Kendrick Lamar’s Hometown Mural Has Been Vandalized Yet Again To The Dismay Of Its Artist

Kendrick Lamar 2018 Coachella (1024x437)
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Kendrick Lamar is beaming with hometown pride. In fact, the “Squabble Up” rapper dedicated his latest chart-topping album, GNX, to showcase his love for Compton, California and the surrounding areas.

Despite Kendrick’s dedication to his neighborhood, he isn’t immune to local hate. According to XXL, a mural in Kendrick Lamar’s honor has been defaced. This isn’t the first time the piece, located on Rosecrans Avenue behind Honduran restaurant Mi Sabor has been defiled. Back in September, the visual piece was vandalized with gang graffiti.

The latest markings have not been identified, but the artist responsible for it, Sloe Motions, expressed his displeasure with its defacement yet again. “I was one of the artist who painted the mural and the guy who blacked out the Kendrick face literally just made it worse,” he wrote in the comment section of XXL’s upload.

After the release of Kendrick Lamar’s song “Wacced Out Murals,” where he addressed the first incident, Motions detailed his frustration when his first piece was vandalized. “A couple months ago our Kendrick mural got hit. Of course, we were pissed and wanted to fix it, but it just kept getting worse,” he wrote. “Flash forward to today and Kendrick drops a song about the situation. It doesn’t necessarily make it ok, but it does feel good to have our hard work for the community immortalized in a song by one of the greatest to ever do it. Thank you, Kendrick Lamar for making this situation a little better today.”

Kendrick Lamar has not addressed the latest vandalization.

Diddy Slams Male Prisoner’s $400M Sexual Assault Lawsuit As A “Meritless Attack”

It goes without saying that Diddy’s legal battle is just beginning. In September of this year, the Bad Boy founder was arrested, and he’s now facing charges related to alleged sex trafficking and racketeering. Before that, he was hit with a long list of lawsuits from people accusing him of sexual assault, abuse, and much more. These haven’t slowed down amid his incarceration, as evidenced by the two new suits filed against him last week.

Diddy is pushing back, however, recently slamming a Michigan inmate for a lawsuit he filed against the mogul in June. The inmate, Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, accuses Diddy of sexually assaulting him at a 1997 party. Diddy failed to reply to Cardello-Smith’s complaint, prompting a judge to order him to pay a $100 million default judgment.

Read More: Biggest Hip-Hop Moments Of 2024

Diddy Fires Back At Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith Amid His Prison Stay

Jul 25, 2023; Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA; Recording artist DJ Khaled and Sean Combs attend the game between Inter Miami CF and Atlanta United at DRV PNK Stadium. Jasen Vinlove / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“This man [Cardello-Smith] is a convicted felon and sexual predator, who has been sentenced on 14 counts of sexual assault and kidnapping over the last 26 years,” Diddy’s attorney Marc Agnifilo told TMZ at the time. “His resume now includes committing a fraud on the court from prison, as Mr. Combs has never heard of him let alone been served with any lawsuit. Mr. Combs looks forward to having this judgment swiftly dismissed.” The judgment was later vacated, but Diddy’s team doesn’t think Cardello-Smith is done. In court documents obtained by AllHipHop, they vehemently deny all of his allegations. They also ask that the case be dismissed, and call for sanctions under federal law.

This type of court order is intended to prevent people from filing frivolous claims. “This barrage of fabricated claims must come to an end,” Diddy’s attorney, David Fink, also wrote. “Plaintiff’s frequent filings clearly indicate he has no intention of stopping his meritless attacks.”

Read More: Hip-Hop Albums That Grew On Us The Most In 2024

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Official Look At Ja Morant’s Nike Ja 2 “Twelve Time”

Official photos of the Nike Ja 2 “Twelve Time” have been released, giving fans a closer look at this bold new colorway. The sneaker features a vibrant Light Lemon Twist upper, accented with shades of grey and orange for a striking design. This dynamic color palette reflects Ja Morant’s high-energy game and fearless mindset. Signature touches like Ja’s personal logo on the tongue and heel add a personalized element. Built for both performance and style, the shoe combines premium materials with a sleek, modern design.

