Authorities in Los Angeles are probing a shooting incident that occurred outside the lavish Encino residence of music producer Cash XO, known offstage as Amir Esmailian, co-founder of XO Records with Grammy-winning artist The Weeknd.
According to Fox 11 Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Police Department responded to multiple 911 calls around 2:30 a.m. on Monday, reporting gunfire near the 101 Freeway and White Oak Avenue. One caller, identified as the victim, alleged being shot near the guard shack by three armed individuals wearing medical masks and hoodies, who fled after the altercation.
The wounded security guard was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition, where he underwent surgery. Authorities later provided an update stating that he is expected to survive.
Investigators revealed that at least four individuals were inside the residence during the incident, suggesting Esmailian employed the injured guard. The motive behind the shooting remains under investigation.
The shooting has sparked concerns in the community, raising questions about safety and security in affluent neighborhoods like Encino. As authorities continue their inquiries, residents await further updates on the case, hoping for swift justice and increased vigilance.
United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Goodwill Ambassador and multi-platinum global recording artist Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye is allocating another $2 million from his XO Humanitarian Fund toward WFP’s humanitarian response efforts in Gaza. This support will provide over 1,500 metric tons of fortified wheat flour, which can make over 18 million loaves of bread that can help feed more than 157,000 Palestinians for one month.
This funding builds on the original $2.5 million, equivalent to four million emergency meals, that Tesfaye directed to WFP’s Gaza response in December 2023. It provided 820 metric tons of food parcels to feed more than 173,000 Palestinians for two weeks. Additionally, Tesfaye is making an urgent appeal to fans, calling on them to give what they can by donating towards WFP’s efforts in Gaza. More than 1 million Palestinians face catastrophic levels of hunger across Gaza and need urgent support.
“With famine looming in Gaza, Abel’s generous support will provide vital relief for thousands of Palestinian families who battle the grip of hunger every day. We are tremendously grateful for his contribution, compassion and for his unwavering advocacy for WFP and the people of Palestine,” said WFP’s Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe Region, Corinne Fleischer.
WFP is providing desperately needed food to over a million people across Gaza each month and is working to re-activate collapsed food systems. Most food is distributed in central and southern Gaza, with food deliveries to the north increasing since March. Around 2,100 metric tons of food parcels and wheat flour have been brought into northern Gaza via land routes and an additional 45 metric tons have been airdropped.
WFP distributes food in U.N. shelters, communities and make-shift camps, including ready-to-eat food, wheat flour and specialized nutritional products for children, as well as pregnant and nursing mothers. It also supports over 100 community kitchens and aims to provide 500,000 hot meals daily. WFP is helping bakeries become operational again, supplying four bakeries in the north and 12 bakeries in central and southern Gaza with wheat flour, fuel, yeast, salt and sugar.
Joe Budden is always looking for the angle. He’s been chronicling the feud between Drake, Future and Metro Boomin on his podcast, and he thinks the next chess moves will be made on the road. The former rapper theorized that Future and Metro Boomin will purposely schedule their tour in an effort to ruin the attendance for Drake’s upcoming OVO fest in Toronto. He went as far as to say that the duo will enlist the help of another Canadian superstar, The Weeknd, to drive the point home.
Budden noticed that Future and Metro’s Toronto date may line up with the same weekend as OVO Fest. If true, he’s confident Drake will push the dates back. “If The Weeknd comes out on that Future tour stop,” he noted. “I have Drake moving that weekend. He’s moving the weekend.” The rest of the podcast panel hated Budden’s theory. Regardless, he stood his ground. “This wouldn’t be the first time he moved OVO fest,” he added. “I don’t think there’s any shame in that when you spend as much money and as much manpower to put this weekend together.”
Joe Budden insisted that The Weeknd was the key artist in this game of concert chicken. He believes if the “Starboy” singer shows up to the Future show, it will take the wind out of Drake’s sails. His rationale is that Weeknd is a bigger artist. “I would think that the second day of OVO Fest has a greater turnout the day there’s not a Future show,” he posited. “Cuse that’s a weekend. That’s a whole weekend.”
The feud between these artists is not letting up. Firstly, Future and Metro dropped the “Like That” remix with more Drake disses. Secondly, The Weeknd crooned a few disses on the duo’s song “All to Myself.” Future also guested on Nardo Wick’s “Back to Back,” which saw him mock Drake using his own song titles. It’s safe to assume these artists will be performing their diss records in Toronto. If Drake does decided to move forward with OVO fest the same weekend, however, fans will be forced to pick sides. Things could get messy. To use Joe Budden’s own words: “let’s see.”
