The Woman Whose Tuition Drake Paid In His ‘God’s Plan’ Video Posts Her Graduation Pics

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One of my favorite meme formats on social media these days is the “how it started/how it’s going” post because it’s a reminder that life goes on and positive things are happening amidst the seemingly endless deluge of bad news with which we’re inundated on a daily basis. Case in point: While some cynics looked at the charity Drake committed to in his 2018 “God’s Plan” video as nothing more or less than a publicity stunt, it turns out that his donations had a last positive effect on at least one of their recipients.

Destiny James, the University of Miami student to whom Drake gave a $50,000 check, recently posted her graduation announcement on Instagram, captioning her post: “Mama, I mastered it. Daddy, I did it. 4 days until I am officially UNC Alum.” Naturally, the post found its way over to Twitter, where delighted fans flipped it into the aforementioned meme format, contrasting the two moments that have both undoubtedly changed Ms. James’s life for the better.

Drake, who will be honored with an Artist of the Decade Award at the upcoming Billboard Music Awards, also congratulated the graduate, commenting on the post, “LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DES!” Meanwhile, the artist himself is preparing an announcement of his own: The release date of his next album, Certified Lover Boy, which was delayed from its original release date in January. And his habit of giving back continues; earlier this year, he helped pay off another fan’s student debt.

You can watch the “God’s Plan” video above.

Lil Uzi Vert Reportedly Buys A $4.4 Million Mansion In California’s Bell Canyon

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Lil Uzi Vert is well-known for making extravagant purchases, from his love for five-figure clothing shopping sprees and dropping the cost of a brand-new mid-sized car on a first date to the massive pink diamond he had embedded in his forehead. Fortunately, his latest big-money buy is also pretty practical; Dirt.com reports he recently signed the deed to a $4.4 million property in California’s Bell Canyon, on the outskirts of the San Fernando Valley.

The mansion occupying the property is listed at 1.5 acres and two stories, with five bedrooms, five and a half bathrooms, and panoramic views of the valley via the glass-walled construction. It’s got a massive, open-floor plan, a convenient and picturesque patio, an outdoor kitchen/bar area for entertaining, and of course, an outdoor pool tucked under one of its balconies. The neighborhood includes hiking trails, tennis courts, and an equestrian center — maybe Uzi and JT can get into horseback riding.

Uzi’s set to headline the Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash in August and has a new album on the way, so it’s likely he’ll have a lot more money to burn soon enough. Check out photos of his new home below.

Lil Uzi Vert is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Deshaun Watson Accusers Refuse To Settle In Their Lawsuits

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Deshaun Watson is currently in the midst of various legal battles as he is being sued by 22 women who claim he sexually assaulted them. These allegations arose in March as attorney Tony Buzbee began to alert the media of various allegations being leveled against the Houston Texans quarterback. The women all have similar stories as they are massage therapists who say they were approached by Watson on social media, where they then booked massages. It was here that Watson allegedly began to get inappropriate, and now, the women are taking action.

While Watson and his legal team have denied the allegations, Buzbee claims that the women all have valid stories and that they won’t be settling out of court no matter what. According to TMZ, Buzbee says all of his clients want to see these lawsuits go to court and that they won’t be backing down.

Deshaun Watson

Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Buzbee is also saying that four of the accusers have been interviewed by the NFL, who are currently investigating Watson over these allegations. Despite this, the women believe the NFL has acted unfairly towards them and was even disrespectful at times.

This is a legal battle that could last a very long time, so stay tuned to HNHH as we will continue to keep you informed on the matter.

Deshaun Watson

Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

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Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe Dropped By Talent Agency After Going On Racist Rant

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Well that didn’t take long. Just a day or two after going viral for his racist rant, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe has been dropped by his talent agency, WME, TMZ reports.

If you happened to have missed it, footage of comedian Tony Hinchcliffe went viral this week after he went on racist tirade during a stand up set. It all happened in Austin, Texas last week when the comedian, known for the Comedy Central Roast series and working on Joe Rogan’s podcast, did a set after being introduced by fellow comic Peng Dang (who is of Chinese descent). However, things quickly took a turn for the worse when Hinchcliffe went off the rails and started attacking Dang for being Asian.

“How about one more time for the filthy little fucking ch*nk that was just up here,” Hinchcliffe said before going on to mock his accent. “Oh we make gunpowder. Oh you want extra soy sauce. Oh you borrow money from us! And you guys are just eating it up, you fucking pussies,” Hinchcliffe added.

