New Hip Hop News

After pretty much destroying the movie rental industry, Netflix is releasing a documentary about the last Blockbuster. The film is called The Last Blockbuster and it shows never-before-seen footage of employees, fans, and more. The trailer is filled with nostalgic moments that capture the magic the once filled the air when adults and kids would flock to rent their favorite films. 

The Last Blockbuster Official Trailer from PopMotion Pictures on Vimeo.

The last Blockbuster in the world is located in Bend, Oregon. The documentary’s official Facebook page states, “A lot of people know that Blockbuster had the chance to buy Netflix early on and they passed on the opportunity. In an ironic twist of fate, our movie The Last Blockbuster is coming to Netflix one week from today. We are beyond excited for people to get to see this tribute to era of home video on the world’s largest streaming service. Just don’t forget to rewind it when you’re done watching it and bring it back by noon on Wednesday.” Streaming in general looks like it will kill many more industries in the next decade, with more and more people switching from cable to apps like Hulu or Disney+. The Last Blockbuster premieres on Netflix on March 15.

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In a recent interview with Vogue, Selena Gomez told journalist Jia Tolentino that she was considering retiring from music for good. “It’s hard to keep doing music when people don’t necessarily take you seriously,” she said. “I’ve had moments where I’ve been like, ‘What’s the point? Why do I keep doing this?’ ‘Lose You to Love Me’ I felt was the best song I’ve ever released, and for some people it still wasn’t enough. I think there are a lot of people who enjoy my music, and for that I’m so thankful, for that I keep going, but I think the next time I do an album it’ll be different. I want to give it one last try before I maybe retire music.”

The 28-year-old singer-actor was met with some adverse reactions when she announced she was considering retirement, but perhaps none more heartfelt than one from Cardi B. “I don’t think Selena should retire,” Cardi Tweeted on Wednesday. “She makes good music & her fans love her .I think she needs one more Era. A edgy one that no one ever seen her as .I would love to give her some ideas.” 

It seemed as though Selena was teasing her retirement from the industry prior to the release of her most recent EP, Revelación, which she called an “homage to [her] heritage.” To promote one of the singles from the EP, she Tweeted, “Te lo quería decir adiós,” which means, “I wanted to tell you goodbye.” 

Should Selena retire from music and make a return to acting? Let us know your thoughts below. 

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Moneybagg Yo’s music is certainly rooted in the streets that shaped who he is today but the reach he has is going far beyond Memphis, the South, or even the realm of hip-hop. It seems his profile is continuing to blow up these days on account of his latest string of singles, high-profile relationships, and his success as both a musician and entrepreneur.

The rapper was at the center of viral memes this week after Joe Biden signed off on the third round of stimulus checks. Joe Biden was briefly nicknamed Moneybagg Joe as gifs and memes of both the rapper and the president made rounds on the Internet. Some went as far as using the reface app to put Biden’s face on Moneybagg Yo’s head which was truly a frightening sight to see. What might even be worse is the photoshop job of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ face plastered over Moneybagg Yo’s and Ari’s.

With an album recently wrapped up, this was certainly the type of publicity that would bring the right type of awareness to his follow-up to Time Served. On Friday, the rapper reflected on the memes making their way onto MSNBC with Ari Melber who surprisingly hasn’t had Moneybagg on his show yet. Ari broke down the situation regarding Joe Biden and the memes while Moneybagg was simply floored that it made its way to national television. 

“National News Manne Wtf,” he captioned the post. “Shit done got outta hand.”

It was only a few months ago when Sasha Obama was vibing out to City Girls’ verse on “Said Sum (Remix).” Clearly, Moneybagg’s impact is reaching far beyond the world of hip-hop and music. 

Check out his post below, 

Ben Simmons has been a polarizing player in the NBA over the last few years due to the fact that he doesn’t have much of a jump shot despite being a point guard. Regardless, Simmons is a highly-effective player and an All-Star. As a result of his play, the Sixers have enjoyed quite a bit of success this season, and fans in Philly love him.

