New Hip Hop News

News cycles are an interesting thing because we were once flooded with information regarding Travis Scott but now, it seems the public has moved on to new controversies. Still, Scott, Drake, Live Nation, and Apple are facing heavy lawsuits—some together and separately—including news of $750 million and $2 billion lawsuits against the Astroworld icon.

Since the festival’s tragedy, artists have been filmed checking on their fans in audiences across the globe. Scott’s partnerships have been canceled, magazine features have been pulled, and think-pieces have been written about how and why he should be held responsible for the deaths of the 10 people who attended Astroworld.

There haven’t been many of Scott’s Rap peers who have stepped forward to publicly defend him, but Public Enemy icon Chuck D did just that earlier today (November 19). Chuck D penned a lengthy letter where he reminded people that Scott is a rapper, not a festival coordinator.

“I cannot believe we’re at the point where I gotta say this out loud: Travis Scott is a performer, an act, not a concert promoter,” he wrote. “He doesn’t run the sound or venues or festivals or their staff. He doesn’t build stages or coordinate logistics, he’s not an expert in crowd control or security or emergency medical services. But he does trust Live Nation and all the other concert promoters who are supposed to do all of this. And yet here we are, 10 deaths and counting. 10 broken families.”

I’m tired of these corporations shucking their most crucial responsibility. These folks simply say Rest In Peace and move on. This negligence can’t continue. Folks want answers. I’m not buying the Young Black Man did it. He’s being blamed for a crime while the old white men running the corps that Travis and his fans trusted with their lives stay quiet in the shadows, counting their money and watching their stock prices go up and up. The excuse of Scott’s irresponsible actions don’t wash – if his act had a history of that behavior why promote him to bigger venues, why partner with him in the first place and let him headline a bigger audience? Live Nation controlled this show. They control almost all of the concert venues. Artists ain’t speaking out because these same cats are already bought by these corporations. No one can say a word against them unless they want to be Blacklisted and hurt their careers.

Chuck D challenged Live Nation to come forward and “do the right thing” so that a “Young Black Man” won’t “take the blame, the hate, the fall.” Check it out below.

Ja Morant’s first three seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies have been incredibly impressive. After winning Rookie Of The Year in 2020, Morant has since led his team to the playoffs, and he continues to put up big numbers on the court. In fact, Morant has turned the Grizzlies into a box office team that is fun to watch night in and night out. Fans love him, and there is no doubt he can become a superstar if he keeps this up.

This year, Morant has been an incredible finisher around the rim, as he is currently the leading scorer in the NBA in that particular area of the court. Considering Morant’s size, this stat might be a bit surprising, although there is no doubt that he has the athleticism to get around big and tough defenders.

Justin Ford/Getty Images

After taking note of this stat on Twitter, Morant decided to take aim at those who doubted him as he came out of college. There were some naysayers who thought that Morant wouldn’t be able to cut it against the biggest players in the league, but at this point, they have been proven wrong.

“Coming out of college they were saying “I was too small & wouldn’t be able to finish at the rim vs the bigs in the NBA.” Looks like I’m doing just fine,” he wrote.

Morant has every reason to throw these stats back at those who claimed he wouldn’t be the player he is now. While Morant still has time to grow and get better, there is no doubt that he is already one of the best players in the league, and he’s barely gotten started.

We wrapped another Verzuz last night (November 18) and have another on the horizon in just a few weeks, but not many people know that Will Smith almost made an appearance. Chaka Khan and Stephanie Mills joined together for a night of Soul and R&B throwbacks, and while it made for one of the most interesting and talked-about appearances on Verzuz yet, Hip Hop fans are looking forward to seeing Three 6 Mafia and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony on December 2.

Will Smith has been on a press run for the release of his memoir Will, and while visiting Sway in the Morning, the entertainment icon was asked if he has discussed taking to the Verzuz stage.

Frank Micelotta / Staff / Getty Images

“Yeah, you know I was thinking about that. Me and L, we’re talking about doing one,” he said of LL Cool J. “But I never had a chance to—I was writing my book.” He admitted that he would have been out of his league. “L is going to body me.”

Sway’s cohost Heather B suggested that Will may have a better fighting chance if he added DJ Jazzy Jeff to the mix. Smith replied, “That’s my secret weapon right there.”

Michael Caulfield Archive / Contributor / Getty Images

Back in February, Fat Joe stated that LL Cool was interested in revisiting his hits with Verzuz, but he would only do so if he could pick his opponent.

“LL Cool J, let me tell you, he’s my idol. I wouldn’t even feel right, you know what I’m saying?” said Joe. “I rap ’cause of him… LL wants Jay-Z or Drake. That’s who LL Cool J allegedly wants. Jay-Z or Drake.”

We’ll have to wait and see who LL appears with, but in the meantime, check out Will Smith’s interview below.