In an interview with TMZ, Dang spoke about the experience and explained he has no idea what Hinchcliffe’s intention was. “I’m from China, I’ve been in this country for almost 11 years,” he said. “I lived in Alabama, Georgia, Texas… and I had never heard anybody call me that C word. So I was very, very shocked when I heard it.”

He added that prior to Hinchcliffe’s comments, he said the audience responded well to his set, which focused on stopping Asian hate. He mentioned that “some of the audience were visibly uncomfortable” following the introduction of Hinchcliffe, “especially the female audience members.”

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Skrillex, Four Tet, & Starrah Connect On “Butterflies”

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Skrillex may very well have had the most successful rebrands in recent memory, having gone from fronting the emo band From First To Last to becoming one of the biggest DJs in the industry. Now, Skrillex has returned with a new single in “Butterflies,” enlisting the assistance of Starrah and Four Tet for the up-tempo house-inspired collab.

As expected, Skrillex’s production is lush and meticulous, his control over the pace that of a practiced master. He’s not alone in that assessment, having enlisted another established beatmaker in Four Tet. Together, they conjure up a dancefloor-ready piece of music without dipping into obnoxious territory. It’s the perfect backdrop for Starrah to put in work, her sensual and heavily processed vocals adding character to the minimalist banger. “Everybody love somеbody,” she sings. “Know you’re not just anybody, butterflies whеn you touch my body.” 

Check out Skrillex, Four Tet, and Starrah’s new single “Butterflies” right now.

QUOTABLE LYRICS

Everybody love somеbody
Know you’re not just anybody
Butterflies whеn you touch my body

Rapper Chad Focus Gets 30-Month Sentence For Stealing Millions From Employer

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Back in 2019, there was this wild story of an aspiring Baltimore-rapper, named Chad “Focus” Arrington, who allegedly stole over $4 million dollars from his then employer to help fund his music career. At the time he was being charged for “federal charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft” and faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Well it appears he’s getting a two and half year sentence.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, 33-year-old Chad Arrington, aka “Chad Focus,” received his sentence Wednesday, getting 30 months for his role in the crime. And after completing his prison sentence, Chad will serve 12 months of home confinement as part of three years of supervised release. The judge also ordered him to pay back $4,142,435.31 in restitution to cover the victim’s losses.

Prosecutors say he had used the stolen money to buy billboards across the U.S., including one in Times Square that touted him as the “#1 recording artist in the world.” He is also accused of using some of that money to purchase social media followers as well as services that artificially increased online streaming of his songs. He allegedly conducted the scheme from at least January 2015 to August 2018.

“Chad Arrington illegally used a company credit card to spend more than $4 million to promote himself as a hip-hop artist and to promote his company,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “Now Arrington will spend more than two years in federal prison. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland will continue to utilize our resources to prosecute this type of costly fraud.”

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Swizz Beatz Opens Up About The Last Song That He And DMX Recorded Together

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A week after DMX’s tragic death, the world received a posthumous verse from him thanks to the Swizz Beatz and French Montana-accompanied track, “Been To War,” an effort that appeared in Epix’s Godfather Of Harlem TV series. The song makes for DMX’s second contribution to the show as the series’ current theme song is his and Rick Ross’ “Just In Case.” During an interview with Rap-Up, Swizz Beatz spoke about the song and revealed that it was the last song he and DMX recorded together before his death.

“I actually made that record for X, and wanted that record for X, but then we was coming with the show. And so it was like, you know what, it’s perfect,” Swizz said. While reflecting on the last few records they did together, he added, “Yeah, that might’ve been the last one.” Swizz then shared how DMX felt to be once again involved in the TV series from a music standpoint.

“He sent it to me and he was just so excited to be included in Godfather Of Harlem again, beyond the theme song,” he said. “And he just was like, I’m going to get it. ‘Cause he was taking a little long to finish the verse because he was traveling. And then he called me and he was just like, ‘I’m on it. I’m going to the studio and I’ll have it to you by tomorrow.’”

DMX kept his word and sent the song back to Swizz the following day. “I thought it was super fresh and he just was super appreciative, ’cause he was a big fan of Forest [Whitaker],” Swizz added. “Big fan of Godfather and it’s something he actually had fun doing.”

Listen to “Been To War” below.

