New Hip Hop News

No matter the era, hip-hop fans tend to look back fondly on mixtapes. In the late nineties and early millennium, names like DJ Clue, DJ Kay Slay, Funkmaster Flex, DJ Envy, DJ Whoo Kid, and DJ Green Lantern were among those delivering classic and era-defining tapes. In the years that followed, DJ Drama played a massive role in keeping the mixtape spirit alive, to the point where he remains one of the most iconic hosts in hip-hop history. 

Given his incredible discography, which boasts tapes like Lil Wayne’s Dedication series, his own Gangsta Grillz series, and several beloved Jeezy tapes, it’s hard to imagine a time where Drama wasn’t actively securing the bag for his contributions. Yet like all artists, Drama had to start somewhere, and he broke down those early stages of his career in a recent interview with Atlanta radio station Hot 107.9.

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Drama begins by recalling an early encounter with Coach K, who told the DJ about a “new artist he was working with named Young Jeezy.” He explains that Jeezy used to come by his house for “show CDs,” which Drama made for the rising rapper. “He came to me with a vision,” explains Drama. “That was the first time I ever got paid for a mixtape. The Jeezy Streets Iz Watching Gangsta Grillz. We dropped that Birthday Bash of 2004. In no time, that’s all people were talking about in Atlanta.” 

“This is pre-Trap Or Die,” he continues. “Initially this is how Gangsta Grillz as a brand really started to make waves. It was almost a platform for all of us in a lot of ways. I was putting all of our drops on there, Trendsetters, Don Cannon. Even a record like ‘Go Crazy’ with Jeezy and Jay-Z, that has mixtape history too. That beat I used on the T.I. Gangsta Grillz Down With The King, I had a T.I. acapella and some Cannon beats. I took the Tip acapella and put it on the Cannon ‘Go Crazy’ beat. We were playing it in the club at Atlanta, and Jeezy heard it and asked Cannon about the beat. That was Cannon’s first placement.”

Check out DJ Drama’s walk down memory lane below, and sound off if you think Jeezy’s Streets Iz Watching is a classic. 

Brett Favre has had some very unpopular opinions since retiring from football almost a full decade ago. For instance, Favre recently came out and scolded Deshaun Watson for requesting a trade when, in fact, Favre had done the same thing throughout his career. Favre has also been very critical of athletes who come out and voice their political opinions, as he believes it ultimately does sport a disservice.

Recently, Favre made an appearance on the Andrew Klavan show, a program on the conservative network, The Daily Wire. During his time on the program, Favre made note of politics in sports and continued to claim how it has damaged ratings. In fact, Favre even used some personal anecdotes to illustrate his point.

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“I know when I turn on a game, I want to watch a game. I want to watch players play and teams win, lose, come from behind,” Favre said. “I want to watch all the important parts of the game, not what’s going on outside of the game, and I think the general fan feels the same way. I can’t tell you how many people have said to me, ‘I don’t watch anymore; it’s not about the game anymore.’ And I tend to agree.”

Favre’s opinion is shared by many fans in the sports world although there are plenty of people out there who encourage them to fight for what they believe is right. It’s a topic that will continue to divide people, and fans are already letting Favre know just how displeased they are with his opinion.

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We’re back with yet another episode of BagFuel and this time, we’ve got rising artist and influencer Worldwide Wednesday on the panel. The Pennsylvania-based artist sat down with co-hosts Hynaken and E$$O to chat about all of the buzz he’s been getting locally, unpacking his “ripple effect” movement, and so much more.

The thirty-minute conversation starts off as Hynaken asks Wednesday about recently going viral after a group of women pulled up to one of his parties in a U-Haul truck. They were packed in the back of the moving truck, getting out and turning up with the rising influencer in Atlanta. The guys got to talking about XXXTentacion and the grasp he had over his fanbase, which is something that Wednesday is trying to create for himself. He says that with the Ripple Effect movement he’s been popularizing, he wants to make opportunities for independent artists to get noticed on a larger scale. 

Wednesday says his next step is to expand on the brand he’s already built, which will be complemented with consistent music drops and more events. Most recently, Wednesday struck a buzz with his single release “Friendly Neighborhood,” which offers just a glimpse of the lifestyle he lives. 

Watch the full episode of BagFuel with Worldwide Wednesday below and be sure to check him out on Instagram.

In 2019, Westside Boogie dropped off one of the year’s most slept-on projects in Everything’s For Sale, a deep and contemplative album that cemented him as one of the game’s most thought-provoking lyricists. In its wake, fans have been eagerly anticipating his next release, which will mark his second full-length album on Shady Records. 

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As it happens, Boogie has been steadily putting in work on the upcoming project, having spent the past few months setting a tone with a steady stream of loosies and freestyles. Hell, he even found himself in a veritable reenactment of Stephen King’s Misery, during which he was “kidnapped” and forced to write new music in exchange for his freedom. Traumatic though such a harrowing experience must have been, fans were pleased to have received the Joey Bada$$-assisted “Outside” as a result.

 Now, it would appear that we’re nearing the final stretch of Westside Boogie’s rollout, as the Compton lyricist recently took to Twitter to share a promising update. “Bout to go play my album for some guy in Detroit,” he confirmed, the implication heavily suggesting an imminent reunion with “Rainy Days” collaborator (and current label boss) Eminem. Following his seal of approval, don’t be surprised to see details on Boogie’s untitled project begin to surface with increased frequency.

Keep an eye out for further updates on Westside Boogie’s new album — do you think his imminent meeting with Eminem will lead to another collaboration between the two emcees? 