The orange Nike Swoosh adds a bold contrast to the vibrant upper, making it a standout feature. The “Twelve Time” name celebrates Ja’s relentless drive and dedication to excelling on the court. With its energetic colors and advanced performance features, the Nike Ja 2 “Twelve Time” is crafted to make an impression both in games and casual settings. Whether you’re a fan of Ja Morant or just want a bold sneaker to elevate your look, this pair delivers on all fronts. Keep an eye out for more release details and prepare to grab your pair when they drop.

Read More: New Look For Nigel Sylvester’s Air Jordan 1 Low OG “Nitro”

“Twelve Time” Nike Ja 2

Nike Ja 2
Image via Nike

These sneakers feature a green rubber outsole combined with a green and grey midsole. Moreover, the uppers are made from the same bright green material, complemented by even bolder overlays and accents. Additionally, a striking orange Swoosh decorates the sides. Lastly, finishing touches include creative Ja Morant branding on the tongues displaying “12 times” and the heels showcasing “12:12.”

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Nice Kicks reports that the Nike Ja 2 “Twelve Time” will be released sometime in 2025. Also, the retail price of the sneakers will be $120 when they drop. Fans can expect a bold and performance-driven design that captures Ja Morant’s dynamic energy and style. Stay tuned for official updates on release details and availability at select retailers.

Twelve Time
Image via Nike
Nike Ja 2
Image via Nike

Read More: Earlier Rumored Release Date For Nike Air Diamond Turf “Atlanta”

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Drake’s Lawyers Double Down As They Call Out Spotify’s ‘Manipulative Practices’ Alleged In Legal Filing

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Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s rap beef was a monumental moment in hip-hop. But the “Family Matters” rapper’s upcoming legal battle with UMG and Spotify is gearing up to be an industry shifter.

On December 20, Spotify slammed Drake’s accusations of “artificially inflating” the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us” with the use of bots and colluding with UMG in a payola scheme. Now, Drake’s legal team is firing back.

In a statement shared with USA Today, a representative of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP doubled down on the claims made in Drake’s legal filing.

“It is not surprising that Spotify is trying to distance themselves from UMG’s allegedly manipulative practices to artificially inflate streaming numbers on behalf of one of its other artists,” said the rep. “If Spotify and UMG have nothing to hide then they should be perfectly fine complying with this basic discovery request.”

Although Spotify has requested that the “false” and “speculative” inquiry be dismissed, it appears Drake’s legal team is ready to go the distance in an attempt to prove their allegations.

Just as Spotify denied Drake’s accusation, so has UMG. “The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue,” said a representative for the label. “We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.”

All eyes are on this ongoing legal matter.

Antonio Brown Clowns Travis Hunter For His Fiancée’s Appearance In Old Music Video

Antonio Brown is the latest online troll seeking to get messy and presumptuous when it comes to Travis Hunter’s relationship. For those unaware, the Heisman Trophy recipient faces a lot of discussion right now around his fiancée Leanna Lenee, whom many accused of gold-digging and of showing many signs that she’s not actually invested in her man. In fact, fans spotted her in a three-year-old music video, which made them curious because Hunter and Lenee have been together for five years. “Travis Hunter Officially becoming DB,” AB tweeted in response to this speculation. Like many others, he just wants to fuel the drama.

As such, we can’t imagine this is an easy time for Travis Hunter and his fiancée Leanna Lenee right now, regardless of what is true or not. In any case, Hunter defended her online and expressed his frustration with everyone’s comments and intrusions into their bond, so maybe people don’t see what he sees. Still, many fans commenting on this drama feel like they just want to look out for his well-being. But as you can imagine, intent isn’t everything.