Drake and The Weeknd are widely considered as two of Canada’s biggest musical superstars and for good reason. Both have proven over and over again that they know how to make impactful pieces of art. Early on their careers, most know that they were close and helping each other make it in the industry. However, when it came down to Drake looking to eventually sign The Weeknd to OVO, it did not work out for Drizzy. Abel made it clear back then that he felt he could still become a force and sure enough that decision paid dividends tenfold.
Following that, there has always been speculation that they had some sort of beef because of that indifference. Lately, those suspicions have turned out to be true, as The Weeknd made it clear on “All to Myself.” The WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU cut off Metro Boomin and Future’s most recent album, heard him say how happy he was for that decision. “I thank God that I never signed my life away… They shooters makin’ TikToks / Got us laughin’ in the Lambo (Yeah).” Drake recently responded to that diss on his fiery, 20 versus 1 response “Push Ups (Drop & Give Me Fifty).”
With all of that in mind, some people’s minds might be persuaded to think that Drake may be the good guy here. A clip from Drake’s viral interview with Rap Radar about four years ago resurfaced in which he addressed not being able to sign The Weeknd. In it, The Boy says that he personally never had any ill will toward the R&B icon, but that some others on the OVO label did. He also expressed that he was always “super happy” and “excited” for him. However, most fans were not drinking the Kool-Aid. “U could tell he was mad with his lyin ahhh,” one person wrote. “I’d be mad too if I didn’t sign the biggest artist in the world,” another added.
What are your thoughts on Drake and his comments about being “super happy” for The Weeknd? Do you think there is some underlying thoughts of “what could have been,” why or why not? How do you think his career would have looked if he signed with OVO? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Drake and The Weeknd. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the music world.
People who work behind the scenes often try to stay out of the spotlight. However, their modest popularity certainly does not diminish their importance and influence. One such figure is Cash XO, a luminary figure in the entertainment industry who manages one of music’s biggest stars, The Weeknd. While some are familiar with his name and works, a significant amount of people are unaware of who Cash XO is.
Following a name drop on Drake’s unconfirmed diss track, Cash’s name is currently making media rounds. Since the track was leaked, it has stirred up significant internet discourse. While the rappers Drake allegedly disses are easily recognizable, some listeners have wondered who the Cash he mentions is. Here’s a look at who Cash XO is, and why Drake supposedly dissed him.
ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 17: Cash XO, Doe Boy, Future, Drake, Young Scooter and Gunna attend The Future: A Gentlemans Club at a private location on November 17, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.(Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)
Cash XO was born Amir Esmailian on December 28, 1983 in Tehran, Iran. At the age of five in 1988, Esmailian and his family fled the country due to conflicts arising from the Iran-Iraq war. They eventually made their way to Ottawa, Canada, where Amir Esmailian was raised. Growing up, he enjoyed music like most people. However, there was certainly no telling how much of a big deal he would end up becoming in the music industry.
At the age of 19 in 2003, he got his first significant job in the industry. He was hired as the head of street promotion for Capital Prophets label, kickstarting his career before his twenties. By 2007, he stepped into a managerial role, serving as co-manager for Palestinian-Canadian rapper Belly. However, it was in 2011 that his life significantly changed after a friend shared some tracks by The Weeknd with him. Since then, Amir “Cash” Esmailian has built a reputable career and legacy with the singer.
As aforementioned, Cash XO first heard of The Weeknd in 2011. Soon after, he moved to Toronto, Canada to link up with the singer. Since then, Cash XO has managed the “Blinding Lights” singer and they have risen in the music industry together. They are both co-founders of XO Records which was established in 2012. In addition, Cash XO is a producer and songwriter. He has credits on songs by prominent artists, including The Carters, Future, and Travis Scott, among others.
Speaking to Complex in 2017, Cash XO said, “I live, breathe, sleep, eat, shit XO.” That just goes to show his dedication to both The Weeknd and XO Records. For his work and undeniable influence, Cash XO has been recognized as a power player in the industry several times. He made it into Billboard’s “40 Under 40: Music’s Young Power Players” list of 2015. In 2024, he was also one of the names included in Billboard’s “Power 100” list. Cash XO is an important figure in The Weeknd’s life, and has been instrumental in his ascent.
