New Hip Hop News

Plenty of R&B fans are excited about the upcoming collaboration between Queen Naija and Ari Lennox, but a select few continue to bring up Queen’s previous controversy. The singer and YouTube star hasn’t been able to shake her years-old video where she complained about the “lil’ Black nappy-headed” girls would bully her in school. “They be jealous of something,” she said in the old clip. “It seemed like always ugly people bullied me… It ain’t had nothin’ to do with color, but they were always the ones that bullied me. It was always some lil’ Black little girls bullying me with some terrible hairstyles.”

It’s the video that resurfaces every time Queen Naija has a new release on the horizon and her joint effort with Lennox has caused a stir. Because Ari Lennox is an artist who celebrates her skin tone, some of her fans took to social media to speak out against the collaboration. Queen Naija has been pelted with colorism accusations once again, prompting her to respond publicly.

“Lol the fact that people think they can get ‘rid’ of me or take me off my own song is ridiculous [crying laughing emoji],” Queen tweeted. “I don’t want nor need y’all’s validation to continue to win! whatever y’all say about or to me cannot stop my blessings. The ratio of people who love me outweighs the hate! [purple heart emoji].”

This isn’t the first time that Queen Naija has addressed the old YouTube clip; the singer has repeatedly apologized for her remarks. Check out her tweet below.

Renni Rucci is lighting up the South right now with singles like “Can’t Be” and the Kevin Gates-assisted “Hands On Ya Knees” but it’s her relationship with Foogiano that’s made them a fixture across Instagram pages. The couple hasn’t shied away from publicly claiming each other and in the wake of Foogiano’s arrest, Renni has made sure to keep his name alive while he’s away.

Renni sat down with HNHH earlier this year for our Rise & Grind series where she discussed her relationship with Foogiano, both personally and professionally. Apparently, fans can expect to hear a collaboration from them in the future, though she said she’s unclear whether it’ll make her forthcoming album, Real Bitch Radio.

The relationship began as most do in 2021: in the DMs. She said that she was the one who sent the first DM but it was strictly business-related. “Okay, so first, I DM’d him about getting on ‘Molly,'” she explained. “That was just me wanting to get on the song, like, I want to work with you. Then, we didn’t talk for a while and he started commenting under my pictures… He was lettin’ it be known, like, I’m trying to f*** with you.”

Eventually, her manager reached out to his management for a studio session. “He hit me, he’s like, ‘You don’t have to have nobody reach out to me,’ and we just started talking from there and we never stopped. We went from talking in the DM’s about a studio session to being on the phone every day,” she said. 

Check out the latest edition of HNHH’s Rise & Grind series. 

Social media has a way to build someone up only to tear them down just as quickly, which is what happened to relationship guru Derrick Jaxn. Last month, Jaxn was exposed for cheating on his wife and Twitter had a meltdown. He later shared a video confessing to his actions with his wife by his side but even still, his reputation was hit. 

Cam’ron took to Instagram last week where he seemingly addressed Jaxn who supposedly left some iffy comments under the rapper’s page. Now, if you know even the slightest bit about Cam’ron, he rarely ever holds back his thoughts. “Where this cornball at? You low now huh n***a. Tried to come in my comments one day talking shit,” Cam wrote before unleashing a scathing roast on Jaxn, beginning with a comparison to Waldo from Family Matters. 

“He wasn’t getting any females growing up. See social media allows you to be whoever you want and y’all be going for it. Now he’s hiding,” he continued before masterfully circling back to the root of the issue. 

“See if you was cool wit some of the homies they woulda helped ya dumb ass out and told you what to do after you got caught. Instead you held ya girl hostage and made her do that dumb ass video, then when people told you it was dumb you erased it,” he added with the hashtag #WheresWaldo.

Check out Cam’s post below. 

It was the Instagram Live that had the internet talking and it may be the reason Paul Pierce is now out of a job. The famed NBA icon became a trending topic days ago after his Live went viral. In the clip, viewers watched on as Pierce received a backrub from a woman in a two-piece bikini as an exotic dancer is in the background twerking on the ground. It seems that he was attending a private party at someone’s home in Los Angeles and after the clip with viral, the public taunted the sports commentator. Even Los Angeles Lakers baller Kyle Kuzma called Pierce a “sicko.”

Timothy Hiatt / Stringer / Getty Images

According to various sources, ESPN and Pierce have decided to “part ways” in lieu of the controversy. Some expected the hammer to come down on Pierce, especially because of the Disney affiliation. “BREAKING: ESPN and NBA Legend Paul Pierce have parted ways, according to sources,” tweeted sportswriter Michael McCarthy. “Pierce posted videos of himself with exotic dancers on Instagram Live Friday night. Pierce has played a key role on ‘NBA Countdown’ + other ESPN basketball programming. ESPN declined to comment.”

After news of Pierce’s departure from ESPN began to circulate, he issued a laughing response on his Instagram Story. Check it out below.

Minneapolis chief of police took the stand today during Derek Chauvin’s trial for the murder of George Floyd on Monday where he described the ex-officer’s use of force as a violation of department policy. Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo explained that Chauvin’s use of force went wasn’t a part of the department’s training or tactics when it comes to de-escalating scenarios. He said that the restraint used against George Floyd wasn’t necessary once he stopped resisting.

 Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

“Once Mr. Floyd had stopped resisting — and certainly once he was in distress and trying to verbalize that — that should have stopped,” he said, admitting that there’s a “reasonableness” to get a suspect “under control.” “Once there was no longer any resistance, and clearly when Mr. Floyd was no longer responsive and even motionless, to continue to apply that level of force to a person proned out, handcuffed behind their back, that in no way shape or form is anything that is by policy, part of our training and is certainly not part of our ethics or values,” he continued. 

Arrandondo had one of the most longest testimonies since the trial began last week. His sentiments similarly echoed Lt. Richard Zimmerman who called Chauvin’s restraint on Floyd totally unnecessary in court on Friday. “I saw no reason why the officers felt they were in danger if that’s what they felt and that’s what they would have to feel to use that kind of force,” he said.

We’ll keep you updated on more news on Derek Chauvin’s trial. 

Soon enough, everyone in the United States will be able to get vaccinated. Hundreds of thousands of people have already received their doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and have reacclimated themselves to the new normal—and some have used it as an excuse to get right back into party mode. It’s unsurprising that the public is ready for the pandemic to be over as soon as possible, and throughout quarantine, Lil Nas X has encouraged people to stay safe. However, over the weekend, footage began to circulate showing him at a party with TikTok influencers as they were singing along to his latest hit “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” and fans weren’t thrilled.

Frazer Harrison / Staff / Getty Images

Video clips of the get-together quickly circulated online and it showed dozens of people gathered without masks. Lil Nas X does have much to celebrate as he has yet another No. 1 song in his catalog, but detractors are still coming down on him for his “MONTERO” music video and its religious imagery. The singer hasn’t been swayed by the controversy and has continued to celebrate the success of his controversial single. 

“It’s the biggest song in the world. thank you guys so much,” Nas X wrote on Instagram. “We get to decide OUR own destiny, never let the world decide it for YOU! i love you!” Check out his post and a few reactions to his party below.