Trinidad James Gives His Take On Megan Thee Stallion & Nicki Minaj Beef

Everyone has something to say about the Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion rap beef, especially their peers in the game. The latest to do so is one Trinidad James, who recently caught up with TMZ at what seems like an airport, and they presumably asked him about the two femcees clashing right now. Overall, he discussed how they are launching personal attacks at one another and their families, but he also brought up hip-hop’s history of lyrical competition. As such, the “All Gold Everything” artist thinks that this is fair game and an important factor to uphold, and also spoke on power imbalances between them.

“Number one is a heavy crown to wear,” Trinidad James remarked. “Most people don’t ever get a chance to wear the crown. So, it’s really hard to judge the actions of a number one type of person. You won’t get it because you haven’t been to that plateau. So I say that to say that, in the Nicki and Megan situation, it’s always unfortunate when people’s families catch strays in beef, but the essence of rap and hip-hop is about lyrical competition.

Read More: JT Called Out For Supporting Nicki Minaj Despite Megan Thee Stallion Bond

Trinidad James On Nicki Minaj & Megan Thee Stallion Beef

How low below the belt you go is unfortunate, and that takes back to somebody’s character,” Trinidad James continued. “But the basic essence and formula of rap and hip-hop is lyrical competition, and that’s how I see it. I mean, you had Jay-Z and Nas back in the day, and they said pretty cr*zy things about each other, too, at the time when “Ether” and things of such came out. Again, Nicki is a veteran in this, and so she came up with real hunters. Real killers, who they’re not really about using their hands for anything. Their words is their power, their words is their sword.

“So, however somebody is feeling when they’re really good with words… if they’re really good with them, it’s gonna sound intense because that’s what this is, it’s lyrical competition,” he concluded. “This is hip-hop, this is rap, bro! You gotta rap to rap, and you gotta stand on your raps. This is not a girl’s club, this is not a tea party. This is a place where your words pay your family and your legacy for life. Defend yourself! That’s what I’ma tell Megan, that’s what I’ma tell Nicki: defend yourself.” For more news and the latest on Trinidad James, Nicki Minaj, and Megan Thee Stallion, come back to HNHH.

Read More: Trinidad James Cautions Megan Thee Stallion Amid 1501 Departure: “You Need A Team To Make Money”

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Xzibit Says Today’s Rap Music Lacks Emotional Connection & Staying Power

Xzibit

Xzibit recently chimed in on the conversation and shared his thoughts on the current state of hip-hop, stating that the genre has lost its staying power. Expanding on his criticism, the West Coast rapper highlighted that elements of hip-hop appear to be incorporated into other genres, whereas they are no longer deemed indispensable within the hip-hop genre.

Lack Of Emotional Connection

During an interview on The Adam Carolla Show on Nov. 10, Xzibit was asked about his opinion on the current state of hip-hop. The rapper responded:

“I would give anything to see the new artists be a lil more comprehensive. I think the education system has failed us,” with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. 

Moreover, Xzibit bemoaned the loss of physical album sales, which he believes has resulted in a diminished connection between artists and listeners:

“You don’t get to open the CD or the record, you don’t get to read the producers, there’s  no emotional investment in the music.” 

Lack Of ‘Staying Power’

Adding to his critique, Xzibit pointed out that hip-hop elements seem to be present in other genres, while they are no longer considered essential within the hip-hop genre itself:

“Hip-hop doesn’t have the staying power anymore that it used to have. You see country music having elements of hip-hop. When’s the last time you saw a rock band that didn’t have a hip-hop element to it?” Xzibit added.

Xzibit’s candid comments on the current state of rap music have garnered mixed reactions from users on social media. 

On Twitter (X), a fan by the name of @citchmook commented, “Spot on. Modern rap music sucks,” indicating agreement with Xzibit’s sentiments. Another user, @SwishaShock, commented,  “This is one of the better worded objections to the current state of rap.” 

Xzibit also jokingly said that he is “sick of hip-hop” and says he doesn’t feel like today’s rap music is a good representation of the genre.