TORONTO, ON – AUGUST 05: (L-R) OVO Chubbs and Amir Cash Esmailian attend the Drake And Lebron James Pool Party In Toronto For Caribana 2017 on August 5, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Remy Martin)
On April 14, 2024, an alleged Drake diss track titled “Push Ups” leaked online, leading to debates on whether the song is real or AI. However, since then, Drake has seemingly acknowledged that it was, indeed, his real response, even if it didn’t land an official release.
On the song, the rapper took shots at everyone, including Cash XO. “Y’all nigga manager was Chubbs lil’ blunt runner,” he raps, suggesting that Cash once used to work under Drake’s head of security. “Claim the 6ix and you boys ain’t even come from it/ And when you got rich, you had to run from it,” he continues, implying that, despite claiming Toronto, they didn’t actually come up from the city nor did they stay once they saw further success. Then, he drops specific names. “Cash blowin’ Abel bread out here trickin’/ Shit we do for bitches he doin’ for n***as… Spend it like you tryna fuck, boy, you trippin’, boy, you trippin‘” he spits, alleging that Cash wastes The Weeknd’s money on other men. Obviously, Cash XO did not diss Drake himself. However, it’s no surprise the manager has been dragged into it as feuds are very often messy and without rules.
With both WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOUand WE DON’T TRUST YOU out now, fans are going to compare which record is better. Some may even go song for song and debate which is better. One matchup that will be tough for many to choose a winner for are the self-titled openers. They are very different instrumentally, but both do set the tone tremendously for their respective tracklists.
At the end of the day, it comes down to personal preference, but Metro Boomin, Future, and The Weeknd certainly did their thing. “We Still Don’t Trust You” sees the St. Louis producer go into a lane he has not dabbled in since 2020. There is heavy synth pop inspiration, and it sounds like something he helped craft for The Weeknd on After Hours. The consistent criticism from the community about this track so far has been the lack of substance from Future and The Weeknd.
Listen To “We Still Don’t Trust You” By Metro Boomin, Future, & The Weeknd
For us though, the intro on this album is looking to be more cinematic and otherworldly and the minimal contributions from the superstars works in this case. MIKE DEAN is also back in the booth with Metro and we can definitely hear his transcendent synths across the instrumental. We are also enjoying this because Metro is exploring different sounds and building on something he got a bit of start on four years ago. After hearing what he can do across an entire album, we would love to see Metro continue to experiment with it.
What are your thoughts on this brand-new song “We Still Don’t Trust You” by Future, Metro Boomin, and The Weeknd? Is this the best track from either WE DON’T TRUST YOU or WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU, why or why not? Out of all of The Weeknd’s guest appearances is this his strongest one, why or why not? Is this their best collaboration after hearing this? Which album are bumping more right now? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Future, Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, and WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the music world.
Quotable Lyrics:
And the Paris girls, they sing my song with love In the stadium is where I feel at home I forgot the feeling of arena shows And she love the stage, it got her sexual Electricity, transparency, higher than we will ever be I am loving our chemistry
Future and Metro Boomin’s second collaborative LP of 2024, WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU, is a more R&B-inspired effort than its predecessor, and who better to tap to give the album these ethereal vibes than Abel Tesfaye himself? Moreover, the “Low Life” trio comes together yet again on “All To Myself,” on which both Fewtch and The Weeknd provide some compelling and passionate vocal performances. As for the St. Louis beat wizard, his patient drums, dreamy synth pads, and cavernous guitar solos make for a truly intoxicating vibe that the lead vocalists fit perfectly. Honestly, never mind the alleged Drake diss that the XO boss includes here: this would still be one of the most notable, complete, and chemistry-filled cuts on the whole project.
In fact, this is a pretty tall order considering that The Weeknd also appears on WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU‘s title track (and music video). In comparison to that cut, though, the feature here is much more fleshed-out, compact, and specifically spotlit for the Canadian superstar. He follows Future’s lyrical themes of needing a partner all to himself, and their vulnerable lyrics on the matter, while sometimes too sappy, really fit the tone of the instrumentation on “All To Myself” quite well. Not only that, but this also showcases their vocal chemistry in a really cohesive and complementary way. Whereas Pluto’s croons are low and husky, the “Faith” singer soars high in his range. Also, they handle various flows quite seamlessly, and some extra embellishments like evolving drums and new timbres and melodies mean that Metro also does his part to craft this song dynamically.