Luka Doncic has quickly become one of the best players in the NBA and in the eyes of some fans, he should be in the running for the MVP trophy. There are plenty of players who deserve it this season although Luka has certainly made an incredible case for himself. Last night, the Mavericks were playing against the Memphis Grizzlies, and with just a few seconds to go, they were down by two points and only had a few seconds to either tie it or win.

That’s when Luka got the ball and fired off a bizarre shot all while being tripped up. He was able to get the shot off outside the arc and somehow and some way, the shot went in, giving his team the win at the buzzer. It was a truly incredible moment that had fans stunned.

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LeBron James immediately saw the play and took to Twitter where he offered some praise to Luka for what he had just pulled off. “WOW WOW WOW!!!!! Cmon @luka7doncic you ain’t serious man!!” he wrote.

LeBron and Luka have had their battles over the last couple of years and it’s clear James has a ton of respect for the Mavericks star. We’re sure LeBron would love to have a teammate like Luka, perhaps sometime in the future.

People are outraged at the announcement that Rusten Sheskey, the police officer who shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back in front of his children in Kenosha, Wisconsin, has returned to the police force. It was reported on Wednesday that he would not face any further discipline and has returned from administrative leave. 

In a statement to TMZ, Jacob Blake’s legal representative B’Ivory LaMarr said that his family is “incredibly disappointed” with the decision to reinstate Sheskey to his old post at the Kenosha Police Department.

Scott Olson/Getty Images — Jacob Blake Sr., the father of Jacob Blake Jr., attends a vigil near the Kenosha County Courthouse on January 04, 2021

Kenosha PD Chief Daniel Miskinis stated in a formal release that Rusten Sheskey acted “within the law” by shooting Blake seven times in the back as he was entering his car. The shooting was reportedly “consistent with training.” His reinstation was described as “the only lawful and appropriate decision.”

Jacob Blake was left paralyzed from the waist down from the shooting. He miraculously survived and has been pushing for police reform ever since. His attorney says it’s “disheartening” to see Sheskey back on the police force, telling activists that simply protesting won’t be the answer to reform. He says that, locally and nationally, there needs to be more of a focus on dismantling the police system as we know it.

Blake previously sued Sheskey in March 2021. Read more about the lawsuit here.

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Stalking never prospers. Matthew David Hughes, who was recently arrested after breaking into Eminem’s home last year, is in the midst of learning that exact lesson in court. A new report from the Detroit Free Press has provided an update on the ongoing case, indicating that prosecutors scored a massive win after a judge allowed them to use additional evidence in their case against Hughes.

The newly-allowed evidence points to Hughes’ allegedly attempting to stalk Eminem long before breaking into his home. Citing an incident on June 1, 2019, prosecutors allege that Hughes was lurking around a Rochester Hills property that Eminem used to own. Apparently, he rang the doorbell, confessed that he was seeking Eminem, and proceeded to sleep uninvited in a guest house found on the property.

In April of 2020, Hughes broke into Eminem’s house during the night, where he came face to face with the legendary rapper. According to Eminem, Hughes claimed that he intended to kill him, as validated by a detective during a court hearing in September of 2020.

Though Hughes’ attorney Richard Glanda claimed that the newly allowed evidence was irrelevant, the judge believed that Hughes’ extensive history of actively seeking Eminem painted a clearer picture of his intention and state of mind. In addition to these charges, Hughes is also facing assault charges following an incident with a Macomb County Jail deputy.

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While the case has yet to reach a conclusion, it certainly doesn’t appear to bode well for Hughes at this time. Of course, Em fans have been quick to note the way art has seemingly imitated life, as Eminem previously penned a fictional bout with a stalker named Matthew on Marshall Mathers LP 2 opener “Bad Guy.” Keep an eye out for further developments on this ongoing trial as they occur. 

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So far, Lil Uzi Vert and JT’s relationship has been one for the books. Hip-Hop fans have witnessed the two rappers’ flirty antics long before they became an official couple, and since going public, they have welcomed a decent amount of drama. Yet despite fans criticizing JT‘s seemingly new fashion sense to Southside calling out Uzi and threatening to punch his teeth out, Lil Uzi Vert and JT don’t seem pressed.

Lately, there has been plenty of gift-giving and romantic gestures in their relationship, and the two rappers seem happily in love. After receiving a striking Louis Vuitton bag from Uzi last week, JT has now gotten a new gift from her boyfriend, and longtime fans of the Eternal Atake artist will undoubtedly recognize it.

As seen in the video reposted by The Shade Room above, Lil Uzi Vert has gifted JT a gleaming new chain that boasts the iconic Scott Pilgrim-inspired art from Lil Uzi Vert’s 2016 mixtape Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World, which is actaully celebrating its five-year anniversary today. On the back of the piece, there is an engraved message that reads “Uzi first piece” and “To JT.”

According to Complex, JT’s new eye-catching jewelry is extremely similar to one of Uzi’s actual chains which has recently been debated about on Reddit, as fans of the Luv Is Rage rapper have been trying to figure out if it’s a modified version of Uzi’s 2016 piece that originally featured his ex-girlfriend, Brittany Byrd, or a new piece altogether. 

Regardless of the Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World art’s original association with Brittany, JT appears ecstatic to have been gifted the piece. On her Instagram story, she wrote, “This means so much to me thank you baby.”

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She was also seen sporting the dazzling chain in several other subsequent Instagram story posts, and Lil Uzi Ver even reposted one of the pictures to his story, in which JT is rocking a e grill in tandem with her newest neckpiece.

Are you feeling JT’s new chain or do you think it’s weird that Uzi gifted her a piece that sort of references his ex-girlfriend?

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