New Hip Hop News

It’s been nearly three years since J.I.D delivered his last studio album in DiCaprio 2, a project that featured guest appearances from J. Cole, Method Man, Joey Bada$$, 6LACK and more. Though several loosies and a strong presence on Revenge Of The Dreamers 3 (read about his involvement in Dreamville’s compilation album here) have dulled the wait, anticipation for his upcoming project stands at an all-time high. 

Previously teased to be titled The Forever Story, a thematic callback to his 2017 debut album The Never Story, little is admittedly known about J.I.D’s next endeavor. Originally rumored to feature heavy involvement from No I.D, who was revealed to be working with the Atlanta rapper for a collaborative project, The Forever Story has been kept relatively under wraps. In fact, much of what has been learned has been gleaned from J.I.D himself, who occasionally offers brief updates on his Twitter page.

J.I.D. Josh Brasted/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Alas, a recent post from the lyricist doesn’t exactly bode well. “Been waiting almost 2 months for one sample to clear, this shit gotta change,” laments J.I.D, alluding to a holdup that doesn’t appear to be moving forward at a desirable pace. “If someone sample your song take the money and shut tf up it’s art, u put that shit out there.” 

Of course, it’s not the first time an artist has seen their project delayed over sample clearance-related issues. Sometimes, entire songs are forced to be cut over an artist’s reticence to pull the trigger on allowing their music to be sampled. It has long been a provocative debate within the industry, and in this case, it’s abundantly clear on which side J.I.D stands. We can only hope that the process takes a turn for the better, as The Forever Story would be a most welcome addition to the 2021 release slate.

Check out J.I.D’s since-deleted message below. 

Image via Twitter

Cardi B is the latest cover star of XXL Magazine, divulging on her next album’s sound, her thoughts on the current crop of women in rap, and much more. During the interview, she spoke about how she has historically supported women that have been elevating in hip-hop, including the City Girls, Rubi Rose, Mulatto, Sukihana, and others. Cardi has extended her platform to a number of rising women in rap, giving them advice and showcasing them to a larger extent. While she loves doing it, her co-sign is not guaranteed.

“If I like you, I’m gonna endorse you. If I like your music, I’m gonna tell you that I like your music,” said Cardi B when asked if she feels like she needs to co-sign the rising women in rap. “I’m not in no catty sh*t, but it’s like at the end of the day, it is what it is. Like, this could get a little bit catty. So, it’s like, I don’t want to feel like I have a responsibility to look out for the girls and coddle the girls and this and that. I feel like nobody did it for me, so it’s like, I don’t have to do it for you.”

However, if you show me love, I’m going to show you love, and I’m gonna show you respect. Like, if you compliment me, I’ma compliment you. If you show love to my projects, I’m gonna show love to your projects. If sometimes, I see that you’re getting dragged on social media, like, I will want to give you advice like, ‘Girl, just don’t say nothing. Don’t worry about it. Sh*t’s gonna pass. Yo, you know what? Do this so people could stop saying that about you.’ I’m a person that likes to give advice, but I’m not gonna give advice to just anybody because they’re a female. Like, at the end of the day, I came from a female industry. I came from the strip club. And I’m from New York. The women are just crazy two-faced.”

She goes on to say that she won’t support someone just for being a woman, but if they’re showing love, she won’t hesitate to try and help where she can.

“I don’t have to look out for you just because you’re a woman. I’m going to respect you. As long as you show me respect,” added Cardi. “And if you ever ask me for advice, if you ever ask anything from me, I’m gonna give it to you. I’m gonna talk to you like a sister. When I met the City Girls, I didn’t know them at all. I told them like, ‘Y’all gotta keep working. Y’all gotta keep doing this. Y’all gotta keep doing that.’ And that’s exactly what they did. And they big artists. They’re really popular. That’s just advice that I would tell any woman. However, I don’t feel like I gotta embrace everybody ’cause you might embrace a b*tch, and then next thing you know, you find out the b*tch don’t even f*cking like you.

