New Hip Hop News

DMX was a GOAT. The troubled poet touched so many lives with his music, and his death really left an open wound in the hip-hop community. X was one of the last real gangsta rappers, and he came from an era where hip-hop was still growing its commercial legs. His influence will never be forgotten. 

Saturday Night Live aired a tribute to the rap legend this week. Cast member Chris Redd held up a sign that read “R.I.P. DMX” during the end credits of the series. The sign stood proud, although most people were more concerned with Kid Cudi’s dress than anything. DMX appeared on SNL in 2000. The show also placed an image of him as a tribute on one of their famous transition photos. 

X’s family released a statement when he passed away earlier this week. He was 50 years old. “We are deeply saddened to announce today that our loved one, DMX, birth name of Earl Simmons, passed away at 50-years-old at White Plains Hospital with his family by his side after being placed on life support for the past few days,” reads the statement. “Earl was a warrior who fought till the very end. He loved his family with all of his heart and we cherish the times we spent with him.”

We lost a legend of Friday. DMX’s passing has left the world of hip-hop in mourning and many began to flood the timeline with condolences, prayers and thoughts for the late rapper and his family. Among those was former Bad Boy rapper Black Rob who shared a video from a hospital bed where he sent love to X, raising concerns surrounding his health. 

Mark Curry took to Instagram yesterday where he revealed that Black Rob was discharged from the hospital. He showed his appreciation for everyone who has been showing support for the legend. “It’s overwhelming to how many people care about our legends but he just got discharged from the hospital. This is something that Rob’s been going through so I don’t know who put it out there like whatever it may be,” he explained. “He’s good but we gon’ talk later on today.”

Later on, Black Rob also shared a post thanking everyone for their support, prayers, and concern. “Don’t always believe what the media post with out true context! Cats always wants to spread negativity for a come up,” he said.

Shortly after both posts arrived, a heartbreaking video of Black Rob explaining his current situation hit the Internet where he explained that he was currently without a home and suffered four strokes. “I don’t got no house to live in except probably, man, an apartment, man, me and my man be trying to get together,” he said in the video before explaining that he’s suffering from pains on the side of his body. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 🏋🏿Nickle🏋🏿 (@royceda59)

Royce Da 5’9″ shared the post to his Instagram page, writing, “WHAT THE F**K!!! I’m tired of this shit.” Mike Zombie immediately went to the comment section where he suggested that they should launch a GoFundMe page to help Rob get back on his feet. Many were wary of Zombie’s intentions behind the GoFundMe, though he did reveal that he got in contact with Mark Curry to discuss further plans.

At the time of publishing, the GoFundMe account has raised $7935 but donations appear to be disabled. We’ll keep you posted on further updates. Please keep Black Rob in your thoughts and prayers during this time. 

Spotem Gottem’s viral hit “BeatBox,” produced by Damn E, is arguably the hottest instrumental out right now. The song has been trending on TikTok for the past several months, which itself acts as a major influence in the music industry. Many rappers have been hopping on the beat in response, adding their own flare and showcasing their freestyle skills, riding the wave the track has created. 

With rappers like Da Baby, Lil Yachty, and Mulatto releasing their takes on the “BeatBox” freestyle challenge, the competition is fierce and as entertaining as ever. 

Check out our breakdown of some of the most notable “BeatBox” freestyles below, as well as the original right above, and vote on your favorite. 

---

Big Dreez

Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Dreezy said if you ask, she will deliver every time.

---

DDG

Charley Gallay/Getty Images

“Made a million off of moonwalking, Calabasas.” DDG’s take on “BeatBox” is definitely on the chill side, but is still a prime contender.

---

Polo G

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Polo G managed to remix three songs: CJ’s “Whoopty,” Coi Leray’s “No More Parties,” and of course “BeatBox.” Fans were impressed by his ability to transition from drill rapping to singing so smoothly.

---

Mulatto

Prince Williams/Wireimage/Getty Images

The Queen of Da Souf kept it short and sweet. She’s big now and she knows it.

---

Calboy

Cindy Ord/Getty Images

If there’s one thing about Calboy, he will make any track his own. The RCA Records artist released laid-back, goofy visuals having a good time with his crew making his take even more enjoyable.

---

DaBaby

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

This remix did numbers after sending social media into a frenzy due to a random dig at Jojo Siwa. 

---

Young M.A.

Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images

“My money and my loyalty, two things I’m never playin’ bout.” This Brooklyn rapper is no stranger to freestyles and devoured this challenge effortlessly.