Future & Metro Boomin’s “All To Myself” With The Weeknd: Stream
Meanwhile, as Future, Metro Boomin, and The Weeknd are seemingly responding to all the Drake drama, we can only guess as to where these artists will go from here. If you haven’t heard “All To Myself” yet or the rest of WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU, find them on your preferred streaming service or check this specific song out above on YouTube. Down below, you can find some notable lines and the comments section for you to drop your thoughts on these releases. For the latest great music drops around the clock, check back in with HNHH.
Quotable Lyrics Baby don’t smoke, but she roll my blunts You keep me charged, keep your word a bond Ain’t no more problems, they overdone You gave me life when my heart was numb
The rap game is a blood bath this weekend. Three weeks after the release of Future and Metro Boomin‘s collaborative album We Don’t Trust You, Drake seemingly responded to the album’s Kendrick Lamar-assisted “Like That,” on which, Lamar is thought to have dissed Drake and J. Cole. Earlier today (April 13), A track by Drake called “Push Ups” surfaced online. Certain lines from the song were interpreted as subliminal shots toward Lamar, Metro, The Weeknd, and Rick Ross. While the song garnered much buzz, Drake may not get the last laugh in this ongoing war of words.
Hours after “Push Ups” leaked online, Ross shared “Champagne Dreams,” which is thought to be a response toward Drake. Though Ross doesn’t call out Drake by name, the song features an audio clip from an interview with Drake, during which, he praises Ross. But now, it appears idols have turned rivals.
Throughout the song, Ross seemingly refers to Drake as “white boy.” He also seems to accuse him of leaking “Push Ups” to generate buzz online.
But in one of the more shocking accusations, Ross implies that Drake got a nose job, as a means to fit in with Eurocentric beauty norms.
“You ain’t never want to be a n***a anyway, n***a /. That’s why you had an operation to make your nose smaller than your father nose,” raps Ross.
Drake and Kendrick Lamar’slong-running beef that dates back to the latter infamous “Control” verse, which had the rap game in a frenzy, is now at its breaking point. Things heated up when Kendrick made a surprise appearance on Future and Metro Boomin’sWe Don’t Trust You track “Like That” and delivered several lines at Drake. They include: “F*ck sneak dissin’, first-person shooter, I hope they came with three switches,” “Motherf*ck the big three, n****, it’s just big me,” and “‘Fore all your dogs gettin’ buried / That’s a K with all these nines, he gon’ see Pet Sematary.”
Since then, Drake has hinted at a response to Kendrick’s disses, and today he finally delivered. Drake’s response seemingly leaked today, but the intention with the release became much clearer when Drake returned with the official version of the track (with some help from Akademiks). The track, allegedly called “Push Ups (Drop & Give Me 50)” (or something along those lines), aims at not only Kendrick Lamar, but The Weeknd, Future, Rick Ross, Ja Morant (allegedly), Travis Scott (seemingly), and Metro Boomin. It’s floating around throughout social media, so head over to Twitter/X if you haven’t heard it yet. Nonetheless, a lot is going on throughout this 4-minute track, so let’s break down which lines are disses and who they’re aimed at.
Kendrick Lamar
Drake and Kendrick’s beef goes back to the “Control” days (see the history here), so with years of animosity built up, Drake used this moment to fire off on Kendrick. The point is, there are a lot of lines directed at Kendrick. Check them out below:
A response to Kendrick Lamar’s Got 2TEEZ with me, I’m snatchin’ chains and burnin’ tattoos, it’s up” line on “Like That”:
You won’t ever take no chain off of us
How the f*ck you big steppin’ with a size seven men’s on?
