New Hip Hop News

Nicki Minaj’s former manager Big Fendi reflected on the release of Minaj’s new album, Beam Me Up Scotty, which released on Friday, with a lengthy post on Instagram. Fendi is often credited with discovering Minaj at the beginning of her music career, but the two had a falling out. They’ve since squashed their long-time beef.

“15 years ago, I had a vision to take over the female rap game. I met a pretty ass Trini chick from south side Jamaica Queens who I believed had the total package wit the bars and work Effort to match,” Fendi wrote on Friday.

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“I pushed her she pushed me which made us both into the monsters we are today,” Fendi continued. “Like any other Cancer/ Sagittarius relationship it was ups and downs and we eventually hated each other guts. After our our sit down last years we both did a 360 .. “Separation brings Growth & Maturity on both sides .. Nicki Made Me #ExecutiveProducer on Bean Me Up Scotty Re-Release and Cut Me a Fat Ass check cause Real Bitches Do Real Shit !!!!! Thx Onika. We Back BACK!!”

Minaj’s new album is her first work since 2018’s Queen. The new album sees her reuniting with longtime collaborators Drake and Lil Wayne on the track “Seeing Green.”

After tragically passing away at the age of 21, Juice WRLD has been one of Hip-Hop’s most sorely missed stars. Although the narrative surrounding his death continues to change, there is no doubt that the Chicago rapper was one of the music industry’s most talented rising artists. Last summer, fans were treated with his first posthumous album Legends Never Die, and his estate has ensured that his legacy lives on beyond his musical output.

On Friday, May 14, the late rapper’s mother, Carmela Wallace, has announced important news about his charity organization, the Live Free 999 Fund. According to Complex, Juice WRLD’s foundation has partnered with Crisis Text Line to provide access to free counseling.

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The admirable initiative arrives during Mental Health Awareness Month, and the much-needed support line has already been established. According to Complex, anyone who is struggling or in need of free and confidential crisis counseling can access 24/7 services by texting LF999 to 741741. When speaking on Live Free 99 Fund and Crisis Text Line’s new partnership, Carmela Wallace touched on her love for Juice WRLD and explained why this crisis counseling line is so important.

“There’s not a day that I don’t think of Jarad,” she shares. “Many of my memories of him are happy ones and they make me laugh, but some days are very sad. During Mental Health Awareness Month, I want to encourage people to focus on their mental health and to warn them of the dangers of self-medicating and for them to seek support if they need it”

She continues her statement, saying, “I want young people to take this time to do a mental health self-check, to be honest with themselves and reach out to Crisis Text Line if they need someone to talk to. That’s why we’ve formed this alliance, to provide a starting point for young people to get the help they need.”

Rest in peace, Juice WRLD.

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A number of celebrities celebrated the release of J. Cole’s new album, The Off-Season, with praise for the North Carolina rapper on social media, Friday. Athletes, fellow musicians, and more all couldn’t get enough of Cole’s new sound.

Comedian Kevin Hart gave Cole major props in particular: “J Cole is in a class of his own….giving my brother all the flowers that he deserves….the work that he puts into his craft is crazy special….focused as hell and it shows….major salute KING!!! Proud of you and your accomplishments,” Hart wrote on Twitter. “100mill and I’m still on my grind….still getting better after all of this time… TALK YO SHIT KING…. @JColeNC.”

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A large number of NBA players also gave Cole shoutouts. “Cole a real one,” wrote Damian Lillard, whose postgame comments after he dropped 61 points last year on the Mavericks are sampled on the album.

“‘Ja Morant I’m on my grizzly ” heard you,” wrote Ja Morant referencing a line on the track “my.life.”

Cole, a big NBA fan in his own right, is set to play in the Basketball Africa League for Rwanda’s Patriots B.B.C.

Check out more reactions on social media to Cole’s album below.

Details continue to emerge as Gary Owen and his soon-to-be ex-wife Kenya Duke proceed with their divorce. News of the divorce first broke on March 19th of this year. The latest report on their split involves the extent of the spousal support that Duke is demanding from the Think Like A Man actor. 