Read More: Top 10 Best Athletes Of 2024

Antonio Brown Reacts To Travis Hunter’s Fiancée Appearing In A Music Video

Meanwhile, other celebrities continue to chime into this debacle with some advice for Travis Hunter, including Bow Wow. However, the rapper’s advice for the football star is completely moot, as it’s based on a fake comment that Leanna Lenee “posted” on social media. “I’ve been young, on the brink of making a lot of money, and I know how this goes,” he remarked before falling for the troll account’s trap. “There’s no reason for your fiancée to be commenting on another man’s page with heart eyes and money emojis. That’s not how fiancées behave. Wake up, young brother.”

Regardless of whether or not Travis Hunter is happy in his relationship or pays attention to fans’ worries, Leanna Lenee did not make things easier for herself thanks to a resurfaced video of her claiming that he would wait outside for her while she went out with friends. Leave it to the Internet to turn a caring and loving gesture into grounds for a break-up… Although at the end of the day, it’s up to them to stay together or not.

Read More: Top 10 Best Sneakers Of 2024

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Top 10 Hottest R&B Albums Of 2024

Overall, 2024 was phenomenal for a whole lot of reasons, and chief among them was the sheer amount of quality R&B albums we got. Although most fans were paying attention to all of the wild stories going on in rap, others were chilling out while listening to artists like Leon Thomas, Lucky Daye, and Tems. The genre’s biggest superstars decided to drop projects, and we are certainly grateful for that. From sensational debuts to continuations of iconic album series, R&B fans were truly blessed.

Having said that, we have now reached the end of the year and it is officially time to count down the hottest R&B albums of 2024. We’re sure there is going to be quite a bit of debate about these. However, if one thing is certain, it is that there is something here for everyone. So without further ado, behold our latest list.

Read More: Hottest Hip-Hop Albums & Songs Of November 2024

10. NxWorries – Why Lawd?

9. Tyla – Tyla

8. Fana Hues – Moth

7. PartyNextDoorPartyNextDoor4

6. Tems – Born In The Wild

5. Leon Thomas – Mutt

4. TinasheQuantum Baby

3. KehlaniCrash

2. SiR – Heavy

1. Lucky Daye – Algorithm

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Megan Thee Stallion Supports Torrey Craig At Chicago Bulls Game Amid Rumored Relationship

Back in August, Megan Thee Stallion got fans talking when she hopped on TikTok to take part in a couple’s challenge. She was joined by none other than NBA star Torrey Craig, expectedly leading to rumors that the two of them were an item. Just a few days later, they were spotted out and about in New York City. For most fans, this was enough to confirm the rumored relationship, though neither Meg nor Craig have addressed it.

It’s been a while since supporters have heard anything about the femcee and the athlete, but over the weekend, it looks like they could have reunited. On Saturday (December 21), Megan was spotted at the United Center, sitting courtside for the Chicago Bulls game against the Boston Celtics. For obvious reasons, fans were glad to see her. The Bulls’ mascot, Benny the Bull, even gave her a special greeting.

Read More: Biggest Hip-Hop Moments Of 2024

Megan Thee Stallion Sits Courtside At Chicago Bulls Game Amid Torrey Craig Dating Rumors

Most fans are glad to see Meg living her best life. Unfortunately, however, her rumored relationship with Craig has also earned her a great deal of hate online. Supporters are coming to her defense in the Hollywood Unlocked comments section on Instagram, defending her right to be happy with whoever she chooses. “I love how she be smiling and people get so upset at her joy and happiness 😂😂,” one commenter writes. “Yes she deserves all the happiness,” another says. Meg’s latest appearance comes shortly after she teased the third act of her self-titled album, Megan.

It also comes days after she filed for a restraining order against Tory Lanez, who shot her in 2020. In her filing, she accuses him of “psychological warfare,” according to TMZ. She also alleges that his actions have made her depressed and made her grow estranged from loved ones. Meg even accuses him of paying blogger Milagro Gramz to spread misinformation about her online.