and
I be with some bodyguards like Whitney
A possible claim that Kendrick Lamar allegedly had to give 50% to his former label TDE:
Extortion baby, whole career you been shook up
‘Cause Top told you drop and give me fifty like some push-ups, huh
Your last one bricked, you really not on sh*t
They make excuses for you ’cause they hate to see me lit
Pull your contract ’cause we gotta see the split
The way you doin’ splits, bitch, your pants might rip
You better do that motherf*ckin’ show inside the bitty
Maroon 5 need a verse, you better make it witty
Then we need a verse for the Swifties
Top say drop, you better drop and give ’em fifty
Claims that Kendrick is not in any “big three”:
You ain’t in no Big Three, SZA got you wiped down
Travis got you wiped down, Savage got you wiped down
Wordplay with Kendrick’s former labels TDE & Aftermath:
Like your label, boy, you in the scope right now
And you gon’ feel the aftermath of what I write down
A response to Kendrick Lamar’s “Your best work is a light pack/N****, Prince outlived Mike Jack’, n****, bum” line on “Like That”:
What’s a prince to a king? He a son, n****
Another diss, this time aimed at Kendrick’s support in his hometown of Compton, CA:
Get more love in the city that you from, n****
Drake letting us know the beef did not start with “Like That”:
And that f*ckin’ song y’all got did not start the beef with us
This sh*t been brewin’ in a pot, now I’m heatin’ up
I don’t care what Cole think, that Dot sh*t was weak as f*ck
A request for Kendrick to drop his rumored diss at Drake:
You had a song for four years, drop that sh*t and shut your mouth
Future
Drake and Future were once frequent collaborators, but something went wrong in their friendship that led to a war of words that produced two albums and an Avengers-type formation of artists who also seem to have issues with Drake. After Future took aim at Drake on We Don’t Trust You and We Still Don’t Trust You, Drake fired off a bunch of responses on his new diss track:
A response to Future’s “You a n**** number one fan, dog/Sneak dissin’, I don’t understand, dog/Pillowtalkin’, actin’ like a fed, dog/I don’t need another fake friend, dog” line on “We Don’t Trust You”:
I could never be nobody number-one fan
Your first number one, I had to put it in your hand
Metro Boomin
Similar to Future, Drake and Metro were once frequent collaborators, but their relationship also burned to a crisp. There’s not too much directed at Metro on this track, aside from this line:
Metro, shut your hoe ass up and make some drums, n****
Travis Scott
With his two features on We Don’t Trust You, it seems like Travis Scott may have picked his side. Even before the album’s release, that seemed evident when Travis begged Future and Metro to play a preview of “Like That” during their Rolling Loud California headlining set. Drake seemingly caught on to this and issued a reply on his new record:
Rolling Loud stage, y’all were turnt, that was slick as hell
Sh*t’ll probably change if your BM start to kiss and tell
Rick Ross
Drake and Rick Ross’ friendship seemed like it would never break as the two delivered numerous collaborations over the years, including “Stay Schemin” and “Gold Roses.” Things have changed as Rick Ross not only hopped on Future & Metro Boomin’s We Don’t Trust You track “Everyday Hustle,” but shared an Instagram Story of his driving with Kendrick Lamar’s verse on “Like That” playing. Naturally, Drake had some thoughts on that:
I might take your latest girl and cuff her like I’m Ricky
Can’t believe he jumpin’ in, this n**** turnin’ fifty
Every song that made it on the chart, he got from Drizzy
Spend that lil’ check you got and stay up out my business
Worry ’bout whatever goin’ on with you and (Uh)**
**The leaked version of the song had “Diddy” in place of “Uh.”
Ja Morant
This one seems a bit random, but it appears that Drake took a slight jab at Ja Morant after the former was seen with Brooklyn Nikole (Latto’s sister) Latto’s sister and Morant’s ex.
Ayy, shoutout to the hooper that be bustin’ out the griddy
We know why you mad, n****, I ain’t even trippin’
— The Pettiest Laker Fan (@ThePettiestLA) April 13, 2024
The Weeknd
Just like Kendrick, Drake and The Weeknd’s beef is more than ten years old, though they’ve seemingly attempted to patch things up over the years. This is not one of those times as The Weeknd fired off a few lines at Drake on “All To Myself” from Future & Metro Boomin’s We Still Don’t Trust You. In response, Drake dissed The Weeknd, his managers, and the whole XO label:
Yeah, I’m the 6ix god, I’m the frontrunner
Y’all n**** manager was Chubbs lil’ blunt runner
Claim the 6ix, and you boys ain’t even come from it
And when you boys got rich, you had to run from it
Cash blowin’ Abel bread, out here trickin’ (Out here trickin’)
Shit we do for bitches he doin’ for n****s (What the fuck?)
Jets, whips, chains, wicked, wicked, wicked (Wicked, wicked)
Spend it like you tryna f*ck, boy, you trippin’, boy, you trippin’
and
Hugs and kisses, man, don’t tell me ’bout no switches
Stay tuned for more as this rap battle is just getting started.
(@big_business_) 
(@ThePettiestLA)