New Hip Hop News

Masks have caused hellfire controversy for those who have taken stances against wearing face coverings during a pandemic, but for celebrities, it has offered a bit of relief. Famous people have difficulty navigating their day-to-day lives as they move about their prospective cities, but for some, having the ability to wear a mask over half of their face provides a way for them to go unnoticed in the crowd. Rihanna was able to capitalize off of this recently after she and a few of her friends recorded themselves having the time of their lives at Venice Beach.

Dimitrios Kambouris / Staff / Getty Images

The popular California destination is often swimming with people of all ages as they enjoy the sand, the surf, and the boardwalk. It’s a space that wouldn’t be attractive to a famous figure who wanted to enjoy some me-time with their loved ones, but Rihanna slapped on a mask and danced around some of the most crowded spots in the area.

Ri deserved a bit of rest and relaxation considering she has been putting in extra work with all of her Fenty brands and, if fans have their way, the singer will hopefully answer the anticipation of her forthcoming album with news about its development. As we wait on that, check out a clips of Rihanna and Co. enjoying the California sun on a Spring afternoon.

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Nick Cannon’s Wild ‘N Out is coming back to VH1 next month with episodes recorded before the pandemic, as the series rolls out the second half of Season 15.

A new teaser for the mid-season premiere reveals class is back in session, with an old school versus new school motif. Cannon, returning as the show’s host, will lead the “old school” team with special guests, while comedian DC Youngfly will run the “new school” team featuring newer cast members to battle it out. 

Other guests set to appear on the show this season include the cast of Black Ink Crew: Compton, Cuban Doll, Juvenile, Headkrack, Ambjaay, Fatboy SSE, Rapsody, FABO, 24kGolden, Big Tigger, OMB Peezy, Tyla Yaweh, Trinidad James and Lost Boyz, Peter & Corey Gunz, Queen Najia, and Donnell Rawlings. 

The series return marks a year since the show’s last episode was aired on April 14, and Cannon was consequently fired for making anti-Semitic on his podcast. The backlash he received on social media led him to briefly lose his partnership with ViacomCBS.

However, he has since educated himself, seeking mentorship from Jewish leaders, and apologized, becoming an anti-hate advocate. He claimed he is not seeking forgiveness for his comments, but seeking growth. Thus: Wild ‘N Out was able to return to the small screen.

The all-new episodes will air at 8 p.m. on April 6 on VH1. 

Will you be tuning into the show? Let us know in the comments.

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Despite reports that the Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield fight was off, Iron Mike returns to say things are moving forward. Just yesterday (March 22), Holyfield’s team reportedly stated that Tyson opted out of the exhibition match and turned down a $25 million deal to appear in the ring. However, it seems that Tyson is calling foul and has surfaced with news that he’ll be meeting with Holyfield for fisticuffs in May.

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“There’s a small, fundamental difference to get some paperwork done, and then it’s on to the races with me and Evander,” said Tyson. He added that he’s learned his lessons and now, he’ll take the time to make sure all of the contracts are in order before signing off just because fans want to see the fight happen as soon as possible.

“We don’t need promoters. Promoters…” Tyson began before letting out a sigh. “What’s a promoter? An overrated cheerleader?… The fight is on with me and Holyfield. Holyfield’s a humble man, I know that he’s a man of God, but I’m God’s man, and I’m gonna be successful May 29th.”

It’s been over 20 years since Tyson and Holyfield faced off in the ring resulting in their infamous ear-biting moment, but since that time, the two sports icons have mended any animosity. The exhibition match is mostly for the love of boxing—and for profit—so it’s not likely that anyone will get hurt. Check out the clip of Tyson speaking about the fight below.

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Twenty-four hours after it was announced that Bobby Brown Jr. passed away due to a deadly cocktail of alcohol, cocaine, and fentanyl, his loved ones are calling for justice. The son of music icon Bobby Brown is the latest family member to lose his life to drug-related complications. Whitney Houston overdosed in Los Angeles during Grammy Weekend back in 2012; three years later, daughter Bobbi Kristina passed away after being found unconscious in her bathtub, and Bobbi’s significant other Nick Gordon died of a drug overdose. 

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The medical examiner reportedly determined that Bobby Brown Jr. lost his life to an accidental overdose, and now Bobby Brown and Jr.’s mother Kim Ward are hoping that a criminal investigation will be launched in an effort to find who supplied the 28-year-old with the drugs. “My family continues to mourn my son’s death,” Brown told E! in a statement. “Street fentanyl has taken the life of so many people unnecessarily and Bobby Jr. is another victim.”

