50 Cent can’t be bought. Appearing on The Breakfast Club, 50 revealed he was asked to come to the Trump rally at Madison Square Garden, revealing he turned down $3 million to perform.
50 also revealed they asked him to perform “Many Men” at the Republican National Convention, which he also declined.
“When you do get involved in [politics] no matter how you feel someone passionately disagrees with you,” 50 said. “That’s the formula that sent Kanye to Japan.”
Bad Bunny seems to have thrown his support behind Kamala Harris in her run for the president of the United States. Sadly, his Instagram repost of a video of Harris comes at an opportune time, as comedian Tony Hinchcliffe joked about the Puerto Rican rapper’s home country being “a floating island of garbage” during Republican presidential candidate (and convict) Donald Trump’s rally in Madison Square Garden in New York over the weekend. The video that Messi’s Adidas collaborator reposted features the Democratic candidate speaking on Puerto Rico, specifically blasting Trump’s response to Hurricane Maria and its devastation to the archipelago back in 2017.
However, it’s important to note that Bad Bunny has a much more important matter on his mind than the United States presidential election, and that’s Puerto Rico’s own electoral process. This one Kamala Harris video doesn’t amount to the many posts and public statements he recently made calling for an end to the bipartisan politics of the archipelago between pro-statehood and pro-status quo factions. P.R. continues to suffer under a colonial state and corrupt administrations that have allowed the United States to treat it horribly for over a century. The “MONACO” reggaetón giant is well-aware of this, and hopes the Puerto Rican people will elect progressive candidates that will clean up government malpractice.
As such, there’s a small but powerful chance that Bad Bunny posted this video not as an endorsement, but as a subtle acknowledgement that Kamala Harris’ platform will not address these issues either. After all, his consistent zooms into Harris’ face in subsequent IG Story posts seem too intentional to not at least scrutinize. But the overwhelmingly likely interpretation is that this is an endorsement, so we won’t reach too much. Nevertheless, Benito’s principal focus is on Puerto Rico, something that also resonates with Boricuas on the mainland despite harmful bigotry threatening to silence that.
Elsewhere, Bad Bunny is still apparently linked to Kendal Jenner, and spent a majority of 2024 rolling out his trap-centric album from last year. Now, his priorities became clearer than ever. With just about a week left for the elections, we invite you to dive deeper into this issue of Puerto Rico if it’s unfamiliar to you.
He likes to make an entrance whenever he enters the room, but not everyone wants their voice as former President Donald Trump’s background. The presidential candidate is making his third bid for the Oval Office after losing to President Joe Biden in 2020, and his MAGA followers are hoping for a win. One thing Trump is known for is his ongoing rallies and staying on the campaign trail, giving speeches to a crowd of supporters sporting red hats and touting American flags. Often, he spices things up with popular songs that exemplify his mission, but not every artist is keen on their art being used to support the MAGA leader.
With Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign obtaining permission to use Beyonce’s “Freedom” as their lead track, it’s clear that artists are picking sides in the upcoming U.S. election. However, throughout his political career, Trump has been publicly criticized by dozens of artists and musicians. It is true that he has his fair share of supporters in the entertainment industry, but he can’t seem to help himself by using the music of artists who aren’t his biggest fans. Check out several icons and hitmakers who have banned Trump from using their tracks.
Not for much longer…me nor my people would ever be at or around one of those tragic rallies, so thanks for the heads up philip! https://t.co/dRgRi06GrJ
In 2018, Trump’s team reportedly used Rihanna’s “Please Don’t Stop the Music” at several rallies. When Rih & Co. learned of this, the singer’s legal team acted swiftly and denied giving Trump permission to use the song. They added that Rihanna doesn’t support Trump, nor do they know one another. When the pop icon was made aware of it on Xitter, she tweeted, “Not for much longer…me nor my people would ever be at or around one of those tragic rallies, so thanks for the heads up philip!
2. Beyoncé
At the recent Democratic National Convention, Kamala Harris came to the stage with Beyoncé’s “Freedom” blasting overhead. The powerful 2016 track has captured attention ever since it was featured on Bey’s No. 1 album, Lemonade—so much so that Trump, too, decided to use the song last week. A video of the former president visiting Detroit, Michigan, to host another rally circulated online, with “Freedom” setting the stage. It reportedly didn’t take long for Beyoncé’s team to jump into action by sending a cease-and-desist letter to stop Trump in his tracks.
