New Hip Hop News

Kyrie Irving is currently out of commission due to the fact that he is refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine. He needs to be vaccinated in order to play in New York, and it doesn’t seem like that mandate is going to be changed anytime soon. In Kyrie’s absence, Kevin Durant has been playing inspired basketball, however, they won’t be able to keep this up without their bonafide number one point guard.

While Irving might not be able to play for the Nets this season, there is at least one NBA game he will be able to suit up for. That match just so happens to be the All-Star Game in Cleveland. In a report from Brian Lewis of The New York Post, it was revealed that Irving is eligible to be voted in, which could create a very interesting scenario.

Elsa/Getty Images

Per Lewis:

“When the NBA updated its All-Star voting process, all players on the rosters were put on the ballot. Both league and team sources indicated that because Irving is still on the Nets’ official roster — sent home but not suspended — he won’t be an exception, despite not having played a second for the Nets this season.”

There is no guarantee that Irving will be voted into the All-Star Game, although this does pose an interesting dilemma for the league. Only time will tell whether or not Kyrie can actually get back on the court in Cleveland come February.

Elsa/Getty Images

[Via]

Last night was terrible for the Los Angeles Lakers as they took on the Portland Trail Blazers and lost in a blowout. Russell Westbrook had one of the worst games of his career all while Anthony Davis had to exit the game after just seven minutes of action. Prior to the game, AD had been cleared for a thumb injury, and there was optimism that he would be fully healthy throughout the match.

Unfortunately, things turned badly as Davis ended up leaving the game with what was reported at the time as a stomach ache. Fans were pretty confused by this, as they felt like a simple stomach problem wasn’t enough to leave the game for. As it turns out, however, it was a lot worse than suspected.

Ronald Cortes/Getty Images

After the game, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel told reporters that Davis had thrown up at least four times before the game and despite this, he tried to tough it out. Eventually, however, Davis just couldn’t take it and he had to leave. This left Westbrook all by himself as far as superstars go, and as you can tell by the boxscore, it didn’t go so well.

Now, the Lakers are on a bit of a losing skid, and they will need to pick things up if they want to keep themselves afloat in what has proven to be a very stacked Western Conference.

Kamaru Usman defeated Colby Covington by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) during their title fight at UFC 268, Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Usman retained the welterweight championship yet again.

Usman started the fight strong, taking Covington down to end the second round and landing a flurry of punches.

After the five rounds ended, the two hugged it out and shared a mutual respect for each other.

Steve Marcus / Getty Images

The fight was a rematch of their December 2019 bout when Usman took home the victory with a fifth-round TKO.

Prior to Saturday’s bout, Usman admitted that he may be nearing retirement during a press conference after being asked about a potential fight with Khamzat Chimaev. The veteran fighter is 34 years old.

“As far as me [fighting him], you know I’m in a point in life to where I understand how much this takes from you,” Usman said. “I’ve been nine weeks now away from my daughter, and FaceTime does help, but it doesn’t do it justice, as far as being there each and every day. So obviously I don’t know how much longer I’m willing to do this. They have to make sense for me now. If he’s able to get there, then we’ll talk about it at that point.”

[Via]

Snoop Dogg says that rock and roll legends are given far more respect than rap legends and wants that to change. The west coast rapper discussed longevity in the rap game during a new interview with Rolling Stone.

Snoop used the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an example, referring to The Rolling Stones.

“They don’t limit The Rolling Stones, they don’t limit those other groups that do it outside of our genre,” Snoop explained. “You got rappers in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. You ain’t got no muthafuckin’ rock and rollers in the Rap Hall of Fame. So slow it down a little bit, and start putting some respect on our name and give us the respect for who we are.”

Bennett Raglin / Getty Images

He continued by explaining the difficulty rappers have staying relevant as they get older, despite having built one of the biggest genres in the world: “Don’t put no time limit on how old we are or what we are, because we don’t look at the rockers and say, ‘Man, he got white hair now when he used to have black hair, and it’s all grey now. We love their music, we love them, we respect them, we come support them, we sing their music — diehard fans.”

“We should get that same love in hip-hop because we created something that’s gonna last forever, it’s generational,” he added.

Snoop’s next album, The Algorithm, is due out on November 12.

[Via]

Travis Scott discussed the tragedy which resulted in the deaths of eight fans at his Astroworld festival, in a video on his Instagram Stories, Saturday night. Scott says that he’s working with the city of Houston, local police, and the fire department to figure out what went wrong.

As for why Scott didn’t stop the show, he explained: “Any time I can make out anything that’s going on, I stop the show and help them get the help they need. I could just never imagine the severity of the situation.”

He continued: “We’ve been working closely with everyone to just try to get to the bottom of this. City of Houston, HPD, fire department — you know, everyone to help us figure this out. If you have any information, please just contact your local authorities. Everybody, continue to just keep your prayers.”

Alex Bierens de Haan / Getty Images

The Houston rapper also said that his fans “mean the world” to him and Scott always wants them to have the best experience.

“I mean, I’m honestly just devastated and I could never imagine anything like this just happening,” he added. “I’m gonna do everything I can to keep you guys updated and keep you guys informed on what’s going on.”

Check out Scott’s video below.

[Via]

N.O.R.E. celebrated the success of his new interview with Kanye West for the podcast, Drink Champs, in a post on Instagram, Friday. Noreaga shared a screenshot of him face-timing with West after the interview was published.

