New Hip Hop News

A community is mourning the loss of a Memphis rapper after he was named as one of two people killed on Wednesday (April 14) evening. A local news station out of Memphis reportedly spoke with AC Blue, an artist from the area. On Thursday, Blue returned to the Valero gas station where his friend, Mendenhall Mendenhall 2x, real name Donterrius Johnson, was gunned down.

It is common to associate gun violence with the Rap community, but according to reports, Johnson’s death may have been a result of him, unfortunately, being “at the wrong place at the wrong time.” According to AC Blue, Johnson’s career was “just about to take off” and on the evening of his murder, “about three hundred to four hundred” people came to pay their respects.

A second victim, reported to be a juvenile, was alive when emergency responders arrived at the scene but later died at the hospital. The budding rapper was reportedly called dead at the scene. Channel 3 News out of Memphis reports that earlier in the day, a 20-year-old man named Noah Jones called the police and said that his car, a black Chevy Camero, had been “stolen at gunpoint in front of his home.”

Later, the aforementioned juvenile was seen arriving at the Valero gas station driving the stolen Camero. As the juvenile is in front of the station, rapper Mendenhall Mendenhall 2x, by chance, just happened to be there, as well. Four individuals reportedly opened fire at the juvenile and Johnson, killing both. One suspect was injured after being shot in the leg.

When Noah Jones went in to treat a gunshot wound to the leg at a local hospital, he was arrested. Jones reportedly later admitted to firing the shots. He has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

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Celebrities haven’t been shy when it comes to vocalizing their support for certain civil rights movements. Black Lives Matter has been ever-increasing in popularity since its inception in 2013, and during the ongoing protests last year, music artists used their platforms and talents to bring awareness to systemic racism and police brutality. 

The call to “defund the police” in the United States has been a train that gains momentum with every news broadcast involving an officer killing an unarmed, innocent citizen, and while Cardi B has stood up for the rights of the marginalized, she doesn’t believe that getting rid of cops is the way to go.

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On Thursday (April 15), Cardi reportedly tweeted, “I’m so tired of police brutality & entitlement. We are sooo tired of it. When will it end?” A Twitter user responded, “Defund the police,” and Cardi addressed the simple message with an explanation of why that isn’t a good idea. “We need cops and that’s facts we just need strict laws for cops,” wrote the rapper.

“If you shot someone just like civilians you will go to jail that same day, get charge, wait for bond and go to trial,” she continued. “That will make you think twice about shooting anyone.” The “Up” artist was met with pushback and soon, she deleted her post altogether. Check out a screenshot below.

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He’s currently incarcerated and awaiting trial for a stack of serious charges, but the women in NBA YoungBoy’s life are sending subliminal shots on social media. We previously reported that just yesterday (April 15), NBA YoungBoy pleaded not guilty to the weapons possessions charges stemming from his initial arrest last September. The rapper was recently detained once again by federal authorities in Los Angeles. 

Yaya Mayweather became a first-time mother in January after giving birth to YoungBoy’s son Kentrell Gaulden Jr. months after YoungBoy welcomed another child with someone else. It has also been reported that the rapper has reunited with his on-again-off-again girlfriend, Jazlyn Mychelle, and it looks as if a post she uploaded ruffled Yaya’s feathers.

Without much context, Jazlyn shared a text image that reads, “He said ‘its cool cooler than my ice im waiting to put back on my neck its all good believe that’ – Sincerely Kentrell.” There wasn’t much to the message, but Yaya was quick to share an identical post to her Instagram Story. Hers seemed to be a screenshot, but she covered other parts of the message.

“GIRL BYEEEE [crying laughing emoji],” Mayweather added to her post. While it all is enigmatic, it would seem that YoungBoy may be sending his ladies the same messages. Mayweather made sure that Jazlyn didn’t feel as if she was any more special than she was. Check out the posts below.

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We like to think that famous people are unfazed by their fellow celebrities, but Brandy readily admits that she has fangirled in the past. The music icon has been in the industry since she was a young teen as she’s crossed the lines of the music, film, and television industries. Brandy is beloved by millions around the globe, not only due to her talents but because she’s a star who fans believe is relatable. She solidified that assumption when she recently chatted with her longtime from Andra Fuller.

In a split-screen Instagram Live session, Fuller and Brandy relived some of their funniest moments. Fuller recalled attending a concert with the singer and when they went backstage, Brandy stood shocked when she saw Nicki Minaj in person.

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“The dressing room door opens, so me and Brandy walk in the dressing room,” Fuller began. “Nobody’s in the dressing room except me, Brandy, Puffy, Nas, and…” His revelation was interrupted by Brandy who wanted to deliver the news herself. “And Nicki Minaj!” said the singer. “I saw Nick Minaj—My fangirl is, my swag is not…it goes away when I am invested in a certain…I don’t want to say…a certain artist. And I love Nicki Minaj, so I lost it when I saw her.” 

“She was like, ‘You okay?’ I was like, ‘No. I’m not okay,'” Brandy joked. “Then I saw Nas and I was so glad that we got a chance to tell them how much that concert meant to us.” Listen to Brandy’s brief story about her run-in with the Queens icon below.