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We’re sure that news and commentary about the Kyle Rittenhouse trial have cluttered your timelines as people from all sides of this issue have taken to social media. Earlier today, 18-year-old Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges against him related to the 2020 double murder in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Rittenhouse patrolled the streets of the city during a protest while armed with a semi-automatic weapon. He and his family insisted he was there to protect businesses from potential looters.

Rittenhouse’s trial has been heavily publicized and criticized as it progressed. The reactions to the verdict, now that hours have passed, seem to suggest that people expected this outcome and are looking to make changes instead of reacting with physical outrage.

Scott Olson / Staff / Getty Images

Although President Joe Biden previously spoke out against Rittenhouse’s actions, he has taken a more diplomatic position in his response to the controversy. Biden released a statement about the verdict on the White House’s website.

While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken. I ran on a promise to bring Americans together, because I believe that what unites us is far greater than what divides us. I know that we’re not going to heal our country’s wounds overnight, but I remain steadfast in my commitment to do everything in my power to ensure that every American is treated equally, with fairness and dignity, under the law.

I urge everyone to express their views peacefully, consistent with the rule of law. Violence and destruction of property have no place in our democracy. The White House and Federal authorities have been in contact with Governor Evers’s office to prepare for any outcome in this case, and I have spoken with the Governor this afternoon and offered support and any assistance needed to ensure public safety.

Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump celebrated Rittenhouse’s victory. He said, “Congratulations to Kyle Rittenhouse for being found INNOCENT of all charges. It’s called being found NOT GUILTY.” Read through several mixed reactions from supporters and objectors below.

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Scottie Pippen is a legend when it comes to the game of basketball, although in recent months, his legacy has taken a big hit as he looks to promote his new book Unguarded. This is a book that is filled with anecdotes about his time with the Chicago Bulls, and within the pages, he takes quite a few shots at Michael Jordan, who is essentially the reason why Scottie has six NBA championship rings on his shelf at home.

Recently, Pippen spoke to GQ where he was asked about the game of basketball and where he would rank himself all time. Pippen took a humble approach here and said it’s impossible to rank himself as there are other positions. In fact, Pippen said that he would rather rank himself among his team, which he believes is the greatest in the history of the game.

That’s when Pippen made a bizarre comparison to Tom Brady, claiming that Brady cannot be called the GOAT because he can’t play defense.

Romain Maurice/Getty Images for Haute Living

“I’m gonna say, in basketball, there’s no way to place yourself, you know?” Pippen said. “There’s hard to play Tom Brady at the top of the NFL even though he’s won a lot of championships, there are almost 70 players on each team. Is he playing on every side of the football? Is he on kickoff? Is he on the punt return? Because if he ain’t plying all the roles, then he gotta give credit to his team. And I place myself with the greatest team that ever played in the NBA.”

While Pippen does make an interesting point, there is no denying that the quarterback has the greatest impact on the game, and Brady’s seven titles make him the most impactful player of all time. Not to mention, the guy won his seventh Super Bowl in just his first season with a new franchise.

Either way, Scottie’s hot take is getting some scrutiny right now, and deservingly so.

LeBron James has been out of the Los Angeles Lakers lineup over the past couple of weeks with an abdominal injury, and during that time, the Lakers have had a very rough time winning games. The Lakers have only managed four wins with LeBron out of the lineup, and it has caused the team to fall back in the Western Conference standings. Having said that, it shouldn’t have to be stated that the fans wanted him back as soon as possible.

Over the past few days, there have been rumors that LeBron would return to the lineup as soon as tonight when the Lakers take on the Boston Celtics. Earlier today, we reported that LeBron was a game-time decision, and now, that decision has officially been made.

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, LeBron will, indeed, play tonight against the Celtics. The Lakers take on Boston at 7:30 PM EST, which means the King will be back on the court very soon. This is huge news for the Lakers, who will now be getting a much-needed spark as their best player returns to the lineup, where he will get to aid Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook.

LeBron is the backbone of this team, and it will be interesting to see how much his presence means for the team, going forward.

One of the best Air Max shoes of all time is the Nike Air Max 90 which was released in, you guessed it, 1990. Over the years, this sneaker has received a ton of amazing colorways, and over the past year, we have seen a ton more due to the fact that the Air Max 90 recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. Nike is also making sure that they come out with some offerings for women, including this brand new colorway that can be found in the official images, below.

This shoe is interesting as it has a grey mesh upper with some white overlays on top. There is also some orange on the sides, which is then complemented by the best part of the shoe, which is the leopard print swooshes. This addition sets the shoe apart from other Air Max 90 models, and while these may not appeal to everyone, they are certainly worth taking a second look at.

There is no release date for these, however, they are expected to hit store shelves in the not-so-distant future for a price that has yet to be determined. Stay tuned to HNHH for more details and let us know what you think of these, in the comments below.

Image via Nike

Image via Nike

Image via Nike

Image via Nike

Image via Nike

Image via Nike