ve never seen him anywhere but on TV talking s— about players. … He’s a clown to me. He’s always been a clown. You can write that, too.”
Kevin Durant During The Suns’ Win Over The Trail Blazers
Nov 2, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) and forward Kevin Durant (35) react after a time out late in the second half during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images
Addressing the criticism of his leadership specifically, Durant added: “To say that I’m just sitting here, you paint this picture of me coming into the locker room, not talking to my teammates, quiet, not talking to my coaches,” Durant said. “Like, come on, man. It’s just ridiculous.” Former Suns assistant coach Kevin Young as well as the team’s current head coach, Mike Budenholzer, both defended Durant’s leadership to the outlet. “He set the tone for us as an organization, for us as a team. And it’s not just been by leadership. It’s been his voice,” Budenholzer said. “He’s put his arms around young players, he’s put his arm around veterans. He’s put his arm around me. It’s something that’s important to us. I don’t know if he likes it or knows it, but I’m going to keep pushing him to be his best, in all ways, including as a leader.”
The interview comes as the Suns improved to 5-1 with a win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night. Durant posted 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists in that game. The team’s next contest will be against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night. Be on the lookout for further updates on Kevin Durant and Stephen A. Smith on HotNewHipHop.
