Saweetie Claims She Had “PTSD” After Radio Host Said Her Freestyling Was “Basic”

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While they manage to keep up a brave face, even the rich and famous sometimes dwell on certain criticisms a little more than others. When your every move is bound to make headlines one way or another, some things are bound to get under your skin a bit more. For Saweetie, a particular moment in early 2018 when a radio host called her freestyle skills “basic” affected her so badly that it caused her PTSD. 


Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Casamigos

The Bay Area rapper cited the moment as spiraling her into a cycle of crippling self-doubt which in turn brought on her PTSD. “It was a really dark point in my life,” said Saweetie in Cosmopolitan’s April cover interview. “I went from being so loved so quickly because of ‘Icy Girl’ to, on my first promo run, well, you saw the interview. The script flipped really quick, like night and day. I had PTSD from that.”

She confesses she was “literally thrown into” because of the song’s sudden success which led to all the performances and appearances to appease her growing popularity. At the time, social media showed no mercy to the Icy Girl, tearing her apart for her dancing and rapping. 


Theo Wargo/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows

“I’m really grateful for my start,” Saweetie says. “Because the mistakes, the struggle, the grind — it allows me to appreciate the rewards that come now because I know what it feels like to sleep in motels, to drive and do promo, to be stressed out.”

 

She hopes that one day people will eventually begin to appreciate the hard work she puts into perfecting her craft. “Some of us have it naturally. And some of us don’t…like me. And that’s okay because I know that as long as I work hard, I’ll become one of the best,” she says.


Brian Stukes/Getty Images for Amazon Studios

 

Read the full profile with Saweetie here. 

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Sacramento Rapper Hotboy Ju Reportedly Shot & Killed In Broad Daylight

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As the United States begins to ease up on COVID-19 regulations as more and more people get vaccinated, the country has experienced a concerning increase in gun violence. Within the past week, there have been two devastating mass shootings in the country. Last week, Atlanta’s Asian community was the victim of a senseless hate-driven shooting, while ten civilians lost their lives in a Boulder, CO supermarket yesterday (March 22) after a gunman opened fire. We previously reported on the passing of San Diego rapper OG YD, but another California rapper has unfortunately succumbed to bullet wounds inflicted on him in a car to car shootout that happened in broad daylight.

According to KCR3 and numerous other local sources, officers are investigating the fatal shooting of local rapper Hotboy Ju after he was reportedly killed in a car-to-car shooting Sunday afternoon (March 21). The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed the victim passed after being shot inside a car multiple times in the North Highlands area of the city.  

During a subsequent press conference, Sgt. Rod Grassman revealed that Hotboy Ju had been a passenger in the vehicle and added, “There was another vehicle that drove in close proximity to it and fired off several rounds.”

Highway Patrol officers arrived on the accident scene by 3 pm local time and discovered Hotboy Ju with several gunshot wounds already. Resuscitation efforts were attempted on the scene before he was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead. 

The young rapper is most known for his 2020 track “Rocking.” We’ll keep you updated on further developments in the case. 

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Dwyane Wade Thanks Boosie For Hating On His Daughter Zaya

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Dwyane Wade has fielded a lot of hateful comments about his family, specifically about his 13-year-old transgender daughter Zaya Wade. The teenage girl recently came out as transgender and her parents, D-Wade and Gabrielle Union, have been incredibly supportive throughout her journey to self-discovery. Zaya spoke with Michelle Obama during a recent interview, which prompted another stream of disrespectful remarks from transphobes who don’t understand Zaya’s identity, including Boosie Badazz and J-Boog of B2K. 

J-Boog recently stated that Zaya Wade’s interview with Michelle Obama was “demonic” and Lil Mama seemingly agreed on social media, earning a lot of backlash for her similar comments where she compared trans kids to dogs and cats. Dwyane Wade took time to address the recent hate against his daughter, touching on the comments they have seen on the latest episode of I Am Athlete.

“At the end of the day, what I’m dealing with people, I’m dealing with life and death,” said the basketball legend, setting up his response to Boosie. “It’s people in the transgender community that are getting killed. It’s kids that are murdering themselves, that are hanging themselves, they’re killing themselves because of something as simple as acceptance. Something as simple as unconditional love is not being given to these kids and I’ll be damned if my child gon’ be that person because of something as simple as me supporting who you are.”