Updated By: Chris Samuel (11/14/23 at 5:49 pm)

Trinidad James & Lil Yachty On The State of Hip-Hop

Trinidad James and Lil Yachty weigh in on the current landscape of music and rap deals. In a recent interview with TMZ Hip-Hop, the “All Gold Everything” rapper shared his perspective on record labels extending contracts to prevent artists from re-recording their music, citing examples like Taylor Swift and Ashanti.

Trinidad James Talks Ashanti & Taylor Swift

Trinidad James and Lil Yachty, two prominent figures in the hip-hop industry, have recently shared their thoughts on music and rap deals. 

Trinidad James was recently interviewed by TMZ Hip-Hop and was asked how he felt about record labels lengthening contracts to prevent artists from doing re-recordings of their music, such as Taylor Swift or Ashanti. Swift had put the label Taylor’s Version on her re-recorded music, and Ashanti is re-recording her music from her Murder Inc. days.

“I’m not mad at a Taylor Swift or an Ashanti, because they had to go through the slave trade to get everything that they got, unfortunately.

Trinidad James also says that labels and A&R’s are lazy with artists’ contracts nowadays:

“On the label side, its weak a** A&R’s, weak a** label heads, but at the same time its procrastinating and lazy ass artists,” he said. 

Lil Yachty Chimes In: ‘Hip-Hop Is In A Terrible Place’

On Nov. 10, Lil Yachty also commented on the current state of hip-hop and music while talking at Rolling Stone’s “Musicians on Musicians” event. The Atlanta rapper said that hip-hop is in a “terrible place” and that it’s a lot of imitation:

“Hip-hop is in a terrible place,” Yachty said. “The state of hip-hop right now is a lot of imitation. It’s a lot of quick, low-quality music being put out.“ He continued, “It’s a lot less risk-taking, it’s a lot less originality…People are too safe now. Everyone is so safe. I rather take the risk than take the L.” 

The reactions to Lil Yachty’s comments on the current state of hip-hop have been mixed on social media platform Twitter (X). One user named  @CageyProlific commented, “Is he right but just the wrong messenger?.” while one other user named @WillBarb44 commented, “Ironically he is part of the problem.” 

Lil Yachty also said he “took a risk” with his latest album, Let’s Start Here, which specialized in psychedelic rock, rather than typical rap music. 

Bow Wow Weighs In

​​Adding his voice to the discourse on the current state of rap, Bow Wow shared a series of opinions on Twitter in October 2023. The rapper/actor expressed concerns about the genre’s condition, attributing its challenges to insufficient artist development and subpar stage presence. 

Juicy J & Wallo267 Talk Decline In Rap Sales

The concerns about the current state of hip-hop extend beyond Trinidad James and Lil Yachty. Juicy J, the leader of Three 6 Mafia, called for a meeting involving rappers, producers, writers, and engineers to address the 40% decline in rap sales. Additionally, Million Dollaz Worth of Game co-host Wallo267 took to Instagram to express his belief that rap often follows negative trends instead of focusing on creating quality music.

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Trinidad James & Lil Yachty Sound Off On Record Deals And The State of Hip-Hop

Trinidad James, Lil Yachty

Trinidad James and Lil Yachty weigh in on the current landscape of music and rap deals. In a recent interview with TMZ Hip-Hop, the “All Gold Everything” rapper shared his perspective on record labels extending contracts to prevent artists from re-recording their music, citing examples like Taylor Swift and Ashanti.

Trinidad James Talks Ashanti & Taylor Swift

Trinidad James and Lil Yachty, two prominent figures in the hip-hop industry, have recently shared their thoughts on music and rap deals. 

Trinidad James was recently interviewed by TMZ Hip-Hop and was asked how he felt about record labels lengthening contracts to prevent artists from doing re-recordings of their music, such as Taylor Swift or Ashanti. Swift had put the label Taylor’s Version on her re-recorded music, and Ashanti is re-recording her music from her Murder Inc. days.

“I’m not mad at a Taylor Swift or an Ashanti, because they had to go through the slave trade to get everything that they got, unfortunately.

