New Hip Hop News

Nicki Minaj and her husband Kenneth Petty took a flight across the country this weekend, traveling from Los Angeles to New York to get a taste of home. The rapper and her partner were childhood friends and they met in their Queens neighborhood, returning to hang out with some friends this weekend.

The rapper and her husband were pictured alongside nearly a dozen of their buddies from old times, snapping up in front of a local mural. Nicki smiled in the shot, while literally everyone else pulled off a mean mug. Nicki’s fans have been celebrating her return to Queens, noting that it’s nice to see that she still respects her hometown and goes back when she can.

Some videos that surfaced online showed the rapper arriving in the hood with her bright pink Rolls-Royce, making her presence known as she stepped out in her casual outfit. 

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This comes as news intensifies regarding the harassment lawsuit filed against Nicki and Kenneth Petty by Petty’s alleged sexual assault victim. Last week, it was noted in the media that Nicki reportedly made an “innocent mistake” by ignoring the lawsuit. She stands accused of harassing the victim and her family.

Check out some photos of Nicki and Kenneth in Queens.

It’s no secret that Hit-Boy is the hottest producer in the game right now. 

The 34-year-old has dominated the last two years. Producing entire albums for the likes of Benny the Butcher and Nas in 2020 and 2021, Hit-Boy produced the intro track on Jack Harlow’s debut album, Thats What They All Say, and most recently, he was credited with producing Big Sean’s “What A Life.” 

With his ability to mold his sound to modern waves, while staying true to those classic, boom-bap, hip-hop roots, the Burden of Proof producer has cemented himself as one of the greatest of his generation. 

And in a recent Instagram post, he proved why.

Taking to IG to break down a couple of the samples he used on Kendrick Lamar’s iconic “Backseat Freestyle,” Hit-Boy revealed that he used The Chakacha’s 1970 record “Yo Soy Cubano,” for the distinctive vocal sample heard at the top of the Good Kid m.A.A.d City track, and also a sample from the famous Cartoon Network children’s program, The Powerpuff Girls.

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Showing how he combined the two samples by shifting back and forth between the original audio and “Backseat Freestyle,” Hit-Boy gave us a glimpse into how his mind works when he’s cooking up in the studio.

Captioning the post, “Don’t request to work wit me if you looking for something inside the box that sounds like whatever is going on chart wise. Work wit me when you wanna be creative I be sampling power puff girls an shit, ask @kendricklamar,” the Grammy-award winning made it clear that he is pushing the envelope and is not interested in working with anybody who isn’t. 

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A post shared by HIT-BOY AKA Tony Fontana (@hitboy)

Hit-Boy, who appeared as the 12th and final installment in our HNHH Presents: 12 Days of Christmas series last year, is on one of the more impressive runs we’ve seen from a producer and it’s little tricks like sampling The Powerpuff Girls that keep him ahead of the game. 

What do you think of Hit-Boy’s revelation that “Backseat Freestyle” samples a children’s cartoon? Let us know in the comments. 

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New York rapper French Montana has stuck around the music business for nearly two whole decades, but he’s often written off by music fans as a feature artist, or as someone who only has a couple of decent songs. In recent years, it’s become trendy to hate on French, specifically as it pertains to his music catalog, which is filled with bangers. As the world jokes about how the 36-year-old rapper doesn’t have any solo hits, he’s offering up his own take, naming a bunch of his songs that have made noise in the streets.

While people may like to joke that “Unforgettable” is the only song worth listening to from French Montana, the rapper recently responded to a viral post suggesting that he’s got a whole lot of other songs that are certified hits. When a rap fan suggested that the next Squid Game challenge should be for people to name five French Montana songs without features, it appeared as though the entirety of Twitter drew a blank, but thankfully, French jumped into the conversation with a list of songs that people could name to pass the challenge.

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“For the next game, you need to name FIVE French Montana songs without features,” joked the fan on Twitter, sharing a Squid Game photo. 

“Ain’t worried about nothing, Sanctuary, Fuck with me get bag, Don’t panic, Shot caller, Everything’s a go, Famous, Devil want my soul, Henny and my 44, What it look like, Salam alaikum, Hotel bathroom, I’m so special, Water, Now eat a dick [angry devil face] I’m droping a solo track this week.”

Do you know of any of the songs he listed, and would you have remembered their names if you were forced to participate in Squid Game?

All he wanted to do was air out his frustrations on social media, but those tweets have turned Meek Mill into a trending topic. This isn’t the first nor will it be the last time that Meek is teased over his words and fans are making sure to include Jay-Z into the conversation. Earlier today, we reported on Meek tweeting that he has never received a check from a record label and suggested that he wanted a lawyer to pour over the finances to see if he is owed any money.

It is well known that Meek operates under the umbrellas of Maybach Music and Atlantic Records, but the rapper is also managed by Roc Nation.

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The public couldn’t help but bring up the viral question of “dinner with Jay-Z or $500K,” and some taunted Meek because he has a personal relationship with Hov. Meek was questioned about why he didn’t glean wisdom from Jay regarding contracts or finances, and once again, the public has rehashed the viral question as they debate if having a conversation with Hov is more valuable than half a million dollars.

Last month, Tidal told everyone to just take the $500K. We’ll let you decide what option is best while you read through a few reactions below.

The shooting on the set of Rust last week has been the non-stop talk of the industry as people attempt to piece together how such a brazen act of negligence could occur. We previously reported on Alec Baldwin firing a prop weapon on the set of his western film while on location in New Mexico. Halyna Hutchins, the director of photography, was fatally wounded. Director Joel Souza was shot but survived his injuries.

