New Hip Hop News

Tonight, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers will have to take on the Golden State Warriors in a play-in game to determine who gets the seventh seed in the Western Conference. Based on the fact that Anthony Davis and LeBron are now healthy, it seems like a safe bet that the Lakers should win. However, nothing is guaranteed at this point and if the Lakers want an easy path to the playoffs, they will need to fire on all cylinders tonight.

Despite being in this position, the Lakers have excelled in one specific field this year, and that is defense. In fact, after 72 games, the Lakers were crowned as the best defensive team in the entire league, and if they make the playoffs, they will be one of the scariest teams to play. Even LeBron is acknowledging the achievement as he took to Twitter with a bevy of emojis.

LeBron and the Lakers are looking to win their second-straight title although as a seventh or eighth seed, that path is going to be very difficult. However, the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns occupy the top two spots, which makes things easier on the Lakers seeing as these are two teams with limited playoff experience.

Regardless, the Lakers will be a team to watch, starting tonight.

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According to Insider and countless other media outlets, legendary comedian Paul Mooney reportedly passed away on Monday morning following a heart attack at his home in Oakland. He was 79 years old.

Paul Mooney was revered as a pioneer in stand-up comedy and beloved for his ability to bridge humor and social commentary. Mooney previously starred in films like Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, and he was also known for his frequent collaborations with acclaimed comedians such as Richard Pryor and Dave Chappelle. 

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The unfortunate news of his passing was originally revealed by journalist Roland Martin, who received an exclusive tip from Mooney’s cousin Rudy Ealy. According to Ealy, Mooney had been struggling with dementia for some time, which led to him living with his cousin. Rudy Ealy also reportedly told Roland Martin that the Oakland paramedics who arrived on the scene were “valiant” in their attempts to save Mooney. 

According to Insider, Paul Mooney’s publicist has confirmed his passing. His team also appears to have commented on the situation by taking control of Mooney’s Twitter account and releasing a statement that celebrates the legendary comedian’s lifetime achievements, saying, “Thank you all from the bottom of all of our hearts …you’re all are the best!…… Mooney World .. The Godfather of Comedy – ONE MOON MANY STARS! .. To all in love with this great man.. many thanks.”

Stay tuned for more updates as this sad story continues to develop.

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Curren$y’s mixtape catalog is massive, almost overwhelmingly so. It’s honestly gotten to a point where new fans looking to dive into his older repertoire need an almanac for guidance. And while competition is certainly fierce, one of his most undeniable tapes has to be 2011’s Covert Coup, produced in its entirety by The Alchemist. 

At this moment, Covert Coup is but one of many classic mixtapes yet to make the transition to streaming services; while it’s certainly not impossible to find a copy of the project, many have long sought the convenience presented by the likes of Spotify, Apple Music, and TIDAL. As it happens, it would appear that Spitta is looking to facilitate the process, taking to Instagram to tease Covert Coup’s transition onto streaming platforms as soon as Friday. 

“Tryna have this available on all streaming sites this Friday,” he captions. “Y’all widdit?” Unsurprisingly, Spitta was met with universal approval, all but ensuring that Cover Coup will indeed by making the transition before long. It should be noted that Curren$y has been mentioning the project often of late, fueling speculation that he and Alchemist have already cooked up a sequel; alongside a picture of him and Alc reunited, Spitta offered up a cryptic caption: “the cake has already been baked.”

While it certainly feels like Curren$y is setting the stage for a proper sequel to Covert Coup, we’ll have to wait and see if he delivers anything solid on that front. In the meantime, stay tuned for his fan-favorite mixtape to hit streaming platforms this Friday, provided Spitta’s efforts aren’t in vain. Are you excited to revisit the project?

Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are proving to be incredible teammates and with the playoffs starting this weekend, there is no doubt that Kyrie and KD are about to give us some massive highlights. They are expected to go out and win the NBA title, and if they do, it will be a massive accomplishment for both players. As for their respective sneaker lines, it feels like the two have been doing crossovers. For instance, Kyrie put the infamous KD “Weatherman” style on his Kyrie 7, and now, KD is taking the OG Kyrie “Dream” color scheme and putting it on his KD 14.

In the images below, you can see what this Nike KD 14 “Dream” color scheme is about to look like. While the shoe has a black base and red tongue strap, the most impressive feature is the geometric pattern underneath which is packed with color. There is a lot going on here although the way the colors are merged together keeps the look clean and pristine. 

Unfortunately, there is no release date attached to these, so keep it locked to HNHH as we will be sure to share all of the latest details. In the meantime, let us know what you think of this new model, in the comments below.

Image via Nike

Image via Nike

Image via Nike

J. Cole is one of the best rappers on the planet and his latest album The Off-Season is a testament to that. However, while Cole has certainly put in work on the music side of things, he is currently in Rwanda where he is living out his dream of playing professional basketball. On Sunday, he made his debut in the Basketball Africa League and today, he got to play his second game as the Patriots took on GNBC. In the end, Cole’s team won the game to improve their record to 2-0, however, Cole himself struggled throughout the game.

In the clips below, you can see Cole perform a huge block early on in the match, although this proved to be his only notable play. In another clip posted by Ball Is Life, Cole bricked a three-point shot, and then on his second attempt, he ended up getting an airball.

At the end of the game, Cole finished with 0 points, 0 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal, and 1 block in the span of 16 minutes. While it wasn’t the greatest showing, Cole’s team still won the game which is the only stat that really matters at the end of a match.

Cole still has between one to four games to go with the Patriots, and we’re sure he will be motivated to prove that he belongs amongst the other stars in the league.

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