I don’t gotta have beef with somebody ’cause I’m not into beef. I hate beef. I’m not a petty person. I’m not a person that could go back and forth. I’m not none of that, ’cause I like to fight.”

What do you think about Cardi’s latest comments about women in rap?

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Big Pun’s sister, Nicky Rodriguez AKA Sista Pun, is making some allegations about the rapper’s wife Liza Rios. According to Nicki, Liza called her in 1998, allegedly admitting that she had an affair with another man. She made the claims during an interview with Hot Shot Radio.

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“Even though Pun was my brother, [Liza] confided in me. She called me when I was in Daytona Beach and she was crying. I’m like, ‘Liza, what’s wrong?’ And my brother was behind her saying, ‘tell her’. And she said, ‘Nicky, I had an affair on Chris,'” recalled the legendary rapper’s sister. “She told me and I said, “oh my god, Liza, are you sure? Are you joking?” 

Liza allegedly revealed to Nicky that she had slept with a man on her mom’s block in The Bronx. She says that Big Pun found out the man’s identity later on, which Nicky was fearful about because she didn’t want the rapper to get violent. She also says that, in a separate conversation, Liza allegedly admitted that she had another affair with the rapper’s own brother from his father’s side. 

“He was aware of the infidelity, that was the first one,” said Sista Pun. “The son of the grocery store across the street in Bronx River. It was him. He was Big Pun [at the time]. This was about 1998. Later on, before my brother’s passing– let me backtrack. My brother has a brother from his father’s side named Vincent. My brother just did not have a good feeling about him. Vincent would always come around and my brother would be like, ‘I don’t want that n***a here. I’m not vibing him. I’m not feeling him.’ It turns out, trust your gut. It turns out that Liza was having an affair with my brother’s brother Vincent for about a year and a half before my brother’s death.”

It’s unclear why this information is just coming out now. Watch the videos above.

Last night, DMX’s manager Steve Rifkind spoke with NBC News about the rapper’s condition. “DMX is currently on life support and in a coma,” he stated. “There are multiple people with inaccurate information about his well-being and it is not helpful and productive. Tomorrow he will undergo further tests on his brain function and his family will determine what’s best from there.”

Mark Davis/Getty Images

With the aforementioned tests set to be undertaken today, DMX’s friends, fans, and supporters have been keeping him in their thoughts. As what feels like the entire hip-hop community has come forward to show love to the legendary rapper, many of his collaborators have taken the opportunity to share their own personal experiences with X. Today, Busta Rhymes took to Instagram to reflect on their friendship, which has lasted thirty-one years by his estimation. 

Having originally collaborated on “Why We Die,” a standout posse cut with Jay-Z on Busta’s Anarchy album, it’s clear that Busta and X go way back. In fact, the pair originally attended the George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School at the same time (along with Jay-Z and Notorious B.I.G), though DMX is two years older than Busta. 

LISTEN: Busta Rhymes ft. Jay-Z & DMX – Why We Die 

“31 YRS OF FRIENDSHIP!!” captions Busta Rhymes, alongside a wholesome exchange between himself and DMX. From the look of it, it appears to have taken place within the past few years. Upon showing mutual love for one another, the pair proceed to reflect on a concert that took place long before DMX’s rap career saw any success. From the sound of it, a young Busta Rhymes reserved an opening spot for DMX, who seemed honored to have “shared the same stage” as the Leaders Of The New School veteran.

“X WE NEEEEEED YOU PLEASE PULL THROUGH!!” writes Busta, echoing the sentiment of millions of fans. Given that tests are currently set to transpire later today, expect an update on DMX’s health condition shortly thereafter. In the meantime, be sure to keep him in your thoughts. 

Over a year deep into the COVID-19 pandemic, wearing masks has become a part of most people’s daily routines. As several businesses and areas across the United States have been requiring people to wear face masks throughout the past year, many people have finally found face masks that suit them perfectly. Now, Black Eyed Peas‘ founding and lead member will.i.am is adding some interesting options to the face mask market.

