New Hip Hop News

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has suffered a setback in his recovery from a fracture in his right foot, which he had surgery for during the offseason. Williamson has yet to see the court this season for the Pelicans.

In a statement, the Pelicans explained that Williamson’s training will have to be reduced for an “extended period.”

“After experiencing persistent soreness in his right foot, Zion Williamson underwent medical imaging which showed a regression in the bone healing of his fifth metatarsal,” the Pelicans said in a statement. “As a result, the volume and intensity of his training will be reduced for an extended period to help allow for further bone healing.”

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The team did not specify when they expect Williamson to be able to return to the lineup.

Earlier this month, the team revealed that their star forward was experiencing soreness in his foot and wouldn’t rush him back.

During his absence, Williamson has been rumored to have gained a significant amount of weight; however, the accusations were put to rest when new photos of him surfaced on social media, this week.

The Pelicans have struggled in Williamson’s absence, currently sitting at 8-20 on the season. They’re in last place in the Western Conference.

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Nicki Minaj discussed the difference between writing her own music and using hooks that have been sent to her, on Twitter, Saturday. Minaj explained that she realized the songs that she’s personally written have connected more with her fanbase.

In the first of a series of tweets, Minaj explained that she is responsible for “Moment 4 Life,” “Did It On’em,” “Beez In The Trap,” “High School,” as well as “probably the whole pink Friday album” and “most of all the album cuts on my albums.”

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She clarified that “Other ‘writers’ names’ are added for sampling, adlibs, feature, production, etc.”

Minaj reflected: “Looking back the songs I write the hook on cut through more to the listener. I think. Once u get successful ppl start sending you hooks on beats they chose & I think the artistry starts getting lost.”

“Just b/c u didn’t write the hook doesn’t always mean it don’t cut through tho. If u body the verses. Like ‘Hard White, LLC’ but listening back to the ones I wrote the hook puts me in this emotional place cuz I remember the mind frame I was in and where I was in life.”

Check out Minaj’s tweets below.

Rod Wave says that his new song, “Nirvana,” which features lyrics about ending his own life and battling depression, is not a suicide letter. Fans worried about Rod’s mental health after he uploaded the track and deactivated his social media pages.

The concerning lyrics featured on “Nirvana” include: “If you’re hearing this it’s too late / I’ve been writin’ this since Tuesday, today Friday that mean tomorrow’s doomsday / Tried to fight the pain but it ate me alive / Sad to say I lost a battle, against my mind / You should be happy for me homie no more sufferin’ / We all got a day I guess we’ll see each other then / I hope that heaven’s real and one day we can reunite / And don’t be crying for me I lived a wonderful life.”

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Rod re-activated his Instagram on Saturday to confirm that he’s doing okay and has deleted the song.

“I recorded a f**king song, and why the f*** would people take that sh*t and say that was my suicide letter?” he said in a video. “That’s not how that works, that’s not how suicide letters work, you don’t go to the studio and record a suicide letter, bro.”

Check out Rod’s full response below.

Rod Wave says that his new song, “Nirvana,” which features lyrics about ending his own life and battling depression, is not a suicide letter. Fans worried about Rod’s mental health after he uploaded the track and deactivated his social media pages.

The concerning lyrics featured on “Nirvana” include: “If you’re hearing this it’s too late / I’ve been writin’ this since Tuesday, today Friday that mean tomorrow’s doomsday / Tried to fight the pain but it ate me alive / Sad to say I lost a battle, against my mind / You should be happy for me homie no more sufferin’ / We all got a day I guess we’ll see each other then / I hope that heaven’s real and one day we can reunite / And don’t be crying for me I lived a wonderful life.”

Paras Griffin / Getty Images

Rod re-activated his Instagram on Saturday to confirm that he’s doing okay and has deleted the song.

“I recorded a f**king song, and why the f*** would people take that sh*t and say that was my suicide letter?” he said in a video. “That’s not how that works, that’s not how suicide letters work, you don’t go to the studio and record a suicide letter, bro.”

Check out Rod’s full response below.

After some fans complained about not being able to watch Kid Cudi’s latest performance at Rolling Loud in Los Angeles through live streaming, the rapper explained on Twitter that his live shows are something that should only be experienced in person.

In response to one user, Cudi tweeted: “Because my live performance is something u should only experience in person. I dont stream performances. Sowwy.”

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During his set, Cudi confirmed that he has two new projects on the way dropping in 2022: Entergalactic and one more yet to be announced.

