New Hip Hop News

It seems that rappers are officially gearing up to hit the festival stage after a break that’s lasted over a year. Shows are finally being booked and many artists have announced tours that will take place this fall. As vaccination numbers ramp up, it seems that more festivals are taking place.

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Last night, Durk hosted the inaugural Smurkchella in Phoenix, AZ where he brought out a slew of friends such as Coi Leray and Pooh Shiesty, among others. Phoenix’s ABC15 reported that the show ended abruptly after gunfire was heard. The latest update from the outlet stated that police never located any of the victims. 

TMZ recently spoke to the festival organizers who denied police reports that there was a shooting at the festival. Apparently, it was a microphone that dropped on the ground that made a loud noise many believed to be gunshots. The company also said that no one was shot or required attention from paramedics.

Durk kept quiet for the majority of the day until Akademiks shared a post regarding the incident. The YouTube personality shared a photo of Durk along with the latest update from TMZ. “They make up stories when you lit,” wrote Durk in the comment section of the post.

Shortly after, he took to his own IG where he elaborated further. “Stop trying to stop the voice and make up bad rumors,” he added.

Check his posts below. 

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Earlier today, we reported that a gunman opened fire inside and outside of a busy tavern in Kenosha County, leaving 3 people dead and 2 others severely wounded. Less than 24 hours from that incident, three people have been pronounced dead at the scene of a shooting shortly before noon in Austin, Texas. 

Authorities note an active manhunt for the gunman is currently underway. The incident took place near the Great Hills Plaza and The Arboretum shopping centers in Northwest Austin. Officers supported heavily by tactical units and SWAT vehicles posted in the parking lot of the rather upscale shopping complex full of retail stores and restaurants. 

“While a suspect is still at large it appears this is a domestic situation that is isolated and there is no risk to the general public,” said the police department on Twitter.

The shooter remains at large, however, and has been identified by Police Chief Joe Chacon as 41-year-old Stephen Nicholas Broderick. Austin Mayor Steve Adler noted that the violence took place at the nearby Arboretum Oaks Apartments, which management describes on the building’s site as a “luxury apartment community.” 

“All residents are advised to shelter in place,” police added on social media. Police, fire and EMS responded swarmed the ground of the scene as helicopters hovered above. Onlookers and reporters were kept several blocks from the site of the shooting.

The shooting was later downgraded from an active shooter situation to an active crime scene. “The cops had their guns out,” noted one witness on the scene. “Some had pistols, some had rifles and they were strapping on bulletproof vests. There were all of a sudden ambulances, sirens and police cars There were cops coming from everywhere.”

We’ll keep you updated as this story develops. 

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Black Rob passed away at the age of 51-years-old this weekend. Mark Curry, Mario Winans, and DJ Self were among the first to confirm the tragic news. Many of his peers and friends shared tributes and homages on their social media pages while fans reflected on hit singles like “Woah,” “24 Hours To Live” with The LOX, DMX and Ma$e, and other countless records he released under the Bad Boy imprint.

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Though the news of Rob’s passing was first reported by Diddy’s media company REVOLT, he had not issued a statement at that moment. On Sunday, he took to Instagram where he shared a photo of himself and Black Rob during the Bad Boy heyday in the early 2000s as he reflected on the rapper’s impact on the world. “Rest in power King @therealblackrob,” he wrote. “As I listen to your records today there’s one thing that they all have in common! You have made millions of people all over the world feel good and dance! You are one of a king! GOD BLESS! Love. You will be truly missed.”

There was a growing concern among fans last week after a video of Black Rob in a hospital bed emerged. It was later revealed that he suffered from four strokes and did not have a place to stay. A GoFundMe page was immediately launched to help Rob with medical bills and his living situation while Mark Curry revealed days later that Diddy reached out to help.

RIP Black Rob. Keep his family and friends in your prayers. 

Jake Paul’s big win against Ben Askren elicited a whole lot of reactions last night. Most people came out and said that they felt like the fight was rigged, while others were truly impressed with Paul’s boxing skill. It’s become clear that Jake has devoted a lot of time to the craft and that he could certainly hold his own against a boxer who is trying to make their way up the ranks.

Stephen A. Smith was among those watching the fight last night and immediately after the win, Smith took to Twitter where he urged Paul to find himself a real opponent. Smith made sure to say that he is impressed with Paul, however, he would rather see him fight someone who has actually done something in the boxing world.