According to Complex, will.i.am‘s forthcoming XUPERMASK will be a $299 smart mask that boasts three dual-speed fans, a filtration system, LED day glow lights, noise-canceling audio, microphone capabilities, and magnetic earbud docking. One of the first smart masks to ever be launched, XUPERMASK was originally conceptualized and designed by will.i.am. himself, and the artist eventually reached out to superhero costume designer Jose Fernandez, who has worked on everything from Batman to Spider-Man, to bring the high-tech face mask to life.

“We have a huge opportunity to do something really big and solve problems that a lot of folks making masks before have ignored,” will.i.am says, while discussing XUPERMASK’s revolutionary design. “If you’re designing masks to inspire and encourage sneaker culture, a fabric mask is a flip-flop and this is a Jordan 3.”

Available in white/gray/orange and black/orange colorways, XUPERMASK is set to officially drop in the United States, Canada, and the UK this Thursday on April 8. In addition to the mask itself, every purchase will come with a complimentary XUPERKIT, which includes a carrying case, three-month supply of HEPA filters, ear tips, USBC-C charging cable, and a companion fabric mask.

Will you be copping one?

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On Tuesday, ESPN unveiled its “NBA’s Best 25 under 25” list, in which its NBA insiders ranked young stars by their future potential. The top five players on ESPN’s list included Luka Doncic at the top spot, followed by Zion Williamson, LaMelo Ball, Donovan Mitchell, and Jayson Tatum. Other names mentioned in the top 10 were Ben Simmons, Devin Booker, and Bam Adebayo. With lists like these, its only natural for fans to debate the rankings, but surprisingly, even ESPN’s own First Take commentator Stephen A. Smith has an issue with the new list.

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According to Stephen A., ESPN was wrong to put 19-year-old rookie LaMelo Ball so high on the list. The first-year guard for the Charlotte Hornets is ranked at number 3, and although many can argue that the Rookie of the Year contender has a bright future ahead of him in the NBA, his placement over young stars like Devin Booker and Jayson Tatum has some basketball fans, Stephen A. Smith included, scratching their heads.

“ESPN needs to drug test anybody that has something to do with this list,” Stephen A. says in the clip above. “It makes no sense. LaMelo Ball before Devin Booker? Really! LaMelo Ball before Donovan Mitchell? Really! LaMelo Ball before Jayson Tatum? Really! What the hell is going on?”

Although his bewilderment may come off as him simply hating on LaMelo Ball, the First Take commentator clarifies his stance, saying, “LaMelo Ball can play. I believe in this kid. Happy for Michael Jordan and the Charlotte Hornets for drafting him. I believe that he’s going to be an All Star sooner than later. He was my Rookie of the Year before he got hurt, but to sit up there and put him at number 3, ahead of Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker, and Jayson Tatum? I mean, come on!”

What are your thoughts on ESPN’s new “Best 25 under 25” NBA ranking?

Kehlani has long considered themselves as a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, identifying as queer for years. However, in recent weeks, they have seemingly gained a stronger realization of their gender identity and sexuality, coming out as a lesbian on Instagram Live.

“Y’all think something’s new about me, you wanna know?” asked the 25-year-old singer while cooking in the kitchen with a friend. “I finally know I’m a lesbian.” Their friend reacted, immediately yelling, “bomb drop!” 

In the past, Kehlani has identified as queer and pansexual. This is the first time they publicly identify as a lesbian. People across social media have been reacting to the news, sending their love to Kehlani, who has always been honest with fans about their gender identity. They recently specified their preferred pronouns in their social media bios, asking fans to address them as “she/they”.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Kehlani has one child with their guitarist Javaughn Young-White, who identifies as bisexual. The singer has recently been getting called out by actor Kaalan Walker for allegedly “aborting” their baby together. These are claims that Kehlani has referred to as “fantasy”. They also supported a woman who has accused Walker of sexual assault.

Congratulations to the Bay Area artist on coming out!