Trinidad James also says that labels and A&R’s are lazy with artists’ contracts nowadays:

“On the label side, its weak a** A&R’s, weak a** label heads, but at the same time its procrastinating and lazy ass artists,” he said. 

Lil Yachty Chimes In: ‘Hip-Hop Is In A Terrible Place’

On Nov. 10, Lil Yachty also commented on the current state of hip-hop and music while talking at Rolling Stone’s “Musicians on Musicians” event. The Atlanta rapper said that hip-hop is in a “terrible place” and that it’s a lot of imitation:

“Hip-hop is in a terrible place,” Yachty said. “The state of hip-hop right now is a lot of imitation. It’s a lot of quick, low-quality music being put out.“ He continued, “It’s a lot less risk-taking, it’s a lot less originality…People are too safe now. Everyone is so safe. I rather take the risk than take the L.” 

The reactions to Lil Yachty’s comments on the current state of hip-hop have been mixed on social media platform Twitter (X). One user named  @CageyProlific commented, “Is he right but just the wrong messenger?.” while one other user named @WillBarb44 commented, “Ironically he is part of the problem.” 

Lil Yachty also said he “took a risk” with his latest album, Let’s Start Here, which specialized in psychedelic rock, rather than typical rap music. 

Bow Wow Weighs In

​​Adding his voice to the discourse on the current state of rap, Bow Wow shared a series of opinions on Twitter in October 2023. The rapper/actor expressed concerns about the genre’s condition, attributing its challenges to insufficient artist development and subpar stage presence. 

Juicy J & Wallo267 Talk Decline In Rap Sales

The concerns about the current state of hip-hop extend beyond Trinidad James and Lil Yachty. Juicy J, the leader of Three 6 Mafia, called for a meeting involving rappers, producers, writers, and engineers to address the 40% decline in rap sales. Additionally, Million Dollaz Worth of Game co-host Wallo267 took to Instagram to express his belief that rap often follows negative trends instead of focusing on creating quality music.

The post Trinidad James & Lil Yachty Sound Off On Record Deals And The State of Hip-Hop appeared first on SOHH.com.

Trinidad James Claims Gunna “Saved Male Hip-Hop”

Trinidad has just issued a message to Gunna’s haters. The rapper thinks it’s time people laid off his fellow Atlantan. On Sunday (August 21), Trinidad James took to his Instagram to show the Gunna some love and highlight his latest album, A Gift & a Curse. The project — making it his fourth studio album — was released earlier this summer in June. It did not feature any guest appearances.

“Please Stop Saying The Summer Was Boring. That’s a Lie you wanna make true. @gunna Saved It for Male Hip Hop. God Don’t Make Mistakes. #DAD,” James wrote in the post’s caption. A Gift & a Curse debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 chart, earning 85,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. The project was dropped off after the rapper was released from prison during the YSL Rico case in December 2022. Following his release, Gunna immediately received an onslaught of criticism and was labeled a “snitch.”

Despite Criticism, Gunna’s “A Gift & a Curse” Was A Commercial Success

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Trinidad James (@trinidadjamesgg)

Judging by Trinidad’s comment section, the majority of fans seem to agree with his sentiments. “Never understood ppl caring about another man’s personal life.. all that should matter is the art, cuz had an amazing album,” one person wrote. Another person claimed, “This album hit harder because of the context behind it! Gunna did his thang.” One fan added, “Any n*gga in these comments that act like they ain’t ducking sit gunna album let’s hear yo shit. Lol man album was dope AF harder than thug Sh*t regardless of the rico case. And I like them both. Y’all n*ggaz hating on him like he said y’all name.”

However, it appears that not everyone shares the same opinion. “You weird. You post support for a snitch then make a post about supporting the people he snitched on. That mon be f*cking y’all heads up. You lost a follower,” another person wrote. Someone else said, “@gunna you a rat azz n*gga SO I TOOK IT IN MY OWN HANDS TO DISS YO [rat emoji] AZZ… IF U SO CALLED REAL KILLAS RESPECT A RAT THE INDUSTRY IS OVER!!!!”