There was a time when you couldn’t run from Pharrell Williams’s megahit “Happy.” The infectious single took over radio stations worldwide before being tapped for TV shows, commercials, and any platform that hosts music. In 2018, Trump rubbed Pharrell the wrong way when he played “Happy” at a rally that occurred mere hours after the synagogue shooting in Pennsylvania that claimed the lives of 11 victims. Pharrell, too, sent Trump’s team a cease-and-desist letter and issued a statement via his attorney, per CNN.
“On the day of the mass murder of 11 human beings at the hands of a deranged ‘nationalist,’ you played his song ‘Happy’ to a crowd at a political event in Indiana,” said the attorney. “There was nothing ‘happy’ about the tragedy inflicted upon our country on Saturday and no permission was granted for your use of this song for this purpose.”
4. Adele
During his 2016 run, Trump found himself leaning on two Adele favorites for his rallies. “Rolling in the Deep” and “Skyfall” have earned the British songbird acclaim, and Trump wanted to capitalize on the tracks’ familiarity. However, Adele wasn’t having it, and not only did she ban the Apprentice star from using her tunes, but she also publicly backed his opponent at the time, Hillary Clinton. “Don’t vote for him,” Adele reportedly said of Trump, via Vulture. “I am English, but what happens in America affects me, too. I am 100% for Hillary Clinton. I love her, she’s amazing.”
5. The Rolling Stones
Rock ‘n’ roll artists have also stepped forward to put Trump in his place, and The Rolling Stones added their name to the list. Trump became fond of including “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” in his campaign, but the classic rock band didn’t appreciate the sentiment. In 2020, a representative stated, “This could be the last time Trump uses any Jagger-Richards songs on his campaigns.” The group, along with BMI, also threatened to sue the former president if he continued without consent.
“The BMI have notified the Trump campaign on behalf of the Stones that the unauthorized use of their songs will constitute a breach of its licensing agreement,” a statement read. “If Donald Trump disregards the exclusion and persists then he would face a lawsuit for breaking the embargo and playing music that has not been licensed.”
6. Prince
The world lost an icon when The Artist Formerly Known As Prince passed away unexpectedly in 2016. His estate has been monitoring the use of his music, and it took issue with Trump in 2019. During his ongoing campaign trail, Trump’s team added “Purple Rain” to their playlist, to the dismay of Prince’s estate. Then, the estate reportedly shared a letter showing that Trump did not have permission to use the track at his rallies. He had been forbidden explicitly but seemed to carry on anyway.
7. The Beatles
One of the biggest bands of all time gave Trump the axe after he used their famed classic, “Here Comes the Sun.” Members of The Beatles weren’t happy to see that Trump played the track at the Republican National Convention in 2016. Lead guitarist George Harrison’s estate made their opinions clear in a tweet, saying, “The unauthorized use of ‘Here Comes the Sun’ at the RNC is offensive & against the wishes of the George Harrison estate.” They then quipped, “If it had been ‘Beware of Darkness,’ then we MAY have approved it! #TrumpYourself.”
8. Isaac Hayes
One of Trump’s more recent legal run-ins with an artist or their estate comes courtesy of Isaac Hayes. Just this month, Hayes’s estate received a slight legal victory in their quest to take Trump to court over the unauthorized use of Sam & Dave’s classic, “Hold On, I’m Coming.” The former president played the song in 2022 at the National Rifle Association, which didn’t sit well with the estate.
“The estate and family of Isaac Hayes DID NOT approve and would NEVER approve the use of ‘Hold on I’m coming’ by Sam and Dave by Donald Trump at this weekend’s @NRA convention,” the estate shared in a statement. “Our condolences go out to the victims and families of #Uvalde and mass shooting victims everywhere.” Additionally, the track’s co-songwriter, David Porter, tweeted his disgust. “Someone shared with me Donald Trump used the song ‘Hold On I’m Coming’ for a speaking appearance of his. Hell to the No! I did Not and would NOT approve of them using the song for any of his purposes! I also know Isaac’s estate wouldn’t approve as well! #Memphis #Music #Grammy.”