He went on to call out Boosie and J-Boog directly, adding, “So, Boosie, all the people who got something to say, J-Boog, who just came out recently… all the people who got something to say about my kids, I thank you because you’re allowing the conversation to keep going forward because you know what? You might not have the answer today, I don’t have all the answers, but we’re growing from all these conversations. So I thank everybody for even hating and starting those conversations because those conversations are starting other conversations that we need to have. And that’s happening out there.”

What do you think of Dwyane Wade’s comments? Watch below at the 1:31:10 mark.

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Usher, Jadakiss, & Just Blaze Made Magic On “Throwback”

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Depending on who you ask, Usher’s 2004 album Confessions may be one of the greatest r&b records to ever grace the game. And seeing as today marks the project’s seventeenth anniversary, it feels appropriate to highlight one of the many gems to emerge from Usher’s fourth studio album. What better song to highlight than the quintessential throwback, “Throwback,” the Just Blaze and Jadakiss-assisted single? 

So the story goes, Blaze originally intended “Throwback” to be a climactic song on Dr. Dre’s Detox, though the Doc’s looming “retirement” led him to shift his focus to Usher’s camp. And while it might have been nice to hear Doc’s take on the soulful track, Usher certainly made it his own in resounding fashion. Though he missed the boat on the initial release, Jadakiss ultimately went on to add a verse to the track for the remix, his raspy cadence an interesting juxtaposition to Usher’s tones. 

Seventeen years later, “Throwback” feels extremely refreshing, a unique blend of hip-hop and r&b served with convincing credibility. It’s no surprise that Confessions resonated on such a deep universal level, to the point where the diamond-certified project is among the best-selling albums of all time. Be sure to revisit this one on the record’s birthday, and sound off if you agree with 21 Savage’s assessment that Confessions is the greatest r&b album of all time. 

QUOTABLE LYRICS

You never miss a good thing till it leaves you
Finally, I realized that I need you
I want you back, baby girl, I need you back
Gotta have you back, babe

Kash Doll Confirms Relationship With Rapper Tracy T

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Kash Doll is officially cuffed up. After romance rumors started when the “Ice Me Out” rapper was seen vacationing with fellow rapper Tracy T, she finally confirmed their relationship on Instagram. 

Kash Doll posted a series of pics on Instagram, including one that has since then been deleted. The photo included the pair enjoying some seafood on a boat in Miami in what seems to be a perfectly romantic setting. The post was captioned, “I might as well post my own pics now.. thanks @theshaderoom #dolcegabbana.”

The Detroit native also shared a cute picture to her Instagram story of herself and her new boo. In the photo, they are seemingly staring into each other’s eyes to which she captioned it “the Cartier stare,” followed by an emoji with hearts surrounding it. 

In addition to finding love, Kash Doll has been living her best life. Recently, the rapper celebrated her birthday with a lavish soiree hosted by 50 Cent in Atlanta. She bragged about the intimate celebration saying it was her “best birthday ever,” and she loved turning 23. 

Kash Doll is also kicking off her acting career after 50 Cent cast her in the upcoming Starz series Black Mafia Family which will tell the true story of brothers Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory, who ran one of the most infamous crime rings in the country. 

Do you ship Kash Doll and Tracy T? Let us know in the comments. 

IDK Gets A Face Diamond Implant

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When Lil Uzi Vert debuted the massive $24 million 10-carat pink diamond he had installed in the middle of his forehead last month, public response was a mix of shock, horror, and fascination. Albeit a dramatic commitment to flexing, there is something appealing about having such a prominent statement piece in such plain display. The latest rapper to participate in getting the unique face piercing is DMV native IDK. 

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A post shared by Idk (@idk)

The Maryland rapper debuted the new jewelry on his Instagram in a video shared yesterday (March 22). The footage shows the process as he got the small diamond implanted right above his cheekbone before then proving the stone’s purity via a diamond tester. “Bling Blow,” he captioned the post.

He also acknowledged folks aiming to call him a copycat in the post’s comment section, penning “Here before the Uzi did it first comments.” 