The singer reportedly called the opioid crisis “out of control” and added, “Those supplying this lethal drug should be held responsible for the death and destruction that it causes.” Christopher Brown, attorney to both Bobby and Kim, also said that it’s believed that Brown Jr. ingested the fentanyl “without his knowledge” while Kim states that her son wasn’t a drug user.

“Bobby was often easily influenced. This is a situation where he associated himself with the wrong people,” said Ward. “My son is gone and those who contributed to his senseless death should be held accountable.” It unclear if the Los Angeles Police Department will officially launch an investigation into Bobby Brown Jr.’s death.

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Criticisms and accusations of cultural appropriation were sparked following the latest episode of Real Housewives of Atlanta, during which Kenya Moore dressed as a “Warrior Princess” in a costume that included a Native American headdress. A nonprofit organization, IllumiNative, which aims to “increase the visibility of Natives in American society,” is calling on the reality TV personality, Bravo, and Andy Cohen to apologize “for the harm they have caused Native peoples.”

In a statement issued by IllumiNative Monday, shortly after the episode aired, the nonprofit said they “are deeply disturbed” by the most recent episode of the series. The organization explained that “costumes that mock Native peoples, defame our traditions and cultures, and perpetuate negative stereotypes are racist” and that “‘playing Indian’ is a form of mascotry that is not just offensive, it is part of a long history of how Native peoples have been dehumanized.” IllumiNative pointed to “countless research studies” that have shown “the harm these images, actions, and the normalization of these behaviors have on our youth.”

Bravo has since responded to the statement, writing that the company “aims to have the highest standards of respect and inclusivity” and stating that they “recognize that the recent episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta… did not uphold those values.” Bravo explained they “had hoped it would provide a teachable moment,” but in “retrospect it is clear that the network did not address this properly given the gravity of the situation.” The company ended its comment by apologizing “to both the Native American community and our audience as a whole.” 

Moore has also apologized on her own social media account. 

However, fans have been having mixed emotions about the appropriateness of Kenya’s costume since Kenya has previously identifies as Native American. See a few reactions below.

In the music industry, there has always been controversy surrounding the ownership of an artist’s masters. We’ve heard artists take to social media to air out their record labels or executives who have contractually taken ownership of the original recordings of their music. Kanye West made a plea last year, Taylor Swift has publicly made an enemy of Scooter Braun over much of her catalog, and many independent artists have come forward to brag that they have full ownership of their creations. However, Jim Jones recently shared a video to social media where he asks those independent artists if they even know how to capitalize off of their master’s flex.

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“To be an independent artist is very dope,” said Jones. “That means you keeping the power within yourself. Dope. There are a lot of independent artists talking about, ‘I own my masters, I own my masters’… My question is to you artists who say ‘I own my masters’: Do you even know what to do with your masters once you own them? Do you know how to cash in on those masters? Or are you owning your masters like you own a chain? Get back to me if you know exactly what a master even is. If you understand the whole method.”

“And remember, this ain’t the seventies when the masters used to be big reels and stuff like that like Michael Jackson and them was doing it,” he added. “It’s a bit different. Masters are digital. There’s no physical thing that you can grab onto. But do you know how to cash in on them? Let me know and I’ll holla back.”

Check out his clip below and let us know if you agree with Jones that many artists boast about masters without knowing what they’re for.

After seeing the clip of how she almost lost her chain in the club, DreamDoll is thankful for trustworthy friends. People are excited to get back out to the new normal and we’ve seen how Spring Break has caused havoc in certain cities—Miami being the most talked about—and celebrities continue to make those club appearances. DreamDoll earned a few extra coins by recently showing face at a nightclub and a moment was caught on camera where she turned up a bit too much and almost lost her necklace.

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In the video, the DJ is heard hyping up DreamDoll as her entourage stands in her section, dancing alongside her. The host is right in front of her balcony with the microphone and as she jumps up and down, DreamDoll’s chain slips from her neck and disappears on the ground. After the clip was shared, other celebrities commented that they would lose their minds if that happened to them, but DreamDoll chimed in that Tae, the famed hairstylist that Lil Durk named in “Laugh Now Cry Later” with Drake, came to her rescue.

After The Shade Room shared the video, DreamDoll read through the comments and slid in to share what happened next. “Tae peeped it wasn’t there and found it on the floor,” she wrote. “My jeweler kept telling me to get the lock tightened but I’m hardheaded but Thank god we found it.” Check out the clip below.