Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Pens Message To The Lakers

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was a great role player for the Los Angeles Lakers over the past few years, and he was instrumental in the team’s championship victory while in the NBA bubble. While he may have been inconsistent at times, there is no doubt that he was beloved by fans who knew exactly what his worth to the team was.

Just last week, Caldwell-Pope was traded out of Los Angeles as the team sent him, Kyle Kuzma, and Montrezl Harrell to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Russell Westbrook. While guys like Kuzma have already bid farewell to the team, Caldwell-Pope took to Instagram today where he left a kind message to those who have run the Lakers over the past four years.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

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“Who knew that a 1 year deal would turn into a 4 year run in the purple and gold. Thank you Magic, Jeanie, and Rob for believing in me. We are forever cemented in history with #17,” Pope wrote. While things got tough for Caldwell-Pope at times, he was able to keep things going and there is no doubt that the Wizards are getting a solid player.

Heading into next season, Bradley Beal will have a solid crop of players to work with, and Caldwell-Pope is definitely one of them. If they can find chemistry together, the Wizards could very well be back in the playoffs again this season.

Cardi B And Megan Thee Stallion Celebrate Their First ‘WAPiversary’ By Teasing Another Collaboration

Last summer, on August 7, 2020 to be exact, Cardi B and Megan The Stallion shook the music world with their first collaboration, “WAP.” The track quickly became a favorite of both rappers’ fans mostly because of the sex-positive message the song delivered. It also became Cardi’s fourth No. 1 single while it was the second for Megan.

For as much praise as it garnered, “WAP” also received criticism, mostly from conservative politicians who took issue with the song’s explicit nature. Nonetheless, “WAP” was absolutely one of the biggest moments of 2020 and a year later, the two rappers took a moment to celebrate their chart-topping song while hinting at more to come in the future.

“Wow I can’t believe wappity WAP turned one today,” Cardi wrote on Twitter. “It don’t even feel like it. What a record! @theestallion we should do it again sometime.” Shortly, Megan responded to Cardi’s tweet with her own celebratory message. “Happy WAPIVERSARY,” the rapper replied. “Thank you for having me. I think the people deserve another collab.”

A future collaboration between Cardi and Megan could come on the latter’s next project which the Houston rapper said is slowly coming together.

“I am keeping my next project pretty quiet but it will be a complete shock and complete surprise,” she said during an interview with People. “I am just creating things that feel good to me right now.”

You can view the rappers’ tweets above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Erica Banks Flips DaBaby’s “Ball If I Want To”

Erica Banks had 2021 ablaze with the release of “Buss It.” The song became an international smash, thanks to the power of TikTok, and the subsequent remix featuring Travis Scott. However, there’s still more work to be done and Banks isn’t slowing down by any means. Just the other day, she declared herself the top female MC in the game right now. That might seem like a stretch to most but she’s putting her money where her mouth is everytime she drops.

This week, Erica Banks emerged with a remix to DaBaby’s hit single, “Ball If I Want To.” The latest E-Mix finds Banks tackling the beat with dominance while popping her shit.

Check out the latest offering from Erica Banks below. Did she kill the remix?

Quotable Lyrics
Hmm, yeah I’mma ball in this hoe
No, they don’t like me at all in this hoe
Hit up the strip, I’mma fall in this hoe
When I stay in the club ’cause they callin’ fasho

Erica Banks Says That She’s The Best Female Lyricist

Dallas-bred emcee Erica Banks has come through with a bold statement in tow, taking to Twitter recently with a simple remark.

“I’m the best female lyricist. Check the flows & catalog luv,” she penned in a recent tweet.

The tweet arrived just ahead of a new drop from Banks as she hopped on DaBaby’s “Ball If I Want To” backdrop for her latest E-Mix, her series of takes on popular tracks, flexing the lyricism in question.

While superlatives are certainly subjective, the southern rapper has proven to be particularly gifted with the pen especially with the string of remixes and freestyles that predated her current status. Her “Ball If I Want To” remix is only the latest showcase.

Banks particularly rose to prominence for her “Buss It” track, which caught viral success from a TikTok challenge. Currently signed to 1501 Certified, the Texas rapper has naturally drawn comparison to other emcees, namely labelmate Megan Thee Stallion, whose relationship with 1501 has been rocky to say the very least.

Fortunately, however, those conflicts have not translated into any beefs or competition between the two women, leaving Banks with an even playing field to make her case as the “best female lyricist” she claims to be. 

Sound off below with your thoughts. Who takes the title as the best female lyricist in rap at the moment?

Florida Coast Guard Seizes $1.4 Billion Worth of Cocaine & Marijuana

Someone in the Florida Coast Guard is getting a raise! Per CBS Miami, the Florida Coast Guard scored big time after seizing more than a billion dollars worth of narcotics in The Everglades. This drug bust is reportedly the biggest in the Coast Guard’s history.

Through a team-up between U.S. Customs, Border Patrol, and Canadian Officials, 59,700 pounds of cocaine and 1,430 pounds of marijuana, valued at $1.4B, were seized from 20 separate interceptions in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea over the course of three months. While speaking of the collaborative effort, a member of the Florida Coast Guard, Carson McCluskey told CBS Miami, “It’s a big team effort.” McCluskey added, “We use small boats, we use helicopters, we use people on land. And we just all come together to make this happen.” 

(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The official Twitter account for Port Everglades shared the news on August 5. Port Everglades tweeted, “Congrats US Coast Guard for largest drug interdiction in USCG history – 26 tons of cocaine & 1,434 lbs of marijuana worth $1.4 billion. We were honored to be the offload site. The record haul was the result of an int’l partnership with USCG, US Navy, Canadian Navy & Dutch Navy.”

[Via]

Derez De’Shon Expresses His Pain On “In My Feelings”

Coming out of Atlanta, Derez De’Shon has always impressed fans with his ability to spit bars and offer up some powerful melodies that will have you focused on every single word he says. In a world where artists like Morray and Rod Wave are gaining massive steam, there is no denying that De’Shon’s style is their inspiration. A perfect example of this is found on the new track “In My Feelings” where De’Shon showcases the power of his voice all while offering incredible storytelling.

Throughout the track, we get a luscious instrumental that helps showcase just how powerful the track really is. From there, De’Shon offers a powerful chorus and an even more poignant verse about his life, the things he has been through, and the pain that has come with it all. It’s yet another dope effort from the artist, and you can check it out, below.

Quotable Lyrics:

Pain turned a n***a to a beast and I embraced it,
Days I ain’t eat make me hungry I can taste it,
All them days I was weak wanna give up
I couldn’t take it but I couldn’t do it looking in my children faces

The Weeknd, Tinashe & Jorja Smith Run It Up On This Week’s “R&B Season” Playlist

On Saturdays, we drop our weekly Fire Emoji updates with the latest in hip-hop that you must have on rotation. Sundays, however, are for kicking back and relaxing before the start of a new week which is where our R&B Season playlist comes into play. We update you with the latest in R&B and soul that you have to get up on. So, here’s your breakdown:

To kick things off, we’re only a year and some change removed from The Weeknd’s last studio album, After Hours. Unfortunately, it hit as the pandemic began which was great for our listening pleasures but terrible for tour life. However, it seems like he’s preparing for the follow-up. On Friday, he unveiled his latest single, “Take My Breath Away” — an ode to disco-pop. If it’s anything like what he has in store, The Weeknd might have another classic on his hands.

Tinashe has been enjoying life as an independent artist which has certainly given her far more creative freedom. On Friday, she unveiled her latest project 333 which includes the highlight, “X” ft. Jeremih.

Jorja Smith dropped off an 8-track project in May titled, Be Right Back and she recently followed it up with her latest single, “All Of This” ft. GuiltyBeatz.

Check out the latest R&B Season playlist update below and subscribe to HNHH on Spotify.

Aaron Rodgers Speaks Passionately About Mental Health

Aaron Rodgers is back with the Packers after an extended holdout from the franchise in the offseason. Now, we are just a few weeks away from NFL action and Rodgers fully intends on playing for the team he has spent his whole career with. After this season, Rodgers’ contract stipulates that he can choose to leave the team if he wants and that the Packers will not argue if he demands a trade. Regardless, this season is going to be interesting for the Packers, especially as Rodgers looks to prove himself.

Over the past couple of weeks, Rodgers has spoken out about mental health and how it relates to his career. He even spoke passionately about the Simone Biles situation and how athletes just need to do what’s right for them, no matter the circumstances. In a report from Kevin Clark of The Ringer, Rodgers spoke about mental health and how every player can make a difference by speaking on these topics openly and freely.

Aaron Rodgers

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

“Well, we should keep talking about it,” Rodgers said. “Keep talking about ways that we individually deal with stress and deal with anxiety and deal with pressure and deal with depression or loneliness. I think that would really help. Because we, whether we like it or not, have a platform to influence people. And our words are often listened to more than the person who’s not in the public eye as much. So we have an opportunity—not an obligation, an opportunity—to maybe share some of our own ways of dealing with things and break some of the stigma around mental health.”

Mental health is especially important in football which is a sport that is oftentimes brutal on one’s psyche. Numerous players have succumbed to mental health-related problems, and it’s good to see such a massive star being an advocate for those who have suffered and are still suffering.

Aaron Rodgers

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

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Swizz Beatz Recruits YG, BIA & Giggs For “Waiting On Me”

The fascinating story of Bumpy Johnson and his rise as a leading drug trafficker in America has been explored in-depth on Epix’s Godfather Of Harlem. The show’s been a success so far with the second half of the second season set to arrive in the near future. Aside from Forest Whittaker’s excellent portrayal of Johnson, it’s been the music that’s accompanied the show that’s received equally rave reviews. Swizz Beatz has been responsible for the soundtrack and this week, he pulled up with another new banger. This time, he locked in with BIA, who is fresh off of the success of the Nicki Minaj-assisted “Whole Lotta Money (Remix),” along with YG and Giggs for their brand new collaboration, “Waiting On Me.”

Check it out below.

Quotable Lyrics
Package, ship it, and put the money in the safe
If they kill me, fuck it, put the money in my grave
Hold it down, make sure the operation run the same
Just never mention the gang, gang, gang