New Hip Hop News

Though the ending of the wildly popular HBO series Game Of Thrones was not entirely beloved by the masses, that hasn’t stopped fans from pining for a return to Westeros. Luckily, the time is nearing for House Of The Dragon, a prequel set hundreds of years before the events of Thrones following the stories of Rhaenyra and Aegon II Targaryen, ancestors of Daenerys, as they vie to sit the Iron Throne. Naturally, expect plenty of fire and blood to ensue.

Yesterday, HBO kicked off a fair bit of hype for the upcoming series, taking to Twitter to confirm that production was officially underway. “Fire will reign,” writes the Network, sharing a glimpse at a table read with the full cast, including Paddy Considine, Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, and Fabien Frankel. 

The network also shared closer looks at Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower, Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen, Steve Toussaint as The Sea Snake, and Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen.

At this moment, little is known about the plot, though it can be assumed that fans will recognize plenty of landmark locations from the eight-season Game Of Thrones run. Speaking of which, the creator of Westeros himself, George R.R. Martin, will be heavily involved in House Of The Dragon, serving as co-creator and executive producer of the ten-episode series. Look for this one to release at some point in 2022, and keep an eye out for more news on the anticipated series as it arrives. 

For a quick burst of Game Of Thrones nostalgia, be sure to check out our Top 10 Best Episodes Of The Series right here. 

After a day of chaos in the fashion and skate world, it appears Drake’s $350 USD vintage alpine-green Birdhouse hoodie is legit. The ’90s-born hoodie became the topic of conversation after the Canadian rapper was photographed in the rare piece of clothing, to the point where Birdhouse Skateboards founder and skate icon Tony Hawk actually called it out for being fake. 

The original seller, @paul_doesnt_exist, released a statement on Instagram after Hawk’s claim, and showed proof confirming the hoodie to be an original from the Birdhouse collection in the early to mid ’90s. He admitted that it’s understandable that some would think the item was a dupe considering the fact that he had to replace the hoodie’s drawstring. 

He also confirmed that Drake paid him a large amount of money for “clothes he no longer wanted,” and shamed people for spreading false information. “I’m just confused why Tony Hawk posted on his story saying it’s bootleg. It’s totally not a fake hoodie, look at the tag. That item is clearly 100% authentic. I don’t understand why individuals love to spread false information. Maybe people think it’s “bootleg” because it has a replacement drawstring?,” he wrote in his IG caption.

In response to this whole debacle, Hawk decided to offer up a troll. The hoodie was renamed the “Degrassi Hooded Sweatshirt,” and is once again available for purchase on the Birdhouse Skateboards website (well, it’s actually already sold out), referencing Drake’s breakout role as Jimmy Brooks in the teen drama Degrassi.

Drake has yet to comment on the drama surrounding the old sweater, but has been busy hanging around some of the UK’s finest including Giggs, Dave Santan, Not3s, and Damson Idris seemingly campaigning for his upcoming album Certified Loverboy. 

Read @paul_doesnt_exists’s full statement below:

“Some time last month I checked my phone and saw some guy in a very wealthy part of California cashed me the fuck out on some of my XL skate gear. I knew something was up when I saw it was all being sent to Beverly Hills. I was informed yesterday that the artist “Drake” was seen wearing one of my hoodies. I honestly didn’t even know who he was, I had to look him up (just kidding) but thank you for giving me a lot of money drake If you’re reading this I’m happy to do more business in the future. I know the hoodie is mine because I remember putting that blue shoe string in years ago. The string came from a golf wang converse shoe. I’m just confused why Tony Hawk posted on his story saying it’s bootleg. It’s totally not a fake hoodie, look at the tag. That item is clearly 100% authentic. I don’t understand why individuals love to spread false information. Maybe people think it’s “bootleg” because it has a replacement drawstring? The hoodie was missing the original string when I secured it many years ago so I just threw a random one in there. All I know is drake paid me well for my clothing and I used his money to secure at least a hundred more fat grails. Life is so weird dude I never really respected this guy or his music but this still has my mind blown. I used to wear brands like diamond supply co 10 years ago and I thought I was so cool. Now drake is swooping up my old clothes that I didn’t even want anymore.”

[via]

Steve Harvey is facing backlash for an interview that he did over a decade ago, in which he explains why he personally believes that men and women cannot be platonic friends. The interview was originally published in 2010 with CNN. Harvey was promoting his book Straight Talk, No Chaser. 

“I don’t have female friends,” said the comedian/actor matter-of-factly in the clip that’s making the rounds. His response went viral on TikTok before crossing over to other social media platforms. “I don’t. I’m incapable of that,” he went on. “Because, you know, come on… Well, because I have a wife, and– okay, let’s get rid of this myth right here. You’re an attractive woman. There’s some guy somewhere saying, ‘yeah, we’re friends,’ that’s not true. He’s your friend only because you have made it absolutely clear that nothing else is happening except this friendship we have. We remain your friends in hopes that one day, there’ll be a crack in the door, a chink in the armor.”

Harvey continued, claiming that he believes this is accurate for 99.9% of men. “Trust and believe that the guy that you think is just your buddy… he will slide in that crack the moment he gets the opportunity. Because we’re guys! 99.9% of us think that way.”

Check out the response below.

The family and attorney of Andrew Brown Jr. have released the findings in a private autopsy report that reveal he was shot five times, including once in the head. Family attorney Wayne Kendall detailed the shooting during a press conference revealing that police hit Brown with gunfire four times in the arm and once, fatally, in the head.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Police said Brown was evading from them as they tried to execute a warrant for his arrest. Kendall said that the shot to Brown’s head caused him to crash the vehicle he was in. A death certificate reveals Brown was dead minutes after he was shot in the head. Another attorney for Brown’s family Harry Daniels said he was unarmed at the time of the shooting. 

“He was trying to run because he was scared for his life,” Kendall said. 

Little information has been released on Brown’s death. The Sheriff’s Office said they are legally prohibited from releasing further details, including bodycam footage, without having an order from the court. The family watched a 20-second clip of the bodycam footage privately which they described as an “execution.” 

“Yesterday, I said I thought he was executed,” Khalil Ferebee, Brown’s son, said. “It’s obvious he was trying to get away. It’s obvious. And they gonna shoot him in the back of the head? Man, that sh** not right. That’s not right at all, man.”

We’ll keep you posted on anymore updates. 

[Via]