According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, Duke is requesting an amount of $44,000 a month. Duke alleges that her soon to be ex-husband has pockets that run deep, and she wants her share. In the same legal documents obtained by TMZ, Duke says that the amount of money she is asking for is the same amount he would deposit into her bank accounts to make credit card payments and any other personal expenses.

Duke also claims that before they were separated, their income never fell below $100,000 a month, despite the pandemic. In the same court documents, Duke alleges that their estimated monthly income was usually between $200,000 to $400,000. She also states that Owen is successful because she had to put her career aspirations on hold in order to support him following his career goals. 

Is the amount of spousal support Kenya Duke is asking from Gary Owen a reasonable number? Would you put your partner or spouse’s professional dreams before your own? Let us know what you think in the comments.

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Ellen DeGeneres has officially decided to call it quits on her daytime talk show. The last year or so, TheEllen DeGeneres Show has been met with controversy due to the recent exposure on how she treats her staff behind the scenes. Following all the public drama and rumors, Ellen revealed, “Today I am announcing that the last season, season nineteen, will be my last season,” during a recent episode. Now, shade towards DeGeneres’s announcement comes from none other than fellow daytime talk show host Wendy Williams. 

“You’ve been on TV for 19 years, you should be so lucky,” said Williams when discussing the Ellen DeGeneres Show’s cancellation on the ‘Hot Topics’ segment of her own show. Both daytime talk show hosts have been caught up in their own variety of scandals over the past couple of years. Williams’s nasty split from ex-husband Kevin Hunter received much coverage. Not only has DeGeneres been under fire for allegedly encouraging a toxic work environment, she has garnered negative publicity for her friendship with former President George Bush.  

Williams and Hunter’s divorce was widely covered in numerous media outlets. Hunter had been unfaithful to Williams for many years with a woman named Sharina Hudson, a woman he also had a child with for many years, unbeknownst to Williams. The contentious split was featured in length in her made for TV biopic Wendy Williams: The  Movie.

Many of the Ellen DeGeneres Show’s current and former employees reported to Buzzfeed that they had experienced poor treatment while working for the show. Shortly following these reports, DeGeneres was spotted hanging out with former President George Bush, much to the dismay of her fans. DeGeneres’s friendship with the Republican-leaning George Bush only fueled the fire further.

While DeGeneres claimed in her announcement that the show changed her life, Williams was quick to tell her audience and remind DeGeneres that “18-19 years on  television doesn’t change your life, it exposes you for the person you really are.”

Are you sad to see The Ellen DeGeneres Show come to an end? Do you think her reputation of engaging in toxic positivity is valid? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Check out the clip from Wendy Williams’ show below.

The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina has released footage from the death of Jamal Sutherland, who died on January 5, 2021, while in custody at a detention center in North Charleston. The video shows officers pepper-spraying and tasing Sutherland numerous times while forcibly removing him from a jail cell.

Sutherland family attorney Mark A. Peper released a statement, Friday, saying that “people with mental health issues are entitled to the same exact civil rights as you and me and every other healthy, wealthy person in this world.”

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Jamal’s mother, Amy Sutherland, said that she doesn’t want violence to erupt in the city, but hopes people learn from the incident: “I don’t want any violence in my city. I want us to view this tape and I want us to learn what we don’t want to have happen again. I ask no violence,” she said. “We have black men being killed every day.”

The officers were sent in to bring Sutherland to his bond hearing for a misdemeanor assault charge.

Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano admitted that the killing was a “tragedy” in a statement, Thursday night.

“Our officers removed Mr. Sutherland from his cell that morning in order to ensure that he received a timely bond hearing, as required by law,” Graziano said. “Their efforts were complicated by the increasing effects that Mr. Sutherland was suffering as a result of mental illness.”

She continued: “Since this tragedy occurred, we have assessed our resources and are evaluating options for global improvement, including a focus on mental health awareness.”

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