New Hip Hop News

Jay-Z’s recent deal with the LVMH’s Moët Hennessy, which found him selling fifty percent of his Armand de Brignac (also known as Ace of Spades) champagne brand, appears to be an extremely lucrative one for the legendary rapper. Based on a report from Forbes, the deal was estimated at a value of over $600 million, which would then net Jay a minimum of $300 million. 

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Upon inking the deal, Jay-Z explained his motivation for partnering with Moët Hennessy in a press release. “We are confident that the sheer power of the Moët Hennessy global distribution framework, its unparalleled portfolio strength, and its long-established track record of excellence in developing luxury brands will give Armand de Brignac the commercial power it needs to grow and flourish even further,” he stated. 

Forbes notes that their own valuation of Ace Of Spades placed the luxury spirit at an approximated $630 million, with analysts speculating that Hova was set to pocket an estimated $315 million. Already boasting a net worth of over one billion dollars, making him the first rapper to hit the financial milestone, this latest money move is but one of many lucrative developments for the entrepreneur. It’s no wonder that the move was celebrated by so many of his peers, including near-billionaire Dr. Dre. 

While it’s certainly impressive to witness watch Jay-Z continue to make waves beyond music, many fans have been pining to see the Jigga Man come through with a proper follow-up to 4:44. His slew of recent features, ranging from a standout verse on Meek Mill’s “What’s Free” (where he undervalued Ace Of Spades to be worth half a billion) to the recent “What It Feels Like” collaboration with the late Nipsey Hussle. One can only imagine the energy he’d bring to his fourteenth studio album, if and when it drops — how does a verse recorded directly after a $315 million dollar payout actually sound? 

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Azealia Banks might have been canceled a million times, but she’s still kicking, promising to remain relevant until she chooses to quiet down. The “212” rapper may not be trending for her music anymore, but she manages to always stir up some drama with her loud mouth, sharing her controversial musings on social media all day long. Most recently, the rapper got engaged to artist Ryder Ripps, and her fiancé is seemingly teaching her to hold less hatred in her heart. In doing so, she shared a list of people she claims to love, which is pretty eye-opening.

While Azealia’s list of people she loves isn’t too surprising to those that have kept up with her shenanigans for the last few years, it still comes as a shock to see some of the names she added to her list. Lil’ Kim is listed in the middle, highlighted with a heart around her and so are a few other artists, including Mario Judah, Donald Glover, Juelz Santana, Shakira, T-Pain, and more. However, people are more concerned with the names near the top of her list, mainly Donald Trump, Candace Owens, Vladimir Putin, and more. She also lists Ariel Pink, who was recently accused of abuse after being spotted at the Capitol raid in support of Trump. He’s also been accused of being anti-semitic, which contradicts Azealia’s recent admission that she’s converting to Judaism.

“@ryder_ripps says I need to practice not being such a hater so I made a list of people I love,” wrote Azealia on Instagram.

The post is slightly confusing, only because a few hours prior, Azealia claimed that she broke up with her fiancé. “Lol, I just dumped @ryder_ripps,” she wrote on Stories. “He’s too insecure for the wildly creative she-wolf in me. I’m keeping the menorah ring too.”

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Who are you most surprised to see on Azealia’s list of people she loves?

DaniLeigh continues to be the aim of the wrath of countless social media users long after previewing her controversial unreleased “Yellow Bone” song, which many accused of being a “colorist anthem.” She’s since apologized numerous times for the song, but that hasn’t stopped the internet from continuing to troll the “Easy” singer. DaniLeigh once again responded to a few critics on her Twitter account Sunday (February 28), eventually getting into a heated exchange with Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta star Akbar V. 

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“I want to tell you baby you are no Black no matter how many black wigs u let them put on you baby,” tweeted the outspoken Atlanta rapper to DaniLeigh. She clapped back with, “Keep making music I’ll never hear,” and from there the two continued to bicker. DaniLeigh held that she wasn’t trying to “be anyone but myself,” while once again saying she didn’t even know who Akbar was. 

“U still not Black,” continued Akbar V, which launched DaBaby’s ex into a discussion about her recent album Movie, adding she had features from PartyNextDoor, Lil Baby, Gunna, and more. Akbar then shifted the conversation to address the “Yellow Bone” controversy. 

“I want u to stop color shaming cause I really wasn’t being funny u started the sing then started with I don’t give a f*ck altitude we are really Black my Black women go threw enough for u to make fun of it,” Akbar said in a tweet. 

DaniLeigh reiterated she “wasn’t saying it to shame someone…especially they color.” When asked by another user if she’d be willing to apologize, she revealed she felt she had already “took accountability” for her actions. She went on to add her problem with people referring to her as “a white girl” and said she was Dominican “with a whole bunch of sh*t in me.”

Check out more tweets from the lengthy exchange below. 

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There’s no more hiding for Lil Uzi Vert and JT. The two are happily couple’d up, showing off their love following a confusing start to their relationship. After being mentioned in song lyrics for the last year, Uzi and JT have finally gone public with their relationship, sharing boo’d up pictures following Brittany Byrd’s claims that Uzi was still texting her on the regular. Now, they just can’t hide their affection as Uzi seemingly has JT wrapped around his little finger.

During a recent shopping trip, the two rappers posted a bunch of pictures and videos from their outing, including one where Uzi requests a quick little twerk from his girlfriend. “Make it clap for me,” asked Uzi on his Instagram Stories, to which JT obliged.  She was wearing oversized sunglasses, pink biking shorts, matching shoes, and a casual Helmut Lang sweater. 

On her own page, JT didn’t share the twerking video, but she did post pics with her man, declaring herself “the chosen one” in her caption after the brief love triangle formed on Sunday. 

After the media circus that has surrounded JT and Lil Uzi Vert at the beginning of their relationship, fans are finally opening up to the idea of them being the next rap power couple, sharing their opinions on the new couple. The majority of people seemingly think they’re cute together, but they can’t escape the idea of seeing them out in public together, pointing out how short they are.

Do you think they’ll last?

There seems to be a never-ending list of things Shaquille O’Neal must try, and the next on the agenda is professional wrestling. The NBA Hall of Famer will be showing off his best moves in the ring for All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Shaq has been watching the sport since he was a teenager, and he’s more than thrilled to pit his 7’1″ frame against any opponent. It’s reported by ABC News that Shaq hasn’t had much training when it comes to wrestling, but he recently visited the AEW training facility in Georgia dubbed the Nightmare Factory.

“I’m the type that if I have a look and see you do it, I got it,” O’Neal said. His NBA nickname “Shaq Diesel” was apparently first reserved as a wrestling name, so it seems that the sports icon is returning to his first, or second, love. “I’m the type, I can never back down from a challenge,” O’Neal shared with The Associated Press.

“I’m not a professional wrestler, but I’ve been in a match before. I’ve got a lot of moves in my arsenal,” he continued. “When you step inside somebody’s world, you have to stick to what you’re masterful at. I’m not acrobatic. I’m not going to be jumping off the ropes. I’m coming with the power game. When I get hands on him, I’m going to display this power.” 

Last month, we saw Snoop Dogg face-off for AEW, and last year, Mike Tyson made an appearance. Plenty of basketball icons have shown out for various wrestling companies or leagues, but Shaq is sure that his feature “will top them all.” He’ll be fighting with a mixed team match—man and woman—and his partner is reportedly Jade Cargill. They’re set to go against Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet for Dynamite that airs on Wednesday evenings. 

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