Virgil, the WWE legend best known as being Ted DiBiase’s right-hand man, has died at the age of 61. Virgil, whose legal name was Michael Jones, had suffered from a series of medical issues in previous years. However, his death will still come as a shock to many of his fans.
Virgil debuted in 1985 and soon became a part of Ted DiBiase’s “Million Dollar Man” persona after moving to the WWE. During the height of the WWE’s soap opera-esque writing, Virgil was DiBiase’s money man and enforcer. However, in one of the biggest twists of that era of WWE, Virgil would betray DiBiase at Royal Rumble 1991 and would later beat DiBiase, with the help of Rowdy Roddy Piper, at Wrestlemania VII. Virgil would retire in 2000 but made appearances across various promotions between 2006 and 2019.
However, Virgil is just the latest WWE icon to pass away. In June 2023, The Iron Sheik was announced to have passed away at the age of 81. Sheik was called “a true legend, a force of nature, and an iconic figure who left an incredible mark on the world of professional wrestling.” Born in Iran, The Sheik began his career as an Olympic wrestler and coach, moving to the United States around 1970. He first joined the WWE, then the WWF, in 1978 and even got a shot at the title against Bob Backlund. However, Sheik left the promotion in 1980. After fighting in a number of southern regional promotions, Sheik rejoined the WWF in 1983 and briefly became the WWF champion after forcing a submission from Backlund. However, The Sheik would only reign for 28 days before losing to Hulk Hogan.
Transitioning to tag-team fights later in the decade, Sheik won the first-ever tag-team belt at the inaugural WrestleMania in 1985. However, Sheik would leave the promotion in 1987 after being arrested and breaking kayfabe. The Sheik was arrested for being under the influence of cocaine. However, more pressingly for wrestling fans, he had been arrested alongside his on-screen rival, Hacksaw Jim Duggan. He briefly returned to the WWF in 1988 but left later that same year. Sheik would have one final stint with the WWF in 1991/92.
2024 has only just begun, but already the news cycle in the hip-hop world has taken us on a rollercoaster. For the femcees, the drama between Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj, as well as a slightly less tense feud between Latto and Ice Spice has been at the centre of internet discourse. As for male artists, the Diddy scandal unearthed by Cassie continues to bring forth other damning allegations, meanwhile, Dame Dash is doing everything in his power to hold onto his Roc-A-Fella shares amid a time of financial strife.
Last week it was reported that the music executive would have to sell his stake in the company to pay off an $800K+ debt he owes. Now, sources are saying Cam’ron and Mase might be the new owners of those shares; these rumours were addressed during a new episode of It Is What It Is this week. When the rappers’ co-host, Stat Baby, asked about the validity of the gossip, they couldn’t help but giggle about the situation for some time. “Let’s just say hypothetically, right?” Mase said with a grin while pulling money out of his coat pocket.
In response to their unofficial confirmation, some hip-hop heads think this is the best move possible for Dash. “I mean, Dame ain’t tryna seel it to Jay, so s**t, why not? I say ask for $3M and walk away knowing it’s in good hands. If Cam and Mase acquire it, then it’s win for them both ’cause now Cam with the ROC and Mase get a win ’cause of those jabs Hov took at ’em,” one person wrote under @thehiphopwolf’s post.
Dame Dash is in a tough spot, with upwards of $800K still owed to a film producer who’s actively trying to get his money. Thankfully, Jay-Z and “Biggs” Burke are doing their part to keep his Roc-A-Fella shares in his name, though this rumoured deal has the potential to shake everything up. Read more about that at the link below, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.
After a nearly five-year hiatus from releasing new music, platinum recording artist Waka Flocka Flame surprised fans this Valentine’s Day with a heartfelt single titled “Foreva.”
Departing from his signature style, the rapper delivers a love ballad expressing enduring affection for his significant other. Renowned for hits like “No Hands,” Waka’s latest track showcases a fresh sound and approach, hinting at potential shifts in his musical direction.
With “Foreva” marking his return to the spotlight, fans eagerly anticipate whether this release signals the beginning of a new era for the artist, including the possibility of a forthcoming studio album.
Political commentator Candace Owens and podcast host Joe Budden met in Nashville in a surprising turn of events.
Just days after Budden expressed admiration for Owens’ work but questioned her willingness to engage with his show, the pair’s unexpected encounter has sparked widespread speculation online. While details of their meeting remain undisclosed, anticipation is mounting as fans eagerly await further updates on the collaboration between Owens and Budden, which is expected to make waves across social media platforms.