“See, this has to stop. @jakepaul is not some scrub. He’s a pro now. Askren, even though he’s a @ufc fighter, is a grappler. Not a boxer. So why was he even in the damn ring? From now on, Paul needs to fight an actual boxer. He’s gonna hurt any non-boxer,” Smith said.

Floyd Mayweather is set to fight Jake’s brother, Logan, and if Floyd wins, perhaps a grudge match against Jake could be in order. 

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Shad Moss, also known as Bow Wow, has been a name absent from mainstream discussions of rap for quite some time until recently. OVO kingpin Drake gave a shout-out to Moss while celebrating going 1, 2, 3 on the Billboard 100 chart, finally setting the stage for the veteran rapper to receive his flowers. “If it wasn’t for you, it wouldn’t be no me,” said Drake. “That’s why I’mma rock with y’all forever.”

In addition to being recognized for his impact on rap, the rapper’s healthy co-parenting relationship with the mothers of both his children has been praised by audiences, noting the level of maturity exhibited on all sides. In a new Instagram post, Moss got candid about the joys of fatherhood and noted newfound respect for single parents out there. 

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 “ITS BEEN DADDY DAY CARE EVERY DAY OF THIS MONTH!” wrote the 34-year-old rapper under an adorable photo of his newborn son Stone Moss and 9-year-old daughter Shai Moss. He continued, “I Aint never cooked, washed clothes, and played so much in my life. but i love it! Big shout out to all the single parents out there … i now know what it feels like.” 

He finished with a, “shout out to their moms they do such a wonderful job. Im blessed to have them in my life! Ok lil man tryna take my phone away as i type. Gotta go…… #daddutyallapril,” referring to his current girlfriend Olivia Sky and ex Joie Chavis. 

Moss previously explained how he seems the mother of his children as more than just his baby mommas and rather as members of his family. He furthered that he learned this from watching Diddy’s family dynamic. 

“And I got that from Puffy, I learned a lot from Puff, he taught me a lot, being around him, watching him, how he moves and I’m always asking him questions like ‘How do you do it? How, how?’ And it’s a blessing, and it works well when it’s like that so it’s family, it’s a family affair,” explained the rapper. 

When Donald Trump was in office, not a single NBA team wanted to go visit him. In the past, it has always been a tradition for the championship-winning team in any sport to go visit the President at the White House and get their pictures taken. Whether it be the Clinton, Bush, or Obama administrations, we always saw NBA players make the visit to DC and it always turned out to be a joyous occasion. Due to Trump’s policies, many NBA players felt it was necessary to step away from the tradition.

After the Lakers won the championship in October, there was speculation as to whether the team would visit President Biden once he took office. In fact, LeBron stated he was down to go to the White House and would be eager to make it happen. Unfortunately, according to ESPN, it simply isn’t going to happen this year.

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As a direct result of scheduling conflicts and COVID-19 protocols, the Lakers simply won’t be able to go to the White House. The team is set to visit DC for their upcoming game against the Washington Wizards, and that’s when the visit was supposed to take place. Unfortunately, the pandemic has made it so that it won’t be possible for the team to do it this year, which is disappointing considering this was the first opportunity for an NBA team to go to the White House, since 2016.

Perhaps next year the NBA’s championship-winning team will be luckier, especially as the pandemic begins to subside.

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Post Malone is very recognizably one of the biggest names in music right now. While he prefers to keep a lowkey social media presence and has yet to release a follow-up to his 2019 project Hollywood’s Bleeding, he’s been recognized by listeners and critics alike for his thrilling blend of multiple music styles, effectively keeping the audience engaged. 

Taking his success to even greater levels, the Grammy award winner’s latest Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certifications are a testament to his commercial success. Three of the 25-year-old artist’s biggest singles have all topped sales of 10 million copies or more, earning him three diamond plaques. At his age, he becomes the youngest artist in history to have a total of three diamond-certified singles. 

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The singles that helped Posty make history include “Congratulations” with Quavo, “Rockstar” with 21 Savage and “Sunflower” with Swae Lee. On Friday (April 16), Dre London, who discovered the critically acclaimed artist, took to Instagram to rave about Posty’s success. 

“Mama!! We did it again!!,” he penned. “This stuff don’t just happen in the movies it happens in real life too!! Who would have ever thought your son from the streets of Brixton South London would have ever discovered the youngest artist in history to EVER have 3 diamond records. Congrats to my bruv @postmalone We did it!!& we just getting started!!! #2021 #DreVision.”