Read More: Trinidad James Approves Of Tory Lanez’s 10-Year Sentence, Wants Iggy Azalea To Mind Her Business

[via]

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Trinidad James Approves Of Tory Lanez’s 10-Year Sentence, Wants Iggy Azalea To Mind Her Business

It took quite some time, but Tory Lanez finally got his sentence for shooting Megan Thee Stallion earlier this week. The father of one will still tell you that he’s innocent, and has even begun selling “Free Tory” merch from behind bars, and there are those who’ve made it abundantly clear they’re standing in support of the singer. On the other hand, there are many who believe that Lanez’s 10-year sentence is fair and that everyone besides the two recording artists involved in the situation needs to keep their mouths shut at this point.

Among the latter category is Trinidad James, who spoke with TMZ about his thoughts during a run-in at LAX. “I think the best thing that I can say, is that if you shoot somebody, you should go to jail to think about your actions,” he began. “If you didn’t shoot somebody, and you go to jail and you doing 10 years for something that you didn’t do, it kind of reminds me of the Kendrick Lamar lyric, ‘The one who pulls the trigger has to live forever.’ After you kill somebody, they die right then and there, but you have to keep thinking about it.”

Read More: Trinidad James Defends Drake’s Fingernail Polish Choice

Trinidad James Shares Thoughts on Tory Lanez with TMZ

James explained that he sees the “Say It” hitmaker’s situation the same way before the conversation turned to Iggy Azalea and the controversial letter the rap diva wrote in defence of Lanez. “[She] said how she felt, but she shouldn’t have said anything,” the 35-year-old declared. “It’s not her business, right? But it is her opinion.”

Iggy Azalea isn’t the only one being criticized for defending her friend Tory Lanez. R&B sensation Mario has also been feeling the heat after his letter to the criminal’s judge began circulating online earlier this week, though his backlash doesn’t seem to be quite as extreme as the Australian’s. Read more about that at the link below, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.

Read More: Mario Receives Backlash For Allegedly Writing Letter To Judge In Support Of Tory Lanez

[Via]

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Trinidad James Defends Drake’s Fingernail Polish Choice

Drake is facing some serious backlash for his latest fashion statement. The biggest rapper to ever do it recently polished his nails pink before heading out on tour. And while some people are criticizing him for the choice, Trinidad James is out here singing his praises. “I love that for him,” James said when asked by TMZ about Drake’s nails. “There’s a lot of genders out here that people want to keep you boxed in about… He’s doing it because he wants to do it.”

Trinidad James has been known for being eccentric. In the video filmed at the LAX airport, where Trinidad offers his opinion on Drake’s nails, the cameraman flashes to his nails, which are done up in a groovy green and accents. A champion of gender fluidity, James is glad Drake is doing exactly what he wants to do. “It’s an amazing thing to see,” he says with a big smile on his face.

Read more: Lloyd Banks Recalls Scrapping Trap Mixtape After Trinidad James’ Comments On NY

Trinidad James & Drake Out Here For Nail Polish

The TMZ interviewer name-drops a few other musical artists who like to paint their nails as well, including Machine Gun Kelly and Lil Yachty. But with Drake now entering the nail polish chat, who knows if this trend will become mainstream? Trinidad James did offer a little bit of a caveat, though: “His nails ain’t better than mine.” He flashes his nails for the camera again, showcasing how long he’s been in the nail polish game.

“Aesthetics is personal,” Trinidad muses, claiming that he’s glad Drizzy is now feeling comfortable with his own aesthetics. “I [have] been comfortable,” he says, talking about embracing who Trinidad is on the inside, no matter what the critics might say. He’s so comfortable that he’s dropping $7,000 on his nails, an astronomical amount for feeling fresh. While both artists are blowing the roof off of gender stereotypes, Trinidad tells Drizzy to come out to Brooklyn to get some real nails and truly show off: “If he really [wants] to be about that life, come holla at some real people.”

Read more: Fivio Foreign Calls Out Trinidad James For Saying He Popularized “Viral”

[Via]

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