Several people have been hit with backlash, including the film’s armorer as well as the assistant director. Baldwin pulled the trigger, however, the distraught veteran actor had no idea that there was a live round in the firearm and has not been held responsible. Still, people like Candace Owens and Donald Trump Jr. have used this opportunity to spew vitriol due to Baldwin’s anti-Trump past.

The actor’s daughter, Ireland Baldwin, took to social media to defend her father against those who have accused him of being a murderer, including Owens. The model posted a photo of Owens to her Instagram Story and wrote, “You are the most disgusting, hateful, cancerous human being I’ve ever come across. Regardless of your foul opinions most of the time, the fact that you would disrespect the life of a woman who was accidentally and tragically killed…Shame on you.”

She didn’t end there; Ireland went on to say that this issue isn’t about political leanings and later, it seems that she and Owens got into a spat in the DMs. Owens shared screenshots of her own and went on to call Alec Baldwin a “predator.” Read through it all below.

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Her career has spanned nearly two decades as she has worked with some of the most popular artists in the music industry, but Ester Dean revealed that collaborating with Rihanna takes the cake. Dean has won several awards for her work as a writer and producer, and her credits include collaborating with artists like Drake, Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé, Lil Wayne, Usher, Katy Perry, Britney Spears, and Mary J. Blige.

Ester Dean has worked on Rihanna’s tracks like “Rude Boy” and “What’s My Name,” and when chopping it up with E! News, the musician explained why Ri is one of her favorites.

“Let me tell you something, it’s like working with a warrior spirit,” she said about the Savage x Fenty mogul. “She gets it. She just embodies everything. It’s like I’m not writing a song, I’m writing to see art be created.” Speaking of Rihanna’s brand, Dean is looking forward to what the singer cooks up on her next album, but she’s enjoying watching Rihanna share her creative side through fashion.

“That’s lingerie but it’s sexy, so she’s giving us Rihanna right now. We just gotta learn how to be appreciative!” Dean added, also mentioning life advice she received from Beyoncé.

“I don’t talk to her about music, I just think she’s a beautiful warrior and I’m like, ‘Tell me warrior queen, what should I do? You’ve seen those hills, you’ve seen those mountains. What can you tell me?'” Dean said. “And she’s just like ‘Baby, patience. You gotta have patience.'” Watch Ester Dean speak about Rihanna, Beyoncé, and more below.

Hip Hop is no stranger to white rappers staking their claim in the genre, but Jack Harlow doesn’t want to treat his whiteness as a novelty. The Kentucky rapper has long spoken about his placement in Hip Hop and has treaded carefully when addressing race. Harlow chatted with GQ recently and once again the topic arose during the conversation as the rapper weighed the differences between Britain and the United States.

“It’s interesting because it seems like there’s more of a counterculture mix going on here. In Britain, I see a lot more interracial dating,” he said. “I see a lot more white kids hanging with black kids. It seems a lot more common over here.”

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Harlow added that Hip Hop fans in Britain are “not such a select crowd.” He said, “I mean it is mainstream over there, too, but it’s like there’s still so much segregation.” The publication highlighted that Harlow claimed to recognize that he “has it easier than many,” penned GQ, including not running into as many obstacles while traveling as a rapper.

“I have serious imposter syndrome the whole way through,” said Harlow. “And then you have to bounce with it and you feel like you are totally where you are supposed to be. Moments of self-doubt combined with moments of I am who I think I am. I think what has worked for me is that my music has never been about the fact that I am white. I don’t try to lean into the, ‘Hey, I’m the white boy.’ I try not to make it a novelty.”

“I rap from the heart, rather than trying to do a white version of the art form.”

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His music videos have been parodied for decades and people have taken to stages worldwide impersonating Sisqo, but the singer advises other artists to take it all in stride. We have been reporting on the Fake Drake that has been storming Miami, popping up in clubs with his heart-shaped haircut mirroring the real Drizzy’s Certified Lover Boy style. 

Surprisingly, there have been people who have believed this Drake 2.0, but most others spotted the fraudster a mile away—including nightclub security guards who didn’t fall for his seemingly harmless scam. 

A TMZ cameraperson happened to run into Sisqo while out and about in New York City and asked the singer if he had any advice for the real Drake on how to handle a situation such as this.

“To real Drake? Well, he’s a Scorpio and Dru Hill is sampled on his new album,” said Sisqo. “So, I wish you all the best and when you find out who it is, man, don’t sue ’em.” The cameraperson reminded Sisqo that he once sued someone pretending to him as he enjoyed all of the perks that go along with being a celebrity at New York Fashion Week back in 2017. Sisqo clarified that situation. 

“Turns out, the guy was from Baltimore, I’m from Baltimore and it was just a young kid tryin’ to get over on my good looks,” he continued. “[Imitation] is a form of flattery.” Watch Sisqo below.

Another celebrity’s birthday is upon us as Ciara celebrates turning 36. The superstar singer has amassed a global following of record numbers and many of those fans took to social media to wish Ciara a happy birthday. Of course, none of those well-wishes tops her husband Russell Wilson’s heartwarming message that he shared on social media.

As Summer Walker’s fans await the release of Still Over It, an album that ends with “Ciara’s Prayer,” Russell is once again showing that he will go to the ends of the earth for his wife.

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The proud husband uploaded a series of photos of Ciara, from candid shots to childhood pictures to photoshoots. 

“Perfect in every way. God made you for me,” penned the Super Bowl champion. “He made you to fit perfectly in my arms. Made you to be the amazing woman and mother you are. God made you to entertain the world with your gift to sing & dance! He gifted you with the ability to Tilt the room.. when you walk in ALL the furniture slides towards you.”

“He gifted you with the ability to smile and bring joy to ALL things! Gifted you with the ability to LOVE. Happy Birthday my Queen @Ciara Heaven sent!” Their “couple goals” continue. Check it out below.