Not everyone is convinced, however, as last night, the announcer for the Washington Wizards, Justin Kutcher, roasted Simmons for being “Overrated.” Kutcher feels like Simmons’ contributions to his team are overexaggerated and that Tobias Harris should get more shine.

“I’ve said it before and I know I’ll take flak for it,” Kutcher said. “I think Ben Simmons is one of if not the most overrated player in the NBA. He’s got so much love and attention that people aren’t paying attention to what Tobias Harris is doing on the floor.”

The clip of Kutcher’s comments immediately went viral which is when he doubled down, saying “Yep, I said that Ben Simmons is one of the most overrated plyrs in the NBA, and I stand by it. I didn’t say he was BAD, just not as good as everyone makes him out to be. GREAT defender, potential DPOY, but I think he’s made All League/All Star Teams based on hype. And..goodnight.”

This led to a whole lot of clowning on social media as fans were disgusted by what Kutcher had to say. In the tweets below, you can see exactly what kind of reactions he elicited.

Let us know if you agree with Kutcher, in the comments below.

Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

COVID-19 has forced teams into some unique situations this season. Every single day, players are tested for the virus and it has become a real pain for everyone involved. This new reality certainly isn’t fun although as more people get the vaccine, it seems like protocols will become a lot more relaxed. Recently, however, the Golden State Warriors experienced a situation with rookie James Wiseman, as he missed a COVID test due to a trip outside of San Francisco.

As a result, head coach Steve Kerr opted to bench Wiseman and after a loss to the Clippers on Thursday, Warriors star Draymond Green was asked about how he felt about the punishment. Green noted that he disagrees with how Kerr handled it although when his coach asked him to weigh in, he decided not to speak up.

“I’m not sure if I was the coach I would’ve suspended him over a COVID test. Not that I’m questioning what Coach Kerr did. I’m just not sure I would’ve done that. Because there’s so much testing. Tomorrow we test three times,” Green said. “You got to know when it’s your time to say something and when it’s time to shut the hell up…Ok, cool. Respect. I left that one alone.”

COVID protocols are hard to keep up with these days so it is easy to see how Wiseman could get caught up in this type of situation. Hopefully, Kerr forgives the young star, who has been one of the more consistent rookies this season.

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

North America is slowly gaining traction in the world of legalized cannabis. Canada already made the move to legalize marijuana, and now Mexico is right on its heels. According to a report from the New York Times, Mexico is barreling towards legalizing the plant, which would make the country the biggest market in the world for weed. 

Mexico’s lower house has approved a bill that aims to legalize recreational marijuana use. The legislation passed Wednesday in a vote of 316 to 129. “Today we are in a historic moment,” Simey Olvera, a lawmaker with the governing Morena party, said. “With this, the false belief that cannabis is part of Mexico’s serious public health problems is left behind.” In the early 1900s, the United States used a slanderous campaign against Mexicans to demonize cannabis use, which led to many of the laws the US is still grappling with today when it comes to legalization. 

The bill is headed to Mexico’s Senate for review and revisions. If passed, the law would allow the cultivation, sale, research, transformation, export, and import of cannabis. Citizens 18 and up can indulge, and can grow up to six plants for personal use. They would also be allowed to carry up to 28 grams. 

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Famous Dex found himself in an incredibly unfortunate incident this week. According to TMZ, the rapper filed a report to police claiming that he was robbed of his watch worth $50K as well as a bunch of cash, upwards of the thousands. Dex told the police that he had linked up with one of his buddies in the San Fernando Valley to borrow a very expensive watch worth $50K for a music video is was about to film. From there, the rapper claimed that he was being followed by someone once he got in his vehicle.

Sources to the publication claim that the rapper stopped his vehicle and then he was swarmed by several armed men who pulled their guns out on him. Dex said that they took the watch as well as the cash, and then ran off. No arrests have been made in the case and police said that they’re currently looking out for the culprits. 

Dex hasn’t necessarily commented publicly about the incident but we’re hoping that things work out for him in the end. The rapper has been making an effort to turn his life around over the past few months. In late December, he checked into rehab before checking out in early January. Since then, it appears that he’s been doing well, getting to work on music, and focusing on his family. 

We’ll keep you updated as more information on the situation unfolds. 

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