9. Queen
Event coordinators have been using Queen’s “We Are the Champions” as a theme song for decades, but the group wasn’t thrilled to hear the track at the 2016 Republican National Convention. The band took to Xitter to denounce the use of the track, while Sony/ATV Publishing also released a statement. “Sony/ATV Music Publishing has never been asked by Mr. Trump, the Trump campaign or the Trump Organization for permission to use ‘We are the Champions’ by Queen,” Forbes reported. “On behalf of the band, we are frustrated by the repeated unauthorized use of the song after a previous request to desist, which has obviously been ignored by Mr. Trump and his campaign.”
“Queen does not want its music associated with any mainstream or political debate in any country,” the statement continued. “Nor does Queen want ‘We are the Champions’ to be used as an endorsement of Mr. Trump and the political views of the Republican Party. We trust, hope and expect that Mr. Trump and his campaign will respect these wishes moving forward.”
10. The O’Jays
They gave us some of our favorite classic Soul records to ever be created, but The O’Jays stopped Trump after he played “For the Love of Money” on his reality show, The Apprentice. In 2016, cofounder Eddie Levert revealed to Billboard that Trump also used “Love Train” on the campaign trail. When he was told to stop, Levert said Trump’s team was a tad upset. “They got on me about it, said I got enough money from him so now I can kick dirt in his face.”
Levert added at the time, “I wish him the best, but I don’t think he’s the man to run our country. So when he started using ‘Love Train,’ I called him up and told them, ‘Listen, man, I don’t believe in what you’re doing. I’m not with you. I don’t want you to use my voice. I’m not condoning what you’re doing.”
11. Celine Dion
Earlier this month, Celine Dion’s representative came forward with a pointed message about Trump using her No. 1 hit, “My Heart Will Go On.” The song, which was featured in the global sensation film Titanic, made an appearance at a Trump rally in Montana. Dion’s team called the use “unauthorized” and added, “Really, THAT song?” The statement continued that in “no way is this use authorized, and Celine Dion does not endorse this or any similar use.”
12. Panic! At The Disco
Dear Trump Campaign,
Fuck you. You’re not invited. Stop playing my song.
No thanks, Brendon Urie, Panic! At The Disco & company.
Rock band Panic! At the Disco don’t seem to be fans of Trump—at least lead vocalist Brendon Urie isn’t. He made his opinions clear in a tweet after Donald Trump Jr. was seen making an appearance at one of his father’s rallies in Arizona, walking out to “High Hopes.” Urie wasn’t having it. “Dear Trump Campaign, F*ck you. You’re not invited. Stop playing my song,” he tweeted. The singer added that Trump “represents nothing we stand for. The highest hope we have is voting this monster out in November.”
13. Phil Collins
“In the Air Tonight” is one of Phil Collins’s greatest hits. The familiar track was heard at one of Trump’s Iowa rallies in 2020, to the singer’s dismay, who sent the former president a cease-and-desist letter. TMZ shared a copy of the letter in which Collins’s attorney detailed his client’s grievances. “Mr. Collins has serious concerns that the manner in which the Trump campaign has used ‘In the Air Tonight’ has caused, and will cause, damage to Mr. Collins’ reputation and popularity with the public.”
14. Elton John
Rock icon Elton John was a fixture in Trump’s campaign trail after the former president continued to use his classic hit, “Rocket Man.” Trump didn’t get approval for the song, and John came forward with a complaint. He stated that he didn’t have any personal with the politician but wanted to keep his music out of the election process in the U.S.
Lil Pump is not letting up. The rapper who once went viral for being about, well, nothing, has become a political pundit. If you hear his name at all these days, it’s because he has made a withering comment about the Democratic Party. Lil Pump has been a supporter of Donald Trump for years, but his anger towards Trump’s opponent, Kamala Harris, is relatively new. The Floridian has decided to diss Harris repeatedly on Twitter. According to his latest post, though, he plans to take his aggressive political stance into the studio.
On August 8, Lil Pump made a few bold claims. One, he claimed to be performing at the next Donald Trump campaign rally. Two, he claimed to have a diss track ready, and it’s aimed at Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. That’s right. Biden may have decided not to seek reelection, but he’s unable to avoid Pump when it comes to bars. “I will be performing the Joe Biden Kamal [sic] Harris diss track at the next Trump rally,” he tweeted. A few hours later, Lil Pump doubled down on his stance by adding: “Pump for Trump.” The latter phrase is questionable at best, but we are talking about a rapper who was called “Little Pimp” the first time he attended a Trump rally.
