New Hip Hop News

Rick Ross has represented a life of opulence that only the biggest boss can afford. Over the years, he’s spent less effort on emphasizing the luxurious lifestyle he lives, and more time preaching financial literacy. The latest lesson from the Boss might surprise you. By now, you’ve probably seen his massive land in Georgia which was previously owned by Evander Holyfield. Though you’d expect Ross to have enough help to take care of his property, he recently revealed that he, in fact, handles part of the landscaping himself.

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“When I bought the Fayetteville estate, locals would see me walk out of a restaurant and scream, ‘You know Holyfield spent $1 million a year to cut the grass.’ So I decided that I was gonna cut my own grass. And that’s what I did,” Ross told Forbes. “I went down to John Deere and asked to see the biggest tractor, the most efficient tractor. I told them I had 200-plus acres that I wanted to keep cut, and they pointed out the right tractor,” he continued. “I may have sat in the same spot for two hours before I got everything working, but once I got it going, I didn’t stop. I cut grass for about five hours.”

Ross explained this also offered him peace of mind in the midst of his hectic schedule. For Ross, the time he takes to take care of his lawn allows him to appreciate the work he’s put in over the years for this property, as well as a sense of achievement. “I realized that this was something I wanted to do. It was subconscious,” he added. “I sit there and have my cannabis rolled up, and, man, I look at the property and can appreciate my struggles and my triumphs, those rough days. It’s the smallest thing, but it keeps a smile on my face. So, you know, for anybody who doesn’t cut their own grass, I would say take time out every two or three months to cut your grass because it is such a great and peaceful sensation.”

While many of Ross’s peers are bragging about the PJ life, Ross explained that he’s also flying commercial as much as possible.

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It’s been quite some time now since YNW Melly was first indicted on double homicide charges after being accused of murdering his associates and longtime friends YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvey along with YNW Bortlen. He was further accused of setting up the murder scene to make it appear like a drive-by shooting. 

He was arrested in February of 2019 on the murder charges and later plead not guilty in March. In April of the same year, Florida prosecutors filed paperwork signaling their intentions to seek the death penalty against the 22-year-old. Although he remains behind bars, he’s been pretty consistent with new releases since being locked up. Friend of the accused murderer and fellow rapper Fredo Bang recently gave an update on Melly while being interviewed on VladTV. 

Broward’s Sheriff’s Office via Getty Images

After being asked by VladTV host Vlad Lyubovny if he and Melly have stayed in contact during his prison stint, Fredo gave an update on his friend’s experience behind bars. “Yeah, a little bit,” he answered. “He in good spirits, he working on his album right now, tryna put an album together and put it out.”

The two continue to discuss how talented Melly is, and what a shame it is that he’s locked up. In the video, a clip from a previous interview with Track, Melly’s manager, is included where he promotes his innocence.

While Fredo remained pretty tight-lipped about discussing any details regarding Melly’s case or innocence, he did go on to say, “A song we had was supposed to have King Von.”  

Sadly, I guess we’ll truly never know what a YNW Melly x Fredo Bang x King Von track would’ve sounded like. Are you looking forward to hearing new music from Melly? Let us know down below. 

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Ever since breaking out as a hip-hop superstar with the release of her 2018 debut album Invasion Of Privacy, Cardi B has become somewhat of a pop culture icon. It’s no surprise that she ultimately went on to make the transition to film, having recently appeared in Lorene Scafaria’s Hustlers, holding it down with a brief role alongside Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu. 

Now, Cardi is set to make yet another cinematic appearance, this time in Justin Lin’s upcoming Fast & The Furious 9. With the film due out for a United States theatrical release on June 25th, Cardi B took a moment to speak on her role in the flick, breaking down how it all came to be in the first place. 

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“Vin Diesel reached out, and he was talking about a role,” explains Cardi, who plays the character Leysa — a woman who has a history with Vin Diesel’s Dom. “I’m like, it’s freakin’ Fast & Furious. Get me there, put me on a plane! I like the fact that I’m representing such a powerful strong woman. She’s just that bitch…I remember when I saw Ludacris in Fast & The Furious, then to see Don Omar, it makes the hood have hope.”

“Being around Vin, he’s just so nice, so dope,” she continues, praising her co-star. “He makes you feel so comfortable. I’m just so excited.” Perhaps her role in F9 will lead to further opportunities for Cardi, though should she indeed decide to pursue acting on a more serious level, she might have to spend some time working on the craft. Either way, it will certainly be interesting to see Cardi in a Hollywood blockbuster — and who knows, perhaps it will be the first of many.

America’s War on Drugs has led the nation to dedicate relentless resources and time to keeping substances off the streets. While it seems like marijuana may soon become one of the drugs excluded from the list of drugs the Drug Enforcement Administration goes after, cocaine, and many others, remain on the list.  