In November 2007, Kanye West’s world was rocked when his mother unexpectedly passed away following a breast reduction surgery. The day prior, Donda West underwent cosmetic surgery and a medical examiner later ruled her cause of death as “coronary artery disease and multiple post-operative factors due to or as a consequence of liposuction and mammoplasty.” West’s tragic death caused a conversation about the dangers of going under the knife, and Hazel-E is questioning if Ye’s mother had someone by her side.

Recently, reality star Hazel-E shared a tearful video where she detailed a frightening surgery that she had in Turkey. Hazel explained that after giving birth, she wanted to get a “mommy makeover” but things went terribly wrong. 

“They had to take my boobs. Now I just got to a new hospital because I’m getting a blood transfusion,” she said about having her breast implants removed. Her video quickly went viral and Love & Hip Hop Hollywood star Brandi Boyd later shared she regretted recommending the surgeon.

She’s received support through her recovery but on Friday (April 16), she brought up Donda West’s procedure. “I wonder did Kanye West mom have anyone with her when she went out of the country for plastic surgery?” questioned Hazel before she handed out advice. “Rest her soul [praying hands emoji]. Please never go alone always have someone to advocate for you.”

“And always have someone by your side during your recovery. It ain’t easy.” Check out her posts below, including an “official statement” about her ordeal.

It was following George Zimmerman’s not guilty verdict that Patrisse Cullors helped co-found the Black Lives Matter foundation. The charitable organization has been instrumental in organizing protests, marches, and reportedly giving back to local communities, but they were called into question last week when it became public that Cullors recently purchased a million-dollar Los Angeles residence.

Additional sleuthing uncovered that Cullors had a housing portfolio that spanned states and reached into the $3 million range, and soon, she was a trending topic. People soon accused Cullors of taking donation funds and criticized her for buying properties in predominately White neighborhoods. After taking hits from the public and in the media, Cullors is answering her detractors.

Cullors spoke with Marc Lamont Hill on Black News Tonight and claimed that she purchased the homes for her relatives. “I have never taken a salary from the Black Lives Matters Global Networks Foundation,” said Cullors. “That’s important because what the right-wing media is trying to say is that the donations that people gave to Black Lives Matter went towards my spending, and that is categorically untrue and incredibly dangerous.”

She called the conversation about the residences “racist and sexist,” adding, “I think that is a critique that is wanting. The way that I live my life is a direct support to Black people, including my Black family members, first and foremost… For so many Black folks who are able to invest in themselves and their communities, they choose to invest in their family and that is what I have chosen to do.”

Cullors accused her critics of attempting to discredit both her and the BLM foundation. Photos of her properties were circulated online, causing her to hire security at those locations for her family members. “I have not just been a target of White supremacists and the right in this moment but obviously since the beginning of when I started Black Lives Matter I have been a target and these folks have created a much more dangerous situation for me and my family. It is very serious,” she added. 

In a statement, Cullors also said, “I’ve worked multiple jobs across many organizations my entire life. I’m also a published author, writer, producer, professor, public speaker, and performance artist. I love my work in all of these areas and work hard to provide for my family.” Her memoir became a best-seller. Check out her explanation below.

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Days after his sullen photo from jail went viral, NBA YoungBoy has reportedly entered a plea. The rapper was recently arrested after a brief foot chase in Los Angeles. The Louisiana rapper was tacked with charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and being in possession of an unregistered firearm.

In September 2020, YoungBoy and several others were reportedly arrested in his hometown of Baton Rouge while filming a music video. Authorities seized tens of thousands of dollars in cash as well as a number of firearms, but NBA YoungBoy’s legal team insists that the weapons do not belong to the rapper.

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News station WBRZ 2 reports that on Thursday (April 15), YoungBoy appeared before a judge and pleaded not guilty to both charges. However, these aren’t the only worries that plague the young star; he also will appear at a hearing on April 20 on “state weapons and drug charges,” as well. The outlet also reports that the rapper was booked at a St. Martin Parish jail earlier this week where he is being kept “on a federal hold for the U.S. Marshal’s Service.”

YoungBoy will remain incarcerated without bond until his June trial date.

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Controversial “dating consultant” Kevin Samuels sat down with Joe Budden and things got interesting. Samuels has been targeted with accusations of being misogynistic in his takes on women in the dating scene, and he added fuel to that fire when he chatted with The Joe Budden Podcast. There were quite a few highlights from the conversation, but it was Samuel’s explanation of his assessment of Saweetie’s looks that have gone viral.

During the sit-down, Budden wanted to know why Samuels rated the Bay Area rapper as a six on a scale of one to 10. Samuels called her “an adjustable six, meaning she could go from cute to pretty.”

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“I look at you fresh-faced, no makeup, your natural state and if you have ever seen her pictures, fresh-faced, natural state, she’s a cute woman who can be pretty,” said Samuels. “But I don’t think she’s ever gonna be considered to be beautiful or gorgeous. That does not mean she’s bad, but there has to be—.” He was interrupted by Budden.

“But what if she’s already considered to be beautiful and gorgeous?” asked the podcast host. Samuels spoke about our current culture where every woman believes she’s a 10 but it isn’t reality, while someone else argued that if women really loved themselves they wouldn’t “wear a sh*t ton of makeup every day” or spend so long getting ready before going out. 

It’s quite the conversation starter. Check out the clip below and weigh in with your thoughts.

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