Joe Budden Declares His Podcast ‘100,000% Over’ After Firing Co-Hosts Rory And Mal

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One of music’s most popular podcasts came to an unexpected end on Wednesday morning. The Joe Budden Podcast, co-hosted by Joe Budden, Rory, and Mal, was declared “100,000% done” by Budden. The show’s 437th episode was uploaded to YouTube early Wednesday morning all to be removed a short time later, but not before some fans were able to get a listen to what transpired on it. Budden would eventually re-post the episode to his Patreon account for viewers to watch.

In the new episode, Budden, who is seated alone on the set that usually features Rory and Mal with him, begins by addressing the former of his previous co-hosts. “Rory feels like he has so many options here, somehow he still feels like he’s running the show [and] he still feels like he has choices and options, he feels like he’s entitled to more,” he said. “Rory, you are in breach of your contract. And from this point forward, you are fired and you are not welcome back.” Despite this, Budden did not reveal exactly how Rory breached his contract.

Elsewhere, Budden called Rory a “liability” and encouraged him and Mal to start their own show elsewhere. After the episode was initially posted to YouTube, Budden hopped on Twitter and gave a brief message, writing, “Helluva run!! God bless.” He also responded to a few fans who had thoughts on the podcast’s end.

You can read the tweets from Budden below.

Ruth B. Delivers Live Solo Rendition Of “Situation”

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Ruth B. is back with her recently-released single, “Situation,” this time inviting fans in for a more intimate and stripped down version of the all-together-lovely record.

For those unfamiliar, the Edmonton, Alberta-born singer has been slowly carving out a name for herself in the r’n’b space. “Lost Boy,” her debut single back in 2015, was the first record to really put her on the map, and ever since then, she’s been low-key putting out fire music. “Low-key” because she may not have as much visible “clout” as modern-day r’n’b stars like, say, a SZA or a Kehlani, but nonetheless, she has a dedicated, cult-like fanbase. 

After featuring the original version of “Situation” back in mid-April when it first dropped, we’re back with this breezier, lighter version of the record. For the visual component, Ruth B. is sitting in a studio, surrounded by flower arrangements, creating this aura around her. Meanwhile, her attire is simple, an over-sized brown corduroy jacket with a black-mock neck means.

Let us know if you’re a fan of the singer, and check out more of our favorite r’n’b jams with our R&B SEASON playlist on Spotify here.

And for more r’n’b newcomers you should be familiar with, check out our Next Generation of R&B editorial.

Quotable Lyrics

You’re always full of jokes, I’m kind of soft spoke
But when we get together I feel understood
You say we’re having fun, then you say that I’m the one
But this is so dumb, got me so confused

Andrew Brown Jr.’s Family Attorney Says Body Cam Footage Dispels D.A.’s Claims

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On April 21, a 42-year-old Black man named Andrew Brown Jr. was fatally shot in the head by North Carolina police as they were allegedly carrying out a warrant for Brown’s arrest. In the weeks following the tragedy, residents of Elizabeth City, North Carolina have taken to the streets to protest the police shooting, especially after the Pasquotank County District Attorney Andrew Womble has claimed that Brown Jr. was threatening the officers involved with his car prior to the shooting.

As previously reported, the sheriff’s office has stated that it’s legally prohibited from releasing further details, including bodycam footage, without having an order from the court, but the family of Andrew Brown Jr. has continued to do the legwork to properly represent him in court. After conducting a private autopsy that revealed that Brown had been shot by police five times, the family’s lawyer, Chance Lynch, has spoken out against the district attorney’s allegations in an interview with TMZ.

Protestors march in the street after a news conference addressing police video footage of the shooting death of Andrew Brown Jr. on May 11, 2021 in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Brown was shot and killed by officers from the Pasquotank County Sheriff's Office on April 21.
Sean Rayford/Getty Images

“I don’t know where the elected got his recollection of facts or what video he saw,” Lynch tells TMZ. “What we saw, was an unjustified killing, and we never saw Mr. Brown pose a threat to law enforcement at any time while he was there in his vehicle. 

Reiterating that the misleading accusations made by District Attorney Andrew Womble can still be easily resolved, Lynch says, “What I’ve said from the beginning is this: I’m not sure what the elected is saying he saw because [it] clearly doesn’t match what we saw. There’s one way that we can dispel the myths, and it’s one way that we can clear any discrepancies: release the footage.”

At the time of writing, the body cam footage from Andrew Brown Jr.’s fatal encounter with police in Elizabeth City, North Carolina has not yet been released, so stay tuned for updates.

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