In Florida, over 69 pounds of cocaine enclosed in garbage bags were discovered on a cruise ship and seized by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Discovered by the ship’s security team, the cocaine bricks were found in a cargo area on the cruise liner. They were then seized by the cruise’s security officers and given to Customs patrol stationed at the Port Everglades seaport when the ship socked there for maintenance last week. 

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According to cocaine price estimates provided by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the 69.5 pounds of cocaine discovered could be worth over $5 million based on the drug’s street price. Customs patrol furthered that they did a more thorough sweep of the ship afterward and did not discover any more contraband. 

“This seizure is indicative of the excellent collaboration CBP has with our industry partners to detect and interdict illegal drugs being smuggled into our nation,” said Dylan DeFrancisci, the CBP’s port director of field operations for the area the drugs were found. 

“Our officers strive daily to develop and enhance our partnerships with other law enforcement agencies, industry partners, and the citizens of our community to stop criminal activity at our borders, be it land, air, or sea,” DeFrancisci added. 

A spokesman from the agency also told publications that the cruise ship is operated by Royal Caribbean Cruises. Right now, there’s no word yet on who the shipments belonged to or if any arrests have been made in connection to it. In other large-scale drug trafficking news, however, El Chapo’s wife Emma Coronel Aispuro recently pleaded guilty to helping her husband run the Sinaloa cartel. 

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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Baton Rouge rapper Fredo Bang has been speaking out during his multi-part interview with VladTV, speaking about why he requires $100,000 to perform in his hometown, and more. During the latest portion of his sit-down with the media outlet, the “Top” rapper spoke about how rappers tend to date in the same circles. That led to a conversation about Fredo’s own relationship with Dolly White, Young Thug’s sister, which ended unsuccessfully a few years ago.

Vlad wanted to know about their relationship, asking why they broke up, and Fredo Bang had nothing but kind things to say about his ex. However, he pointed out her strong will as a reason why they eventually called things off.

“Dolly [is] a strong-spirited person,” he said about Thug’s sister. “So it could come off as toxic. I don’t know, it just got to a point where I felt like I was having high blood pressure. That’s my dog, though. I love her to death. She helped me through a rough time in my life… I love her, I got the most respect for her.”

During the same interview, Fredo also spoke about his calm nature, which he developed in jail. He said that, behind bars, people are always trying to get a reaction out of you, which is how he learned to push aside all the drama and keep his zen-like mentality.

Watch the video below.

Joe Exotic might be behind bars but he’s getting ready to cash in on the cannabis industry. According to TMZ, the star of Netflix’s hit documentary Tiger Kingis on pace to launch his own line of cannabis products under Joe Exotic Cannabis. The former zookeeper began plotting on the cannabis brand last July, following the success of Tiger King, and putting the right plays in motion ever since. The motivation behind his new product is providing medicinal cannabis to people who need to ease pain from any illnesses. 

Exotic’s lawyer Brad Small said that Joe has partnered with Tango Hotel Charlie Group, LLC and Cannaxxs LTD for the launch of Joe Exotic Cannabis. While it’s incredibly doubtful that Joe has managed to test out the products himself, he has reportedly been involved directly with all business aspects. His lawyer said that he’s been communicating on behalf of Joe through calls and emails. The product largely consists of several companies coughing up the loot for the products with Joe’s brand on it.

Joe Exotic Cannabis line will include flower, CBD products, and edibles that will be available in California, Colorado, and his home state of Oklahoma where cannabis is only legal for medicinal use. 

Expect to see Joe Exotic Cannabis line at your local dispensary in these states in the weeks to come. Small said that a percentage of Joe’s profits to be donated towards captive tiger care. 

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Innovative and legendary rapper Tupac Shakur has remained a widely accepted GOAT and staple of the industry in the 20+ years since he was fatally shot and killed. Though shunned by some members of society at the time, the rapper was known for his progressive ideas regarding race relations and inequality of all forms, paving the way for 21st-century movements.

Now, his estate is continuing his legacy of inclusion and equality with the release of a new clothing collection celebrating June as Pride Month. The collection includes a number of hoodie and t-shirt colorways that interpolate 2Pac’s 1992 hit song “Changes” about the struggle of minority communities and living in poverty. The clothing features the name of the song as well as a stencil of the rapper’s face redone with rainbow colors and lettering as a nod to Pride Month.

Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images 

The estate stated in the Twitter announcement that all revenue from the clothing will be donated to pro-LGBTQIA+ foundations and movements. However, some fans are criticizing the rapper’s estate for taking too much creative freedom — among other more unfortunate criticisms. Though some condemnation of the collection can be narrowed down to blatant homophobia, others assert that it shouldn’t be in the estate’s power to decide what the late rapper would or would not want to release under his creative profile. 

Will you be copping any of the new merch? Let us know and check out the announcement below: