Aaliyah’s Estate Says Executives Are ‘Leeching Off’ Her Music As Her Former Label Teases A Release

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Aaliyah’s music influenced an entire generation of R&B music lovers before her tragic death nearly two decades ago. Despite her popularity, much of her music isn’t available on streaming services, a fact her estate has been working hard to change. But shortly after her former record label teased an announcement, the singer’s estate accused executives of “leeching off” her life’s work.

Late last year, Aaliyah’s Estate won control of her YouTube channel and shortly thereafter promised fans they were making headway on an agreement to get her music on widely available streaming services. Things were looking up when a social media account for her former record label, Blackground Records 2.0, popped up with an exciting teaser in the form of a website promising #AaliyahIsComing. Many assumed this to mean word of her music on streaming services, but apparently it was a move made without the authorization of her estate.

Aaliyah’s Estate issued a statement Wednesday making it clear they did not authorize her former label’s announcement. “For 20 years we have battled behind the scenes, enduring shadowy tactics of deception with unauthorized projects targeted to tarnish,” they wrote. The estate continued to say it is an “unscrupulous endeavor to release Aaliyah’s music” without transparency or their approval:

“Now, in this 20th year, this unscrupulous endeavor to release Aaliyah’s music without any transparency or full accounting to the estate compels our hearts to express a word – forgiveness. Although we will continue to defend ourselves and her legacy lawfully and justly, we want to preempt the inevitable attacks on our character by all the individuals who have emerged from the shadows to leech off of Aaliyah’s life’s work.”

Aaliyah’s Estate goes on to say they are continuing to manage her memorial fund and “other creative projects that embody Aaliyah’s true essence.”

See the full announcement made by Aaliyah’s Estate above.

LeBron James Called Jadakiss The Most Underrated Hip-Hop Artist ‘Of All-Time’

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One of the best things to emerge from the pandemic is the popular face-off livestream Verzuz, which pits two legendary artists against each other in a showdown. This week’s battle between The Lox and Dipset seemed like it would be a close one out of the gate, but The Lox, and most prominently Jadakiss, pulled out ahead to gain accolades and praise that dubbed them the clear winner. Plenty of hip-hop heads are weighing in on the impact of Jadakiss as an MC, and noted hip-hop head LeBron James had to put his own two cents in when it comes to The Lox member’s greatness.

“JADAKISS is the most UNDERRATED hip-hop artist of ALL-TIME!! MY GOODNESS,” the basketball star wrote, adding a hefty dose of emojis to his all-caps praise. “@thelox
just so [fire emoji],” he continued. “3 bullies.” Then, he shared his favorite clip from the battle, where Jadakiss launches into a freestyle over Biggie’s “Who Shot Ya” instrumental.

Considering LeBron has been an avid hip-hop listener for all of his life, and even has an executive producer credit on 2 Chainz’s also underrated Rap Or Go To The League, his praise has to be feel pretty good. Giving hip-hop legends their flowers while they’re still here is always a strong move.

Young Nudy Stacks Up “Bodies On Bodies”

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Young Nudy is a man on a mission this year, having recently come through with his second project of 2021, Rich Shooter. A follow-up to the spooky and sinister DR. EV4L — read our review right here — this new project features even more new material from the Atlanta rapper. Largely shifting away from the horror motif of its predecessor, Rich Shooter’s production is more in line with some of Nudy’s previous work, whimsical and strange while still retaining a hard-hitting edge. 

With plenty of songs to unpack, one of the immediate standouts is “Bodies On Bodies,” immediately capturing the vibe of the album’s cover. Producer Coupe laces Nudy with an eerie sci-fi banger, an original blend of camp and carnage. It’s the exact sort of beat that Nudy tends to excel over, his effortless flow and casual threats still packing a punch — who else can mix Clifford The Big Red Dog and murder most foul in one fell swoop? You can thank his charisma for that, a quality that has kept Nudy engaging throughout his prolific discography.

Check out “Bodies On Bodies” now, and support Nudy by streaming Rich Shooter right here. 

QUOTABLE LYRICS

Man, I’m still in the hood, in the 6, bitch 
I’m so motherfuckin’ ruthless, I can’t help it 
Hell yeah, you know I’m red like I’m Clifford 
Beam on your head came from the end of my pistol

Nas Previews “King’s Disease II” Single “Rare”

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It’s about to be a great day for Nas fans, and let’s be honest, that’s a description that basically summarizes the vast majority of hip-hop heads. Tomorrow marks the arrival of King’s Disease II, a spontaneously announced sequel that once again pairs Nas up with Hit-Boy, who laced the majority of the Grammy-Award-winning King’s Disease. 

With features from Eminem (for the first time on wax), Lauryn Hill, YG, Blxst, Charlie Wilson, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, and more, the fifteen-track project has certainly captured attention; no easy feat considering that another rap titan, Kanye West, is also set to be dropping an album at midnight.

Nas

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Now, Nas has come through to kick up a bit of hype, previewing the album’s lead single “Rare” on his Instagram page. Though we only catch a glimpse at the instrumental, there’s a vintage innocence that evokes memories of Stillmatic favorites like “You’re Da Man” and “2nd Childhood.” Clearly, Hit-Boy and Nas understand the significance of following up an album-of-the-year contender, and it should be interesting to see how the pair deviate and elevate on this go-around.

“Tune in to the premiere of “Rare” tomorrow midnight est,” writes Nas, alongside a clip of the upcoming music video, which is set to drop alongside the full album. Based on how hard he’s teasing the video, expect this one to be a cinematic effort from the rap visionary. Check out the snippet of both song and visuals below, and look for King’s Disease II to land at the stroke of midnight. 

