New Hip Hop News

Get ready for the resurgence of the incident heart ’round the world. It was after the Grammy Awards in February 2009 when Rihanna and then-boyfriend Chris Brown were engaged in a physical altercation that left the Fenty mogul battered. Brown was later sentenced to probation, a five-year restraining order was issued, and he was ordered to attend domestic violence counseling as well as complete community service.

Private investigator Scott Ross reportedly represented Brown for that case and recently sat down with VladTV to detail what happened behind the scenes. “That was kind of unique because that was not a normal kind of case,” said Ross. “With Chris Brown’s case, there really is not a whole lot to do. You’ve got a he said, she said, and in this particular case, [attorney Mark J. Geragos] had worked out a settlement with Mary Murry, she was the D.A… They had worked out a deal.”

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“All of sudden, naked pictures of Rihanna surfaced on the internet,” he continued. Vlad wanted to specify if he was talking about the photos that showed Rihanna’s injuries, but Ross stated that those circulated after someone from the Los Angeles Police Department sold them. Ross added that the photos he was speaking about were images that showed the singer topless and she allegedly sent them to Brown during their relationship.

“My understanding is that Rihanna… contacted the D.A. after they had made a deal, but it had not been solidified by the court that he was not going to do any jail time. He’d plead out and do some anger management,” said Ross. After the leak, Ross alleges that Rihanna contacted her lawyer who got in touch with the D.A. and stated that Rihanna wanted Brown to go to jail.

Meanwhile, Brown denied that he had anything to do with the leak so Ross was tapped with finding the source who shared the photos. He said not only did he find the person, but the culprit also had photos of Cassie and leaked those as well. “What it turned out to be is Rodney Jerkins, who’s a producer, somebody had hacked Rodney’s phone and gotten phone numbers of Cassie and Rihanna and some other people, and that person had gone into those phones.”

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After learning that it was some man in Denmark who was responsible, Ross presented his findings to the D.A. in hopes of “getting Rihanna to back down” from pursuing jail time for Brown. Ross also spoke about the infamous incident, saying that “Chris had injuries, but they weren’t seen for several days.”

“[Brown] had markings. Again, he’s kind of a tough guy, he’s not a 90-pound weakling,” Ross added. Vlad said of the 5’8″ singer, “Rihanna’s actually pretty big also. She’s like, my height.” Ross said Rihanna and Brown were fighting in a confined area in a rented Lamborghini. “According to Chris, she started it and he was defending himself. He kept telling her to stop and stop and stop, and I get it… She had markings on her and Chris left the scene.”

Watch Ross’s clip below to hear him share what he observed at the time.

Now that Keeping Up With the Kardashians is coming to an end, the famous family is speaking on the evolution of their family-oriented reality show. The series helped launched each family member into global stardom and eventually, the show itself became a cultural phenomenon of sorts. Yet, many believed that Kim Kardashian wanted to create the series to capitalize on the publicity she was receiving at the time for her infamous sex tape with Ray J.

In the very first episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Kim is seen getting herself prepared for an interview on The Tyra Banks Show. Sister Kourtney Kardashian pretended to interview Kim and asked her why she made the sex tape with Ray J and Kim jokingly answers, “Because I was horny and I felt like it.” In a recent interview with The Los Angeles Times, Kim addresses why she chose to speak about the scandal at the time.

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“I do think that, obviously, as producers, I’m sure they loved it. And loved [us] wanting to talk about the elephant in the room,” said Kim. “And I probably wouldn’t have, unless it was for the show. Sometimes I feel like, ‘OK, I know I should probably deal and get this over with. Someone’s gonna ask me, so I might as well just go ahead and do it.'”

“In a way, filming has helped us deal with things, instead of sweeping them under the rug,” she continued. “At the end of the day, I was always open and honest and wanted to share whatever I was going through. I wasn’t gonna hold back.” Elsewhere in the L.A. Times interview, producers stated that there was no way around talking about Ray J, so they decided to jump in feet first to get it over with.

You can catch the archived moment at the beginning of the KUWTK highlight reel below.

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This life is meant to be lived to the fullest, and Lil Uzi Vert isn’t going to spend his time moping around. The celebrated rapper has recently taken over social media with images of his sweet nothings with girlfriend JT from City Girls, and regardless of the trolling they may receive, they want to enjoy their life out loud.

Uzi has often been photographed making a fan’s day by stopping to pose for pictures, and he recently hopped on Twitter to set the public straight. While many other artists often take hard stances or attempt to appear more unapproachable than they actually are, Uzi shared that he’s not going to put on an act to be more “gangster” than he truly is.

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“Im a happy person and I vibe with my fans if you see me I’m not gonna act gangster because that not what I am or who I am …. it’s okay 2 smile,” he tweeted with a few emojis. “I’m myself.” Soon, thousands of people commented on the post and several shared their personal experiences of meeting the Eternal Atake star.

Some people posted their selfies with Uzi while others shared videos that showed the rapper just dancing along and enjoying life. It seems that Uzi wants to change the narrative of what a rapper is supposed to be, so check out his post and a few responses below.

As fans await the release of Aaliyah’s discography to DSPs, a new biography is reportedly giving an inside look into the late singer’s personal relationships. It was a summer day in 2001 when the tragic news broke that Aaliyah and eight others were killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas. For decades, Aaliyah fans have preserved the singer’s memory, and now The Shade Room reports that Hip Hop journalist Kathy Iandoli has written an “in-depth” biography that highlights an alleged secret romance between Aaliyah and the late celebrated producer and artist, Static Major.

When speaking about Aaliyah’s relationships, conversations often include her marriage to R. Kelly when she was underage and her relationship with Dame Dash. In Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah, Iandoli claims that Static”s mother confirmed that her son dated the singer “around 1997 into 1998.”

The Shade Room shared an excerpt that reads:

“‘They were definitely an item,’ she said. ‘Aaliyah was crazy about him.’ And while the song cloaks their romance in secrecy, they were pretty open to Static’s mom and apparently Aaliyah’s own parents. ‘He brought Aaliyah to my wedding,’ Edith continued. ‘That was a big deal because [her parents] didn’t let her go places.’”

The book also shares the story of how Timbaland, Aaliyah, and Static Major joined forces in the studio to create “Are You That Somebody?” in under 12 hours for inclusion on the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack. Static apparently penned, “Girl, I’ve been watching you like a hawk in the sky…” to Aaliyah, and the lyrics were altered for her to use on the track.

“Aaliyah wasn’t a fan of the song on the first listen, despite the autobiographical undertone. Still, she recorded it, and of course it was perfect.” Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah is slated to hit shelves on August 17.

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Jessica Chastain goes through a dramatic transformation in the new trailer for The Eyes of Tammy Faye, based on the life of evangelist Tammy Faye, and inspired by the 2000 documentary of the same name, made by Rupaul’s Drag Race’s Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey. The Academy-Award nominated actress, who helped produced the film, also stars alongside Andrew Garfield, Cherry Jones, and Vincent D’onofrio. 

The bio-pic showcases how Faye and her husband Jim Bakker, played by Garfield, rose to fame, dealt with scandals, and the behind-the-scenes drama as the powerful religious figures built a multi-million-dollar empire. Chastain is seen wearing wigs and glitter makeup to portray Tammy Faye, as she fights with her husband and other conservative figures about gay rights and the AIDS crisis that was happening at the time.  

The trailer showcases Faye and Bakker’s humble beginnings, from making a puppet show for their local broadcasting station in Minnesota, to their nationwide fame, and eventually, to her tragic Colon cancer diagnosis in 1996.

Chastain spoke to her Instagram followers last week on why exactly she was so drawn to play Tammy Faye, revealing, “I found a video of her singing a song, and she turned to the camera and said, ‘God loves you just the way you are.’ Whatever God means to anyone. I’ve never been baptized. I didn’t grow up within a church, but I do believe in unconditional love.” She continued, “We are all part of this world, part of humanity and part of grace. No matter where you come from, you are perfect, and you are fully and unconditionally loved. And that’s what I hope people leave the theater knowing.”

The Eyes of Tammy Faye will be released September 17th. Watch the trailer below to see what to expect. 

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More Verzuz appearances have been confirmed and the powers that be are taking things overseas. We’ve been covering the historic Verzuz moments since Timbaland and Swizz Beatz first delivered the music match-ups during quarantine. What began as a way for artists to not only occupy their time but to walk fans down memory lane is now a full-fledged phenomenon that doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.

We’ve watched as artists like Gucci Mane and Jeezy ended their decades-long beef and millions enjoyed classics when Earth, Wind, and Fire paired up with the Isley Brothers. From producers to R&B icons, Verzuz has become one of the most coveted stages, and moments ago, they released their next set of appearances. 

Next Wednesday (June 16), the ladies of Hip Hop are uniting as Eve and Trina will share their hits with a global audience. The following week, the much-talked-about face-off with longtime friends Soulja Boy and Bow Wow will finally go down after weeks of playful taunting. A July 1 date seems to be in partnership with Essence, but the artists have been hidden. Additionally, Verzuz announced they’re going international and told fans to “stay tuned,” leaving the public to speculate where their next destinations may be.

Check it out below and let us know who you think the blurred-out artists are.