“Yeah they saying interview of the YEAR YE!!! They also calling me NORE YE Ga!!!” he wrote on his Instagram. “The yalla getting to the yande!!! Yalla to many views to count imma stay home and drink water !!! praise gawd!!!”

Phillip Faraone / Getty Images

West’s interview on Drink Champs went viral for multiple comments he made throughout the discussion. 

The Donda rapper spoke candidly about numerous other artists, including Big Sean, who West says he regrets signing.

“No, I’m saying that the worst thing I’ve ever done is sign Big Sean,” West remarked. “Nah man, they let that—I know this man mama, bro. You know what I’m saying? I changed this man family and both John Legend and Big Sean when I ran for office got used quick by the Democrats to combat they boy that actually changed they life. And that’s some sell-out sh*t and I don’t rock with neither of them and I need my apology.”

West also called out Just Blaze during the interview.

Kayla B, sister of the late rapper King Von, reflected on his passing, on the one-year anniversary of his death, Saturday. Von was shot and killed at 26 years old after a dispute with Quando Rondo’s crew in Atlanta, Georgia.

In a post on Instagram, Kayla wrote: “A YEAR WITH OUT HALF OF MY HEART MY FAVORITE PERSON COULDNT TELL ME NOTHING ABOUT HIM IM SO HURT STILL @kingvonfrmdao 4L WITH ME STILL HOLDING YO SECRETS.”

She also shared a photo of herself and Von. On her story, Kayla posted several more photos of Von.

Prince Williams / Getty Images

Von would currently be touring with 42 Dugg and Pooh Shiesty, had he been alive today, according to Dugg.

“I miss my n***a @KingVonFrmdaWic and my n***a @pooh_shiesty we all suppose to be on TOUR RITE NOW GOING CRAZY RIP MY N***A VON AND FREE SHIESTY,” Dugg recently tweeted.

Earlier this year, Kayla called out Von’s girlfriend, Asian Doll, saying that “there is no queen Von.”

“Wow you bitches really be cap on this internet,” Kayla tweeted back in June. “Ain’t no queen Von [laughing emoji] because Von was single… Bitches live a whole fuckin lie & messy af hiding they hand!”

Check out Kayla’s tribute to Von below.

[Via]

Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist appeared on NPR’s The Formula, this week, to discuss their critically acclaimed collaborative album, Alfredo, and detailed what went into making their hit track, “Skinny Suge.”

Alchemist revealed that some of the music was inspired by A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip.

Jacopo M. Raule / Getty Images

Gibbs praised Alc’s work on the beats as something that allowed him to operate freely when crafting the lyrics: “The beats on the album let me be so free, I was rapping so good, I wasn’t even worried about structure. I don’t even think I wrote a hook! There wasn’t nothing pretty about this shit. That’s why … we dressed this shit up, put a bowtie on it, and took it to the Grammys.”

He continued: “That’s amazing! That just shows you this real rap shit ain’t dead. You can do what you wanna do and still be put up there with the top [artists in the game].”

Alfredo marked the second full-length project on which the two artists collaborated, following 2018’s Fetti.

Gibbs didn’t confirm specifics for a follow-up to Alfredo, but did joke that it will be recorded in Hawaii: “Next [album] I want to go to Hawaii. We can record in Hawaii. I’m going to bring in like 20 strippers. I need it for my mindset.”

[Via]

Donald Trump erroneously suggested that Alec Baldwin loaded the gun that killed Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust, during a podcast interview with Chris Stigall on Thursday. Baldwin shot and killed the cinematographer by shooting her with a prop gun, which he claims to have believed was loaded with blanks.

“He’s a troubled guy,” Trump said of Baldwin, according to Business Insider. “There’s something wrong with him. I’ve watched him for years. He gets into fistfights with reporters.”

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Trump also theorized that Baldwin “had something to do with it” and called him a “cuckoo-bird,” and a “nutjob.”

“But if nothing else, how do you take a gun and just, whether it’s loaded or not loaded, how do you take a gun, point it at somebody that’s not even in the movie and just point it at this person and pull the trigger and now she’s dead?” Trump continued.

“As bad as it may have been kept, meaning you know the people that take care of the equipment and the guns and everything else,” Trump said. “… But even if it was loaded, and that’s a weird thing—maybe he loaded it.”

Hutchins’ father recently said that he doesn’t believe Baldwin is to blame for his daughter’s death.

[Via]

Joey Bada$$ recently revealed how he landed a songwriting credit on Post Malone’s massively successful single, “Rockstar,” featuring 21 Savage. Bada$$ says he helped come up with the melody while freestyling with Malone in the studio.

“See let me clear that up, because me and T-Pain didn’t make that song,” Bada$$ told HipHopDX at Rolling Loud NYC. “Me and Post made the song together one night. We were actually, it was me, Post and Tankgod, we were actually just freestyling and fucking around in the studio. And its like, I kind of came up with this melody, and then it was like it was really just a freestyle — Post recorded it on his phone or whatever.”

Theo Wargo / Getty Images

He explained that he later collaborated with T-Pain for verses on the song after running into him at Yams Day in 2018. Bada$$ says that despite loving the track, he wasn’t confident enough in his own performance to keep the verse. 

“Shout out to Post that’s my man he’s such sweetheart, he’s a cool dude,” he said. “I didn’t really want to be on the song, I thought my verse was trash. At that time I didn’t experiment enough to be confident to approach a song like that. So I was kind of just cool with having a part of it or being a part of it or whatever. So that’s kind of how it happened and then that version came out and people thought that me and T-Pain originally did the song — which is not the case.”

[Via]