On Twitter, he explained that a single flawless VVS diamond only set him back a single Benjamin bill. “1 flawless VVS Diamond on my face costs less than $100. I prefer investing in homes over diamonds,” he wrote, correcting people who assumed he had blown a fortune like Uzi on the piercing. 

He also released a new single alongside debuting the new jewelry called “Just Like Martin,” a track where he cleverly creates a metaphor between his love for black luxury vehicles and Civil Rights Leader MLK. Check out “Just Like Martin” below and let us know what you think down in the comments. Also, let us know what you think about his new facial jewelry. 
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21 Savage Had The Best Response To Those Hating On His New Veneers

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Getty Image

21 Savage has joined a growing list of rappers who have decided to part ways with his permanent grills. The rapper opted to replace his signature gold smile with a new set of white teeth, and people had a lot to say about it. But rather than let the trolls knock his confidence, the rapper had the best response to quiet haters.

The rapper showed off his new smile in a series of beaming photos he posted to social media. Many were happy to see the rapper looking confident with his grin, but there were also a fair number of trolls in the comment section. “Very rare sell this as an NFT,” his frequent collaborator Metro Boomin wrote.

21 Savage wasn’t fazed by those who pointed out that he had some oral work done. Instead, he revealed just how much it cost to remove his gold grills and replace them with a pearly white smile. “I paid 75k I’ll be dammed if I let y’all say these teeth ain’t mine,” he wrote in response.

The rapper may have paid an eye-catching amount of money for his new teeth, but seeing as he accepts no less than six figures for a feature, he can clearly afford it. Along with spending money on his smile, 21 Savage has also been putting some of his cash into a charitable cause. Back in October, the rapper announced that he was committing $100,000 in scholarships to teach high school students about the importance of financial literacy.

Check out 21 Savage’s new smile above.

Boulder Police Arrest Suspect In Grocery Store Mass Shooting

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21-year-old Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa from Arvada has been indentified as the suspect in the Boulder King Soopers mass shooting which left 10 victims dead, including a police officer, on March 22, as we reported last night.

Ahmad has been charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder according to Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold, and the motive behind the attack is still unknown. However, the FBI’s efforts to unveil the shooter’s motive are ongoing. 

In a video taken at the scene, Ahmad man is seen being escorted outside of the supermarket in handcuffs, shirtless, wearing only shorts, with his right leg covered in blood, later revealed to be caused by a gunshot. The suspect’s wound was treated, and he will reportedly be admitted to the county jail later today.

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The scene at King Sooper’s Grocery store after a gunman opened fire on March 22 – Chet Strange/Getty Images

Herold provided details of the events that took place on Monday at a press conference following the shooting. 

“Regarding the suspect, at approximately 2:40 P.M. Monday, March 22, officers were dispatched to Kings Soopers. They arrived on the scene within minutes and immediately entered the store and engaged the suspect. There was an exchange of gunfire. The suspect was shot and a number of other officers were injured,” Herold said.

Chief Herold also identified all of the names of the victims from the shooting: 

Denny Strong, 20

Neven Stanisic, 23

Rikki Olds, 25

Tralona Bartkowiak, 49

Suzanne Fountain, 59

Terry Leiker, 51

Officer Eric Talley, 51

Kevin Mahoney, 61

Lynn Murray, 62

Jody Waters, 65

“I want to say to the community, I’m so sorry this incident happened. And we’re going to do everything in our power to make sure the suspect has a thorough trial and we do a thorough investigation,” Herold added.

The suspect, according to The Denver Post, had previous run-ins with law enforcements, as he previously attacked a classmate at Arvada West High School in 2018, according to an affidavit filed in the case. The report reads that Ahmad punched the classmate without warning in the back of the head before proceeding to pummel him more. Arvada Police Detective Dave Snelling also confirmed that they’ve had previous interactions with Ahmad locally, including “criminal mischief.”

This is the second shooting we’ve reported on within the span of a week. On March 16, eight people died in the Atlanta spa shooting and six victims were women of Asian descent. The shooting suspect, Aaron Long, said the attacks were driven by his sex addiction, while the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said it will no longer be providing updates on the shooting to preserve the case for prosecution. 

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