Earlier this week, Candance Owens showed support for Beyoncé’s Country music. In the latest episode of The Candace Owens Podcast, Ownes details Queen Bey’s country history.
“Some people are saying that this is not very country,” Candace says. “I’m going to defend Beyoncé on that point because Beyoncé’s kind of always been country. She’s more country than Taylor Swift ever was for sure. Beyoncé is from Houston, Texas. She’s always had a twang… [Taylor Swift] put on a fake twang. Everyone was okay with it. You can’t say that Taylor Swift can do it, and Beyonce can’t.”
All hail Queen Bey as she once again presides over the Billboard Hot 100. Beyoncé has taken over the top spot on the single’s chart with “Texas Hold ‘Em.”
The single is the ninth chart-topper for Beyoncé, her most recent being “Break My Soul” in 2022.
According to Luminate, “Texas Hold ‘Em” saw significant growth in various metrics during the tracking week of Feb. 16-22. The song garnered 29 million streams, marking a 51% increase, and received 16.1 million radio airplay audience impressions, experiencing a remarkable surge of 233%. Additionally, the track sold 29,000 downloads, albeit experiencing a decrease of 25%. With these impressive statistics, “Texas Hold ‘Em” earned the distinction of being the top Streaming and Airplay Gainer on the Hot 100 chart.
Over the weekend, Dolly Parton saluted Beyoncé’s musical foray into country. “I’m a big fan of Beyoncé and very excited that she’s done a country album,” Parton wrote on Instagram. “So congratulations on your Billboard Hot Country number one single.”
In a recent interview about his new Netflix series, The Vince Staples Show, the Long Beach rapper gave a profound answer to what seemed on the surface to be a relatively straightforward question. “Every character is you,” he said. “I think that’s what gives us nuance.”
Now, he was responding to a question about how his show character — who is ostensibly a fictionalized version of himself — differs from the genuine article. But the thing is, his answer could be applied more broadly — not just to Vince Staples, or even to any actor/character combination, but to the very idea of representation itself.
We love TV because we see ourselves in the characters and situations onscreen. This is what gives those depictions their authenticity, what pulls us in, what engages us. This goes doubly for Black folks, who so rarely see ourselves and our lives onscreen that practically any representation can feel like a breath of fresh air.
Hip-hop, which marked its “official” 50th birthday last year, has had a profound effect on that representation. These days, Black audiences see themselves most clearly in boundary-pushing shows like The Vince Staples Show and Atlanta, but those shows are only the latest in a proud lineage of Black TV shows that wear their hip-hop influences on their sleeves.
Shows like The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air and Living Single proved our favorite musicians could transition to screen stardom, while shows like Empire and The Breaks followed the behind-the-scenes inner workings of the business of hip-hop music (with an engrossing helping of drama to help them along), as shows like The Rap Game and Rhythm + Flow offered a path to stardom for real-life aspirants. A few years ago, I wrote about the hip-hop sketch comedy shows that also gave the culture a greater platform.
From Fresh Prince to Vince Staples, here’s a look at how hip-hop has pushed the boundaries of Black TV.
Sitcoms
In many ways, hip-hop’s legacy of extending the boundaries of television started with sitcoms (there’s a reason the title of this piece marks those two shows as bookends). Will Smith, the titular Fresh Prince of Bel Air, was the first rapper with a regular role in a scripted TV series, let alone a starring one. While it was the existing stardom from his and DJ Jazzy Jeff’s first album Rock The House that got his foot in the door, it was his acting chops that proved he belonged in Hollywood — and helped open the door for future rappers turned sitcom stars like Queen Latifah (Living Single), LL Cool J (In The House), Eve (who had her own eponymous show in 2003), Kid Cudi (How To Make It In America), and even Method Man and Redman (Method & Red, which ran for one truncated season on Fox in 2004).
The groundwork these shows laid allowed for the newer, more experimental approaches of shows like Atlanta and The Vince Staples Show, which drew inspiration from more offbeat shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, but paired them with hip-hop sensibilities. Atlanta, for instance, takes sharp detours in format and setting, sometimes opting for documentary-style episodes or standalone anthologies, which have been praised for moving not just Black TV but television as a whole forward.