LeBron James Names The Most Underrated Rapper Of All Time

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NBA superstar LeBron James doesn’t just think Jadakiss is nice-nice with the wordplay. Instead, the four-time league champion has crowned The LOX‘s leader as rap’s most underrated rapper – ever. LeBron James Names Jadakiss Most Underrated – Ever King James hit up his Twitter page and kept things a buck about Kiss. Referencing an epic […]

LeBron James Offers Bold Take On Jadakiss’ Legacy

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Lloyd Banks summed it up perfectly when said that Tuesday night’s Verzuz between The LOX and Dipset was an “amazing night for hip hop.” Dipset and The LOX duked it out with some of their best throwback tracks, and even a full day after the event took place, fans are still marveling at Jadakiss’ epic performance or making fun of Dipset’s antics. 

LeBron James falls in the former category, as he recently hit Twitter to share a bold take about the legendary Kiss Of Death rapper’s legacy. 

LeBron James attends the Space Jam: A New Legacy Party in The Park After Dark at Six Flags Magic Mountain on June 29, 2021 in Valencia, California.
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

In a slew of tweets, LeBron gave Jadakiss his flowers, showed The LOX some major love, and shared one of his favorite moments from the Verzuz battle. Check them out below.

“JADAKISS is the most UNDERRATED hip-hop artist of ALL-TIME!! MY GOODNESS,” the Los Angeles Lakers player attested on Twitter. After literally flooding his tweet with flower emojis in honor of Jadakiss, he also made sure to comment on The LOX’s impact. “@thelox just so [six fire emojis]! 3 bullies.”

Jadakiss is often a rapper that comes up in GOAT debates, and Tuesday night likely reminded countless fans why the Top 5 Dead Or Alive rapper should be. Still, do you think LeBron has a point? Is Jadakiss the most underrated Hip-Hop artist of all time?

Kanye Launched A ‘Countdown To Donda’ Livestream On Apple Music Previewing His Second Listening Event

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The music world has been anxiously awaiting the beginning of Kanye’s new era, and his first album to drop since his divorce from Kim Kardashian was finalized. Entitled Donda after the rapper’s late mother, whose tragic death has had an ongoing impact on the rapper’s life, he previously previewed the new album in a massive stadium show in Atlanta that was live streamed on Apple Music. But in true Kanye form, the album wasn’t exactly finished, so he’s been holed up in Atlanta finishing the album, and announced that a second listening event would be held once it was done.

Now, Apple has debuted a live stream leading up to the second event, which shows Kanye hanging out with friends and collaborators, pumping himself up for the event. Fan accounts have captured high-profile visitors like Chance The Rapper, Ye’s weight-training moments in a Donda vest, and what looks like a new Balenciaga suit for tonight’s stream.

Excitement for the follow-up is definitely high, even if plenty of fans were disappointed in his Pro-Trump era, the strange follow-up that was his own presidential campaign, and didn’t think Ye was his best work. But with Kanye, a potential comeback is always in the works. Check out the live stream via the Apple Music link above.

Kanye West Livestreams “Countdown To Donda” On Apple Music

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It would appear that, unless he pulls out one of his signature bamboozles, Kanye West will indeed be dropping his anticipated Donda album at midnight tonight. Though fans have largely reached the seeing is believing phase, it cannot be denied that Yeezy is actively engaging in his own unconventional sort of rollout. 

Last night at approximately 1 AM EST, Apple Music launched an exclusive live stream event in their app, broadcasting footage from Kanye West’s living quarters at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The fixed camera angle reveals a countdown, steadily ticking away until the presumed Donda drop, as a variety of visitors sit down and converse.

Kanye West

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images 

Over the course of the night, Chance The Rapper, The LOX, Vic Mensa, Mike Dean, Steve Lacy, Fivio Foreign, and more stopped through — though let it be known, the audio has been left deliberately muted for obvious reasons. At one point, Yeezy was seen doing pushups while rocking a Donda vest; later, he returned looking like a steampunk-inspired Balenciaga clad villain. At some stage during the night, the bedroom appears to have been cleared in order to accommodate an increased number of guests. 

As of this moment, the stream is still ongoing and can be seen exclusively on Apple Music. Later tonight, Kanye is set to kick off the official Donda release event at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium; it is assumed that the album will be released shortly thereafter, though being that this is Kanye West we’re talking about — a last-minute delay wouldn’t be the most shocking development. 

To his credit, however, he appears locked in on a creative level, and this live stream is another example of his boundary-pushing artistry in action. Love him or hate him, he’s got style. Look for more news on Donda as the livestream unfolds throughout the day. 

Fetty Wap’s Daughter Passed Away From Heart Defect Complications: Report

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One of the most tragic stories of the entire year so far has been the death of Fetty Wap’s four-year-old daughter Lauren Maxwell. After rumors and reports that Lauren had been sick for a few months before passing away in her sleep, her mother, Turquoise Miami, confirmed the depressing news on Saturday, July 31.

While neither Fetty Wap nor Turquoise had revealed Lauren’s cause of death, it was clear that both of Lauren’s parents were mourning. Ahead of their public acknowledgment of Lauren’s passing, Fetty Wap had dedicated his Rolling Loud set to her memory, and more recently, he broke down into tears while hosting a celebration of her life on Instagram Live.

According to Page Six, the details of Lauren Maxwell’s passing have now been revealed. The four-year-old reportedly passed away on June 24 at her home in Riverdale, Georgia due to complications from a heart defect she had since birth. Page Six reports that the explicit cause of death cited on Lauren’s death certificate was a fatal cardiac arrhythmia, a.k.a an irregular heartbeat, due to complications of congenital cardiac anomalies.

With such a heartbreaking situation to have to deal with, our hearts are with Fetty Wap, Turquoise, and their children at this time. Rest in peace, Lauren Maxwell. 

[via]