Read More: Hip-Hop Albums That Grew On Us The Most In 2024

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Big Pun’s Widow Abrutly Ends Interview After Being Questioned About Fat Joe

Big Pun’s widow, Liza Rios, stormed out of an interview on the Uppercut podcast, last week, after being asked several questions about Fat Joe. In doing so, she accused the interviewer of taking Joe’s “side” in their feud and complained about him having an “attitude.”

“Joe probably would’ve faded out because if another label would have signed Big Pun, Joe probably would have faded to the back,” she said, as caught by AllHipHop. “[…] Joe’s a smart business man. He’s stayed relevant all these years.” From there, the interviewer asked why she can’t bring herself to apologize to Joe. She responded: “Are you serious? Why would I give him an apology after what he put my family through? What he did legally.” As they began arguing, Rios concluded: “Can we stop this for a second? I’m leaving this interview. This is a whole Fat Joe situation now. Yeah, I’m good. I’m good off of this. I’m not comfortable and I’m leaving this interview.”

Read More: How Hip-Hop Culture “Revived” Itself & Declared War On Its Leaders In 2024

Big Pun & Fat Joe Attend The 1998 Lady Of Soul Awards

Fat Joe, Brandy, and Big Pun at the 1998 Lady of Soul Awards in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc)

When The Art of Dialogue shared a clip of the moment on Instagram, fans expressed their support for Rios. “Being a journalist is a skill. Asking one sided questions to elicit a response is not a flex. She made a good decision by leaving,” one user wrote. Another added: “Dude was a HORRRRRIBLE interviewer, and I’m glad that she shook the spot!!”

Liza Rios Discusses Fat Joe

Rios and Joe have been at odds since Pun’s tragic death in 2000. Rios has accused Joe of failing to properly pay her family the royalties from Pun’s music and that Joe greedily profited off of the late rapper’s legacy. She even took legal action against him in 2014. Joe had denied the allegations over the years. Check out the moment Liza Rios stormed out of her interview with the Uppercut podcast below.

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Daylyt Recalls Advising J Cole To Follow His Instincts Before Deleting Kendrick Lamar Diss

Daylyt has spoken a lot about his alleged insider knowledge about the Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and – for a moment – J Cole beef, given his closeness to all the artists. During a recent appearance on The Apollo Podcast, he revealed that Cole actually expressed grievances to him about his K.Dot diss “7 Minute Drill,” which appeared on his surprise Might Delete Later project. As you know, that title became 2024’s most ironic statement, but before pulling the plug on it, the battle rapper apparently advised the Dreamville MC to follow his instincts and take a stand if he felt like there wasn’t any real beef there.

However, Daylyt also expressed that he did not know that J. Cole would take this to the stage and publicly apologize at Dreamville Fest before deleting “7 Minute Drill” from streaming platforms. At the end of the day, though, despite his battle rap side thinking that this was a wild move, he has a lot of respect for Cole’s decision and commends his humility. They apparently linked up in the studio recently, so they might have more collabs on the way.

Read More: Biggest Hip-Hop Moments Of 2024

Daylyt Advised J Cole To Follow His Intuition

Beyond J. Cole, though, Daylyt also has some other stories and allegations about the battle, such as a FaceTime call with Kendrick Lamar after a Drake diss had dropped. “It’s a FaceTime call, so I ignore the first one,” he told The Apollo Podcast. “He call again. I’m like, ‘Oh, it must be important.’ So, I’m thinking like it’s an emergency because Ab-Soul don’t really FaceTime me, especially not that early. I pick up, it was Dot bro. N***a was just looking at the camera and hung up. The smirk that the n***a had on his face. The last time I seen that was when I was doing shenanigans. It was evil. He about to go to no return with this s**t.”

As for J. Cole, Daylyt’s respect for him may not reflect every fan’s feelings on the apology, but many of them share that sentiment. He also closed 2024 out on a much higher note thanks to his tenth anniversary re-release of 2014 Forest Hills Drive with eight new bonus tracks.

Read More: Hip-Hop Albums That Grew On Us The Most In 2024

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