New Hip Hop News

With all of the security he has and the millions of fans-turned-stans that he’s accumulated over the years, Drake’s No. 1 ride or die protector seems to be Issa Rae. The television and film producer is known not only for dropping jokes on-screen but on social media as well, as her hilarious takes on pop culture or clap backs to trolls captivate her audience.

Last week, Issa appeared on The ETCs with Kevin Durant and during the chat, she revealed that she goes hard for Drizzy. So much so, that she carries the weight of beefs that he has already let go. “I have not listened to Meek Mill, because—,” Issa began before interrupting her thought. “Y’all forgave him?”

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She admitted that it was about the beef Meek had with Drake all those years ago. Durant asked her if she has forgiven Meek. “‘Not yet,” she answered. Issa was reminded that Drake even forgave the Philadelphia rapper and all is well. “I know.”

“I’m the girlfriend that’s like, ‘He asked for no onions!'” she joked. “So that’s like, you know, I just felt protective of [Drake] with him and Pusha T.” Rae also added that “the music that came out of that period was great” but she “doesn’t like when people try him.” The hosts couldn’t help but laugh at how long Issa Rae could hold a grudge for someone else.

Check it out below.

The accolades continue to pour in for Megan Thee Stallion. The Houston rapper was recently recognized by Glamour magazine as the publication Woman of the Year, but that honor didn’t just end with a photoshoot and cover feature. Glamour also hosted a special event for Megan where the rapper was bestowed her honor by none other than Pepa from Salt-N-Pepa.

“There were so few women in the game back in the day,” said Pepa during the ceremony. “We helped open doors, yes, we did. But Megan, she came and kicked the door down, pulled up a seat at the table, ordered a big dinner, and poured Hottie Sauce all over the damn thing. She is doing it well, Henny. Pushing it real good.”

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“Megan represents what I stand for,” Pepa added. “So many people out there trying to shut us down, but she reminds us to love every inch of who we are, to stay true to ourselves, to know our worth and to go for it.” Megan thanked her late mother, Holly Thomas, as well as Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez for stepping in where there was a void in her life. 

“I win a lot of awards as Megan Thee Stallion, but tonight I choose to accept this award as Megan Pete, a soon-to-be college graduate from Houston, a woman who has built a successful career in a male-dominated industry and musical genre, who has earned her respect from people that couldn’t look beyond my public persona,” she said.

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“I’ve naively trusted some wrong people at the wrong times and wound up in situations that were not beneficial to my well-being, I’ve been vulnerable and been taken advantage of. But I’ve learned from each of those situations, and I’ve become a stronger woman as a result of them. I’ve persevered which, at the end of the day, is what really matters.”

Megan also uploaded a few photos from the ceremony where she had boyfriend Pardison Fontaine by her side. They packed on the PDA for the cameras. Check it out below.

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As Travis Scott’s world has been rocked following last week’s events, his appearances are beginning to find replacements. The tragedy that occurred at Astroworld where eight lives were lost remains under investigation as authorities attempt to piece together how something like this could occur. Attendees have been sharing their stories by the thousands on social media and with each new viral tale comes more shock and awe at what people witnessed.

After sharing his video statement regarding the chaos that resulted in injury and death at Astroworld, rumors circulated that the Texas rapper pulled out of performing at the upcoming Day N Vegas festival.

This (November 8) evening, Day N Vegas confirmed that Travis Scott “will no longer be performing” at the festival.

“The security and safety of all attending Day N Vegas has been and is always top priority in our festival planning,” they tweeted. ‘We continue to work hand in hand with law enforcement, medical personnel and public safety agencies on our protocols for the weekend. Please take care of yourself and each other. Look forward to seeing you in a few days.”

Then, not long after they made the announcement, they shared that Post Malone had been added to the lineup. While Day N Vegas is the only festival that has announced Scott has been dropped, fans have launched an online petition calling for his removal from Coachella next year.

He took to the Astroworld stage as a surprise guest as Travis Scott was performing at the festival, and now Drake finds himself on the receiving end of lawsuits. The OVO Sound icon was one of several performers at Astroworld days ago and as more is being learned of the tragedies that occurred in the crowd, people are looking for someone to take responsibility for the eight lives lost.

The Kardashian-Jenners have slowly been sharing their statements regarding the tragedy one by one, and after days of silence, Drake has surfaced with his thoughts.

“I’ve spent the past few days trying to wrap my mind around this devastating tragedy,” wrote Drake. “I hate resorting to this platform to express an emotion as delicate as grief but this is where I find myself. My heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering.”

“I will continue to pray for all of them, and will be of service in any way I can. May God be with you all.” In addition to this incident, Drake has also been asked by Kanye West to mend fences as Ye appeared with J. Prince in a social media post calling for unity. Check out Drake’s statement regarding Astroworld below.

Image via HNHH. Photo credit: @frankievergara_

They’ve been in the throes of divorce for most of the year, but it looks as if Erica Mena and Safaree Samuels are on good terms. The pair have seemingly been at odds on social media for some time, even prior to announcing their split. There have been scathing accusations of infidelities and reports that Mena allegedly destroyed her estranged husband’s personal items, and it all came at a time when the pair welcomed their second child into the world.

However, in recent weeks there have been more images and videos of Mena and Samuels seen enjoying each other’s company. It looked as if some of those posts came from behind-the-scenes footage of the next Love & Hip Hop Family Reunion. 

Earlier today (November 8), more from these two began circulating online as it shows Erica Mena celebrating her 34th birthday. Her loved ones were in tow as they kicked off Mena’s big day on a boat, including Safaree who enjoyed dancing with his wife. Not only did she display a twerk or two, Mena also straddled and gyrated on her husband’s neck.

Fans are happy to see that they’re in a better place, yet still, the divorce reportedly remains. Check out Safaree and Erica below.

More statements have emerged from the Kardashian-Jenners, and much like these previously released, they have been met with backlash. The tragic deaths that occurred at Astroworld have devastated not only the eight families of those who lost their lives but the hundreds of others who were injured in the fray. Scott has been blamed for the destruction that occurred because he continued to perform for nearly 40 minutes after reportedly being warned that the show needed to stop.

His pregnant girlfriend Kylie Jenner was at the festival with their daughter, Stormi, and after reports circulated stating that she was unharmed, the public was not happy. Her statement regarding the incident was met with the same contention, and now Kim Kardashian and Kendall Jenner are feeling the wrath after they shared their thoughts on the scandal this (November 8) evening.

“Absolutely heartbroken for the lives who were lost and anyone who was hurt at Astroworld. Just like all of you, our family is in shock by the tragedy,” wrote Kim. “We are keeping all of the victims, families and loved ones impacted in our prayers for healing — as well as Travis who we know cares so much about his fans and is truly devastated.”

Meanwhile, Kendall added that she is “still at a loss for words over the news” and is “truly broken for the families that have lost loved ones.” Read through both messages below.

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Aside from her fans raving about Still Over It, Summer Walker has been a topic of conversation flowing an article released by Rolling Stone. The publication lit a fire under Walker’s supporters after they shared details regarding the singer’s record deal with LVRN. They reported that she had a four-album deal where she does not own her masters and only received 15 percent of her royalties. Additionally, she would have to turn over a portion of her profits from endorsement deals or acting gigs.

Walker has seemingly ignored the gossip until earlier today (November 8) when she took to her Instagram Story to set the record straight.

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“I’ve been seeing a lot of chatter online,” the singer wrote. “I didn’t say anything because I wanted to stay focused on releasing my album. Now let me clear the air. What that article said is not my current record deal. Over the years my deal has changed many times. I’ve always had my own representation and full support from LVRN.”

“Thank you to my fans for always having my back and for all of the love ya’ll keep showing my new album. Appreciate y’all!!” Meanwhile, Still Over It is poised to top the charts its first week. Check out her post below. 

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Some believed they would live happily ever after, but it seems that the relationship between Stevie J and Faith Evans has come to an end. The longtime friends have known each other since Faith was married to the late Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace as Stevie J worked intimately with Bad Boy Records. He helped produce quite a few hits for the legendary label, but it was only a few years ago that the pair tied the knot.

The world first received a glimpse into a potential romance between these two when Stevie and Faith appeared on Love & Hip Hop together and he seemed to be trying to woo her. Later, Faith shared that she initially cut Stevie off because he didn’t seem to have shaken his player ways.

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They eventually got back together and in 2018, Stevie and Faith wed in a small ceremony in a Las Vegas hotel room. TMZ reports that they have seen records indicating that the producer filed for divorce from the singer and it is not clear if they had a prenuptial agreement set in place. There have been reported ups and downs in their relationship, especially after it was suggested that they broke up in 2019.

Then, in May 2020, Faith was reportedly arrested following a domestic violence incident. The couple stayed together and reportedly were working on their marriage when Stevie surfaced with a large tattoo of Faith’s face. Check out VH1’s feature compiling the timeline of Stevie J and Faith Evans’s relationship below.

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As Travis Scott’s team announced that he would be covering the funeral costs of those who perished during Astroworld, his reported ex-manager has spoken out against him. Scott has been portrayed throughout his career as a beloved artist and father who jumps into the No. 1 spot musically with every release. He was once an entertainer who sat on top of the world but now, he has become a public pariah as people point fingers attempting to pinpoint who is to blame.

Meanwhile, Shane Morris, a man who states he is Scott’s former manager, shared a video online where he called out the rapper. According to Morris, he isn’t surprised by the events that unfolded at Astroworld because of his personal experience with Scott.

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“Travis Scott is the worst person I worked with in my entire career in music,” said Morris. “Eight people are dead and hundreds more injured after Travis Scott’s callous, reckless behavior at Astroworld and I hate to be the one saying this, but I saw this coming and I tried to tell everyone.”

On Twitter, DDot tweeted about an incident where Scott allegedly “left his former manager for dead,” and Morris claims he is that person. “I’m Travis Scott’s former manager. I’m the one who had a seizure and I’m the one that he left for dead in a basement in Los Angeles,” said Morris. “I originally told my account in 2013 and then it recirculated on Reddit about six years ago.”

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He added that the videos surfacing from Astroworld showing Scott ignoring warnings and complaints of injuries and dying attendees “align with what I know about Travis Scott.” Morris said, “When he sees people in harm or in danger, he tends to only continue thinking about himself. And to make it worse, he’s been doing this for years at other concerts.”

Morris explained that when he began working for Scott, it was his job to “fake his popularity,” so he “programmed a fleet of Soundcloud bots to artificially inflate his play counts.” It made him seem more popular than he was and Morris claims he also did the same for Scott with Twitter. Watch him detail his alleged experiences below.