New Hip Hop News

The world is in mourning following the loss of a creative genius – Virgil Abloh. A statement posted to the Off-White CEO’s Instagram on Sunday, November 28th revealed that the 41-year-old passed away after privately battling cancer for years.

Abloh “chose to endure his battle privately since his diagnosis in 2019, undergoing numerous challenging treatments, all while helming several significant institutions that span fashion, art, and culture.” He leaves behind a wife, two children, a sister, his parents, as well as a large community of friends and colleagues who have been sharing their tributes to the designer.

“My heart is broken,” Pharrell Williams wrote on Instagram this afternoon. “Virgil you were a kind, generous, thoughtful creative genius. Your work as a human and your work as a spiritual being will live forever. Sending love and light to your wife, children, family and day ones. You’re with the Master now, shine.”

REASON TDE reminded his followers, “you really never know what people are battling with,” before adding “RIP Virgil.” Soulja Boy called the late Louis Vuitton artistic director “a legend and icon,” while Kehlani thanked Abloh for his contributions to the world of fashion and beyond.

Louis Vuitton CEO Bernard Arnault also spoke on the tragic news, recalling some of Virgil’s greatest attributes. “Louis Vuitton and Bernard Arnault have also released statements following the tragic news. “Virgil was not only a genius designer and a visionary, he was also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom. The LVMH family joins me in this moment of great sorrow and we are all thinking of his loved ones on the passing of their husband, father, brother, son and friend.”

Others pointed out that Abloh “inspired a generation,” and that there “will never be another Virgil.” Many had touching stories to share about times when they crossed paths with the legend, and how he inspired them with his passion and kindness. Westside Gunn shared a beautiful portrait of the 41-year-old painted for him by Mariella, seeing as he was one of the rapper’s “biggest inspirations ever.

See more kind words from friends and colleagues of the late Virgil Abloh below.

Saweetie experienced a true full-circle moment this past week, as she was able to transform from J. Cole fan to J. Cole peer after her latest Grammy nominations.

On Nov. 24, Saweetie retweeted a tweet that acknowledged an old video of her where she free-styled for J. Cole a few years back before she was famous. The tweet is quoting the list of Grammy Rap Song of the Year nominees that includes Saweetie and Doja Cat’s “Best Friend.”: “That’s so dope @Saweetie being nominated in the same category she once freestyle for @JColeNC when she was in college.”

Along with Rap Song of the Year, Saweetie was also nominated for Best New Artist for the 2022 Grammy Awards. She showed nothing but gratitude after this announcement, tweeting a statement for her fans: “I’m speechless I wish I had the words to express how I feel but I’m just so grateful!!! Being acknowledged for all the hard work me & my team have been doing feels AMAZINNNNNG. thank you #TeamIcy for stickin with me through thick and thin y’all some real ride or dies IKDR!!”

This is the first time Saweetie has been nominated for a Grammy, and she has not even released her debut album yet. The awards take place on Jan. 31, 2022, as Saweetie looks to add to her releatively new trophy case.

Check out the, what seems like ancient, video of Saweetie rapping for J. Cole from years ago.

Virgil Abloh, artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear collection and CEO of Off-White, has died at 41 following a years-long private battle with “a rare aggressive form of cancer, cardiac angiosarcoma.” The news comes from a statement posted to the Illinois native’s Instagram page on Sunday, November 28th.

“We are devastated to announce the passing of our beloved Virgil Abloh, a fiercely devoted father, husband, son, brother, and friend,” it reads. Virgil leaves behind his wife, Shannon Abloh, two children, Lowe and Grey Abloh, sister Edwina Abloh, and his parents Nee and Eunice Abloh, as well as countless friends and colleagues.

The statement also reveals that the designer “chose to endure his battle privately since his diagnosis in 2019, undergoing numerous challenging treatments, all while helming several significant institutions that span fashion, art, and culture. Virgil was driven by his dedication to his craft and to his mission to open doors for others and create pathways for greater equality in art and design.”

