New Hip Hop News

In December, it was reported that Chance The Rapper’s former manager Pat Cocoran — known colloquially as Pat The Manager — was suing his former client for a hefty sum of $3 million over an alleged breach of contract.

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In Cocoran’s lawsuit, the basis centers around the accusation that Chance violated a 2013 verbal agreement during which it was indicated that he would pay Corcoran 15% of his total net profits, only to have the deal broken following the lackluster response to The Big Day. He maintains that Chance used The Big Day as a catalyst to terminate the partnership, despite the fact that Cocoran was actively attempting to persuade Chance to rethink and delay his release entirely. 

Now, a new report from The Chicago Tribune indicates that Chance is striking back with a lawsuit of his own. During a recent appearance in Crook County court, Chano accused Cocoran of peddling a “gratuitous, fabricated narrative that is offensive and insulting.” In addition, Chance’s lawsuit seeks to dismiss Cocoran’s own entirely, while hitting his former manager with three separate charges of $1 million dollars for breach of fiduciary duty,  interference that led to the loss of business opportunities and profit, and breach of contract.

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“Mr. Corcoran has been paid in full under his management services contract with Mr. Bennett,” reads a statement from Chance’s attorneys, as given to the Tribune. “Yet he chose to file a groundless and insulting lawsuit that ignores his own improper self-dealing and incompetence. Mr. Bennett has moved to dismiss the majority of that meritless lawsuit, and filed his own lawsuit to remedy the harm that Mr. Corcoran caused through his breaches of duty. Mr. Bennett trusts the legal system to reveal the truth of the parties’ relationship in due course.”

In addition, Chance accuses his former manager of sabotaging and derailing potential business opportunities, including one with United Masters. In a scathing assessment, Cocoran was accused of being a “marginally competent business manager” as well as a “bullying and abrasive self-promoter.” Unsurprisingly, Cocoran’s team retaliated with accusations that Chance’s team was downplaying the true reality of their relationship and work as partners. Suffice it to say, it seems likely that both parties are headed for a Big Day in court, as this one doesn’t appear to be headed toward an amicable resolution.

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K. Michelle has been open and honest with her followers about her personal journey as she has spent the last several years getting over a dozen surgeries to remove her illegal butt implants. This week, a video started circulating that allegedly showed her backside “bursting”, as described by multiple news outlets that have reported on it. The singer has been forced to respond to the chatter, speaking out on Twitter.

“So the video of me dancing is sad that I even have 2explain,” she wrote on Wednesday morning. “I walked y’all through how difficult this process of removing silicone from my body for 3YEARS/16 surgeries Did we not forget I almost died due 2this?????? Now i’m in the process of 3 reconstruction steps.

What u saw in the video was a happy woman with a faja and my extra fat! I’ve been very open so I can heal ladies. I didn’t have to tell anybody and I could’ve covered up until the process was done, but NO. Ladies need to see and hear the truth. I decided to use my platform to help.”

In the video, K. Michelle is dancing on Live when she suddenly gets awkward as something appears to move on her butt. She proceeds to change angles and shows off her other side, placing a hand over her backside. 

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“I havent bothered anyone Ive been out of the way so What I dont understand is what was the purpose or what was so entertaining about a woman FINALLY bein able 2walk again with EXTRA fat from the removal,” she adds. “I saw the comments and of course it was Black women filled with so much hate.

I got on live yesterday and didn’t care that I wasn’t perfect, I knew I had excessive fat left over but I said F*CK it i’m not going to hide nothing in my house. I don’t think people truly understand i’m just happy to be alive. I’ve come so far with this and i’m proud of myself.”

K. says she has one surgery left (hopefully) to remove some skin next week. She’s gearing up for the procedure but, understandably, she finds them taxing and the constant scrutiny on social media doesn’t help her.

The Kendrick Lamar, Dave Free, and Baby Keem-aligned enigma that is pgLang continues to simultaneously build hype and confusion for fans. From working with Calvin Klein to appearing in The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights (Remix)” music video, the record label meets creative agency has been making major moves over the past year, but fans are really waiting to see what this means musically for Kendrick Lamar.

One thing that has remained consistent throughout all pgLang-related news, however, is that Kendrick Lamar and his cousin Baby Keem will be at the forefront of whatever the mysterious company has been working on. Last fall, the two artists covered i-D Magazine and essentially confirmed that fans should be getting really excited for what pgLang has in store, from Baby Keem’s growth to Kendrick’s new sound.

In a recently posted Instagram video, Baby Keem teases a clip from a recent studio session that shows a hooded figure leaning forward while a masked woman walks around him. Although you can’t visually see him, you can hear Kendrick’s voice guiding the young rapper from the background, and as a result, fans have already started speculating that there could be a Baby Keem and Kendrick collaboration on the way.

As the year progresses, fans are sure to learn more about the nature of Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free’s pgLang company, and this Instagram clip from Baby Keem will definitely get listeners excited for pgLang’s upcoming releases. Are you looking forward to a possible Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar collaboration or do you just need a proper full-length follow-up to 2017’s DAMN.?

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While many hold the early-2010s mixtape run in high regard — as they should, considering how much classic material was delivered during the pre-streaming period —  many tapes have yet to make the transition to the modern era. Luckily, it would appear that things are changing, as many fan-favorite projects have been steadily added to Spotify, TIDAL, Apple Music, and more. It would appear that a big one is on the way with Mac Miller’s Faces officially set to make the jump.

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Widely regarded as one of the late rapper’s most acclaimed bodies of work, the 2014 project’s streaming debut was among the more widely requested. Now, longtime Mac collaborator ID Labs recently shared a promising update on the situation, taking to Reddit to inform fans that the sample clearance process is currently underway. While that doesn’t clarify a timeline, it certainly bodes well for those eager to line their playlist with Mac classics, and rest assured that Faces is home to many. In fact, it’s one of the last projects that largely focused on bars, with everything post-Good AM taking Mac further into soulful and melodic territory.

With Faces officially on the way for a re-release, it’s set to be the second Mac Miller tape to make the transition following K.I.D.S, which recently hit platforms in April of 2020. Are you excited to check out Faces once again? If so — sound off with your favorite tracks below. Rest in peace, Mac Miller. 

Frank Ocean is a unicorn-like figure in the music world. When he appears, it’s as magical as ever. The man has a way with his words, evoking all kinds of emotion through his art. However, he sporadically pops out, making his rare sighting all the more special.

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While the last twelve months have admittedly been rough for anybody, Frank Ocean has also had to deal with the loss of his younger brother, who was killed in a tragic car crash last summer. Since the death of Ryan Breaux, Frank has been more private than usual, prompting fans to worry about his wellbeing. While he generally doesn’t share much of his personal life with fans, people have been craving to see him pop up in public as reassurance that he’s in a decent place, which happened in the last few days.

For the first time since last summer, Frank was spotted in public with Tyler, The Creator. Photographers at The Hollywood Fix managed to capture a video of Tyler walking to his car in New York City, being followed at a distance by Frank. The artist was seemingly moving without much security, outfitted in a grey peacoat, a beanie, and Adidas sneakers.

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While this doesn’t signal much in terms of Frank’s upcoming release calendar, it does show that he’s got personal support from his closest friends, which is enough for fans to stop worrying so much about him. Hopefully, Frank is well.