On Thursday, Cudi’s seventh studio album Man on the Moon III: The Chosen was certified Gold by the RIAA after selling over 500,000 units in the US. He celebrated the achievement on Twitter: “MAN ON THE MOON 3 IS OFFICIALLY GOLD!!! YALL DID THIS!!! I LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!!! GOD IS GOOD!!”

He continued in subsequent posts: “Yall dont understand. I haven’t had a solo gold album in YEARS. Since INDICUD. 2013. Never be discouraged. Keep ragin forward. Stick w it. Never give up. I am proof u can rise from the ashes. Thank You man. Im just…wow.”

Check out Cudi’s explanation on Twitter below.

Doja Cat shared high praise for the legendary North Carolina hip hop duo, Little Brother, on Instagram live, Friday. Doja remarked that the group, consisting of rappers Phonte and Big Pooh, are responsible for one of her all-time favorite verses in rap history on the track “Whatever You Say” from Little Brother’s 2003 debut, The Listening.

“That’s one of my favorite verses in the entire fuckin’ history of rap, ever,” Doja Cat told her IG followers while doing her makeup. “That shit was so smooth. He didn’t rhyme one fucking word. I don’t care what anybody says. Maybe the last bar. He said, ‘personal time inversed in rhyme.’ That was the only thing he rhymed together. The whole rest of that verse was not rhymed. Nothing. Not one fucking rhyming thing, but it worked. It worked. You don’t have to rhyme.”

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In response to a clip from the stream surfacing on Twitter, Phonte replied: “IN THE RACIAL CHAT ROOMS BUMPIN @LittleBrotherNC!!! Much love, @DojaCat. Thank you for listening.”

Doja Cat answered: “I love you man, you’re a fuckin’ legend.”

Check out Doja’s stream as well as her back and forth with Phonte on Twitter below.

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Former NFL linebacker Brandon Marshall says he wants the Denver Broncos to retire Demaryius Thomas’ jersey number. Thomas, who played for the Broncos from 2010–2018, died Thursday at the age of 33.

“It’s just fitting, it just makes sense,” Marshall explained. “[He’s] one of the greatest Broncos ever.”

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Thomas was drafted by the organization with the 22nd overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. During his career, he was selected to four Pro Bowl teams and helped lead the Broncos to a Super Bowl in 2016.

“He’s one of the greatest Broncos of all-time, point blank, period,” Marshall said. “He’s one of the greatest receivers of my era — of our generation. One of the greatest receivers in Broncos history.”

“And, as Peyton [Manning] said, he’s an even better guy,” he added.

Manning was the Broncos quarterback for the final four years of his career with Thomas as one of his top wide receivers during that time.

“D.T. was a better person than he was a player, and he was a Hall of Fame player,” Manning said after his death. “That tells you how good of a person he was. He treated my kids like they were his own. He was there for every teammate’s charity event.”

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Big Boi says that he has “hours and hours and hours” of footage from Outkast’s tours from 1998 to 2000 that would make for the greatest documentary about the duo to date. The legendary rapper discussed whether fans will get a look at the videos in a recent interview with Apple Music.

“I just so happened to be in possession of the last Outkast tours from 1998 to 2000, whatever, hours and hours and hours, we had to watch, digitized the footage for a month and a half,” he explained. “We had to sit through there and watch it. I got the greatest Outkast documentary. Never sold, locked in vault. It’s locked in the vault.”

He continued: “Me and Dre [André 3000], I told Dre I got it. Because Dre didn’t even know. I mean he knew I captured it because I had the cameraman on the road with us, but I just told him how dope it was.”

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As for whether it will be made into a documentary anytime soon, Big Boi admitted that the duo plans to “hold it for a minute, but it’s out of here, man.”

“It’s out of here,” he continued. “It was to the point where I had, my cameraman was on my tour bus. I got him a room every night or he slept on my sofa. He filmed the whole adventure for over 10 years… it’s times where we’re just free styling in the hotel, he’s playing the piano. My wife had just had my youngest son, I’m walking through the lobby.

“We just go outside with a big thing of Huggies… Yeah, it’s some real special stuff, man. I got an edit, but it’s so much, it has to be like a series almost. You know what I mean? Yeah, man, live performances of songs that only might have done once or twice. And I didn’t even remember that.”

Big Boi’s latest album, The Big Sleepover, hit streaming services on Friday.

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