Claiming to have a Kamala Harris and Joe Biden diss track in the stash is not the boldest thing Lil Pump has said this week. The distinction of “boldest political statement” goes to an earlier social media post. The rapper claimed he’d leave the United States if Kamala Harris wins the election. “I swear on my dad’s grave,” Lil Pump noted. “If this stupid a*s b*tch Kamala Harris wins the f*cking election. I’m moving out of America, boy. I swear on everything.” Pump’s hatred for Harris is superseded only his adoration of the Donald. Despite being clalled the wrong name in 2020, the rapper has remained a loyal supporter.
Lil Pump could not have been more excited to sing the praises of Trump during a Florida campaign rally. “I came here to say, Mr. President, I appreciate everything you’ve done for our country,” he said. “You brought the troops home and you’re doing the right thing. MAGA 20, 20, 20. Don’t forget that! Don’t forget that. And do not vote for Sleepy Joe at all.” Things didn’t go the way Lil Pump wanted, but he remains steadfast. Let’s see if his supposed Biden-Harris diss ever sees the light of day.
DJ Akademiks is one of the internet’s most popular commentators, so it is no surprise that he had something to say about Amanda Seales’ remarks. Former United States President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt on July 13 at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Secret Service agents quickly neutralized the shooter, later identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks. Shots meant for Trump, who was hit in the ear by one, killed rally attendee Corey Comperatore and injured two others.
Actress Amanda Seales, who was in the news earlier this year for her controversial interview with Shannon Sharpe on his Club Shay Shay podcast, shared her thoughts on Instagram. “That was more staged than a Tyler Perry production of ‘Madea Runs for President,’” said Seales. She added that she “lived in Harlem long enough to know gunshots do not sound like making popcorn on the stove.” After receiving ire for her remarks, she deleted the video and issued a slight retraction.
DJ Akademiks Reacts To Amanda Seales’ Instagram Video
DJ Akademiks reacted to Seales’ comments on his Twitch livestream, and he did not mince words. He repeatedly referred to her in a derogatory manner, using expletives to describe her. “Some of y’all are so glued into whatever political view y’all have, y’all dismiss reality. B*tch, wake up. There’s a f*cking whole investigation by the FBI outside in Butler. Drive over there and go see if they’re investigating staged sh*t,” said Akademiks.
DJ Akademiks has previously voiced his support for former president Trump, so his reaction is not necessarily a surprising one. He has previously come under fire for the way he speaks about women. His reaction to Seales’ comments also drew criticism. As for Trump, his presidential campaign continued without much of a hitch. He issued a statement on Truth Social commending the Secret Service’s quick response and calling for unity. On Sunday evening, President Joe Biden delivered a speech from the Oval Office calling for an end to all forms of political violence. Trump will announce his running mate at the Republican National Convention on Monday, ahead of a presumed Election Day rematch with Biden.
Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow are two New York artists who caught quite a bit of flack recently. Overall, this was due to the fact that they joined Donald Trump on stage for a special rally. During this rally, they revealed their support for the former President as he seeks election in 2024. Many fans felt like this support was a bit of a betrayal. Meanwhile, other fans praised the two artists for being politically active. Needless to say, it was a polarizing move.
Yesterday, we reported on how Peter Rosenberg of Hot 97 said that Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow should be removed from the Summer Jam lineup. Ebro and Laura Styles didn’t necessarily disagree, although it remains to be seen what will happen next. What we do know is that both artists have responded. In the Instagram post below, you can see that Sleepy Hallow took a more schoolyard approach, saying “this old n***a is dick eater.” Meanwhile, Sheff G offered up a longer retort.
In his post, Sheff G noted that Hot 97 has never shouted him out for his success. Instead, the only time they talk about him is when they want to be negative. Furthermore, Sheff G pondered why he needs to have the same political opinions as the Hot 97 hosts. As he notes, everyone is free to vote for who they want. While some may vehemently disagree with the way Sheff G is using his platform, it’s clear that he is standing on his previous actions. Whether or not this leads to a removal from the Summer Jam lineup, still remains to be seen.
Let us know what you think of this response from Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow, in the comments section down below. Do you believe that these two are going to be taken off of the Summer Jam lineup? Do you agree with the way they handled the comments made by Rosenberg? 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.