---

Lil Yachty

Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Lil Boat’s energy is immaculate. He originally combined the freestyle with Coi Leray’s “No More Parties,” showcasing his versatility when it comes to flow and sound.

---

NLE Choppa

John Sciulli/Getty Images

Choppa’s “First Day Out” is one of the most viewed “BeatBox” remixes, earning over 12 million views after its release on April 1st.

Sometimes it feels like SNL just isn’t as funny as it used to be. However, they are trying. Kid Cudi joined the Saturday Night Live cast this week, and mostly made headlines for wearing a dress while performing music. Of course, men wearing women’s clothing is nothing new. However, the “rapper in a dress” vibe will never go without hate. Although the dress dawning moment is getting most of the attention, Cudi did have other great SNL moments.

One of those moments comes in a skit that parodies new hip-hop and pop music. It also seems like a small jab at Lizzo. The skit finds Cudi, Pete Davidson (is he ever NOT in a hip-hop skit?), and Chris Redd rapping about their love for flutes. The video is kinda dumb, but it’ll make you chuckle. The crew embarks on trippy adventure where they wield their flutes in different hilarious moments (like using it to try and wake up Pete Davidson’s grandma).

At the end of the skit, we find out the three men were really in a music shop the whole time, just causing chaos. Do you think this skit is funny, or is SNL running out of good material?

 

Last night was a massive one for the Los Angeles Lakers as they defied the odds and defeated the Brooklyn Nets in blowout fashion despite being down LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Kyle Kuzma. The Nets had Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the lineup although the latter was ejected from the game after a war of words with the likes of Dennis Schroeder. Despite all of this, Durant wasn’t enough to defeat the purple and gold who got amazing games from Ben McLemore and Andre Drummond.

Immediately following the match, Kuzma decided to troll the Nets on Twitter as he came through with the infamous meme of LeBron with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth as if to say, “no matter who we’re playing against, we’re going to win.” Needless to say, Nets fans weren’t too fond of the response.

McLemore was certainly the hero of the entire game as he scored 17 points in an effort that many never saw coming. As for Drummond, he was simply fantastic as he notched 20 points and another 11 rebounds, which is exactly what the Lakers signed him to do. It was a night of hope for a Lakers team that has struggled without their two best players.

As for the Nets, they will need to rethink the way they approach undermanned teams in the future, as last night’s performance simply wasn’t acceptable for a team of that caliber.

Sometimes, you just gotta let the past go. After three decades of growing her nails,  Ayanna Williams is doing just that. Willaims cut her nails, which combined for 24 feet, after breaking the record. Both Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! and the Guinness World Records went ahead and purchased the nails for an undisclosed amount. Ayanna’s “babies” (as she refers to them) will be on a display at Orlando’s Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! museum.“I’m gonna always be the queen that I am with or without my nails cause my nails don’t make me, I make my nails,” Ayanna stated.

 

“I get so many different types of reactions from growing my nails,” Ayanna continued in the Guinness video. “It’s unbelievable. The majority are good. People are excited, they don’t know what to think. They don’t even know what to say cause it’s something you don’t see on the norm.” The process of cutting the nails went well, and Ayanna was able to do regular things she hadn’t accomplished in years, such as easily texting and opening doors for herself. 

Ayanna’s fame grew after she starred in a 2012 episode of TLC’s My Strange Addiction. We’re sure her nails will attract viewers at the museum for many many years. 

 

Ben Simmons is an enigma when it comes to his play on the court. Some nights, Simmons looks like a top 5 player in the league, and other nights, he just simply can’t catch a break. Recently, Simmons has received criticism for not being aggressive enough although last night, he was able to change that narrative at the drop of a dime. In a massive win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Simmons scored 13 points although it was his play in the early stages of the game that had people excited.

The Sixers superstar dropped a couple of mid-range jumpers which is rare for Simmons. He was extremely aggressive and it helped the Sixers set the tone. His play was so good that it impressed Joel Embiid, who had a glowing review of his teammate after the game.

Elsa/Getty Images

“I tell him all the time,” Embiid said via Sixers Wire. “First of all, I want them to be aggressive versus every single team, whether it’s make plays or whether it’s to look for his shot, he’s got to be aggressive. He’s got to make guys on the other team guard him. I was really excited when he made those two shots. He’s starting to be comfortable and he’s getting back to where he was right before All-Star so he’s got to keep on doing it.”

With the win, the Sixers are now tied for first place in the Eastern Conference standings with the Brooklyn Nets. Both of these teams are the favorites in the East right now, and we can’t wait to see what kind of energy they will bring in the playoffs.