A particularly poignant part of the memorial says, “He often said, ‘Everything I do is for the 17-year-old version of myself,’ believing deeply in the power of art to inspire future generations.”

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Louis Vuitton and Bernard Arnault have also released statements following the tragic news. “Virgil was not only a genius designer and a visionary, he was also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom. The LVMH family joins me in this moment of great sorrow and we are all thinking of his loved ones on the passing of their husband, father, brother, son and friend,” the CEO stated.

The news comes as a shock to many, and reactions continue to pour in from across the internet. Check back in with HNHH later for more updates.

RIP Virgil.

Enes Kanter has now become the most politically divisive player in the NBA. While his intentions are pure, he draws attention to his causes in polarizing ways, at times causing fans to sour towards him.

His latest antics, while strange, appear harmless. On Sunday (Nov. 28), Kanter revealed that he will change his legal name from Enes Kanter to “Enes Kanter Freedom” this week, as he plans to become an official United States citizen.

Kanter is likely doing so to emphasize his joy in becoming a member of the USA, as he has faced persecution for years from the Turkish government. As he has had issues with his home country Turkey, he has recently been advocating for the release of Turkish Uyghurs in Chinese prison camps in China.

His main targets of criticism have been the NBA, Nike, Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai and LeBron James, for their active relationships with one another and the Chinese government. He has attacked China multiple times for their injustices and hopes to get the attention of the Olympic committee and the United Nations.

He recently called LeBron “disgusting” for his involvement with these organizations, and has not shied away from his enemies. But, James has not been the only basketball star he has attacked, claiming Michael Jordan has not done enough for the “Black community” with all his influence and resources.

Kanter clearly sees himself as an activist for many causes, and his loud voice has attracted enemies.

But, with this name change and new citizen status, it looks like Enes is just beginning his political lifestyle.

How do you feel about Kanter’s new name>

Thanksgiving weekend is a time to get together with friends and family, eat some good food, and more often than not, get drunk with your loved ones. It’s a tradition in many households that could either lead to some family bonding or heated debates. That being said, liquor stores across the country have seen an influx of business over the past few days of people who are trying to stock up their liquor cabinets.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Two of those people just so happen to be some of the most influential figures in hip-hop. Big Daddy Kane took to Instagram where he shared a photo of himself and Offset together. Usually, you’d expect a legend like Kane and an A-lister like ‘Set meet each other at some sort of industry event. However, it turns out that both of them were on a mission to get drunk. Kane revealed that he coincidentally ran into Offset during a trip to the liquor store.

“Ran into this amazing Brother @offsetyrn today while doing some last minute shopping,” he captioned the flick. “I see great minds drink alike,” he added with several laughing emojis.

Perhaps, we’ll see the two rappers working together in some sort of capacity in the near future. Check out Big Daddy Kane’s photo below. 

The “Free Larry Hoover” benefit concert by Kanye West and Drake will likely be the most intriguing live music show of the year, alongside Ye’s Donda listening parties and the catastrophic Astroworld.

On Dec. 9 in Los Angeles’ Forum, Ye and Drake look to give fans a once-in-a-lifetime performance of their two most recent albums Donda and Certified Lover Boy. The prices are beginning to reflect that effort.

Tickets for the show first went on sale Monday (Nov. 22), as they mostly spanned from $200-$500. At the time, fans found these prices steep, as they wrongfully anticipated the show could potentially free. The confusion stemmed from the name of the show starting with “Free,” referring to helping get Larry Hoover clemency from prison, having nothing to do with ticket prices.

Now, likely due to re-sale prices from those who bought the original tickets, prices for seats right by the stage on Ticketmaster.com are going for up to $7500. Fans had some fun on Twitter when they found this out.

While likely most of the stadium will be filled for the show, there may be scattered empty seats duo to fans’ hesitance to buy tickets at such a high price.

Would you pay this much to see Kanye West and Drake perform together?