Drama
The golden laurels for putting hip-hop on TV in a drama format almost certainly go to Empire, which took the dysfunctional family workings of classic soap operas like Dynasty and updated them to suit the trappings and lifestyle of a successful entertainment family, complete with a patriarch with a lengthy rap sheet. You can see shades of Succession, as well as star turns from both aspiring and established rappers. No doubt, the show’s success (including a slew of primetime Emmy Award nominations) opened the door for future network TV swings such as Queens. The theme of sisterhood from the latter carries over to Rap Sh!t, which chronicled the rags-to-riches story of a Miami rap duo inspired by City Girls.
Meanwhile, hip-hop’s fertile 50-year history offers a wealth of fascinating stories about its birth (The Get Down), development (The Breaks), and the biographies of some of his biggest stars (Wu-Tang: An American Saga). Meanwhile, rapper-turned-mogul 50 Cent has built an entire cinematic universe, Power, filling it with rappers like Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Freddie Gibbs, and Joey Badass.
Competition
Naturally, with the popularity of musical competitions like American Idol and The Voice, similar competition shows would focus on hip-hop, as the odds of succeeding on other shows can be slim (The X Factor eliminated teen rapper Astro, who nevertheless went on to have a solid film and TV career himself, including initially being cast on Euphoria, although he later turned the role down). One of the first rap-focused shows was 2003’s The Next Episode, which was produced by Showtime and Interscope Records to take advantage of the fervor surrounding Eminem’s film debut 8 Mile.
And while that show’s results would prove less than satisfactory, future efforts have produced genuine stars. Jermaine Dupri’s The Rap Game, which aired on Lifetime from 2016-2019, is notable for launching the career of Latto, as well as featuring future standouts like Flau’Jae. Meanwhile, Netflix’s Rhythm+Flow saw the rise and breakout of D Smoke, who went on to receive a Grammy nomination for his debut album Black Habits. The show is set to return in 2024.
Reality
As much as reality shows are looked down on as “trash TV,” there’s no denying their popularity — or their ability to share details of our favorite entertainers’ lives. Growing Up Hip Hop chronicles the lives of second-generation hip-hop stars, while a whole bunch of stars, from Snoop Dogg to Rev Run, have their own shows about their respective family lives and the often wholesome bonds that maintain them throughout their hectic lives.
Of course, no hip-hop reality show is better known or more engrossing than Love & Hip-Hop, the long-running series chronicling the ins and outs of romance in the rap scenes of several major cities. While many come for the mess, the show is responsible — at least in part — for the rise of one of the most notable names in rap: Cardi B, who spent several seasons in the cast of Love & Hip Hop: New York, becoming a breakout fan favorite and giving her the launching platform for one of the most successful careers in rap for a woman ever.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
It was revealed a few days ago that Diddy (real name Sean Combs) is facing a sexual harassment and assault lawsuit filed against him by former collaborator Rodney “Lil Rod Madeit” Jones. Since then, some have made note that Meek Mill and Usher appear to be referenced in the lawsuit.
Why Was Meek Mill Mentioned In A New Diddy Lawsuit?
Mill is not directly mentioned in the lawsuit. However, one excerpt from it reads, “Mr. Combs informed Mr. Jones that he had engaged in sexual intercourse with rapper[5] (REDACTED), R&B singer[6] (REDACTED), and Stevie J.” This is according to a report from XXL, which obtained a copy of the lawsuit, and also according to a video of internet personality DJ Akademiks looking over the actual lawsuit. The footnote for 5 reads, “He is a Philadelphia Rapper who dated Nicki Minaj,” and the footnote for 6 says, “He performed at the Superbowl and had a successful Vegas residency.”
Some people connected the dots and came to the conclusion that the notes seem to identify Meek and Usher as the redacted names.
In a statement shared with XXL, Diddy’s attorney Shawn Holley responded to the suit, saying, “Lil Rod is nothing more than a liar who filed a $30 million lawsuit shamelessly looking for an undeserved payday. His reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines. We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies. Our attempts to share this proof with Mr. Jones’ attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, have been ignored, as Mr. Blackburn refuses to return our calls. We will address these outlandish allegations in court and take all appropriate action against those who make them.”
Ja Rule has responded to 50 Cent trolling him for being denied entry to the United Kingdom. He announced that his Sunrise Tour was in jeopardy due to his criminal past in a statement on social media, earlier this week. His longtime rival 50 Cent quickly began making jokes at his expense.
“Hahahahahaha I did not have nothing to do with this b*tch not getting in. LOL,” 50 wrote in one post. In another, he added: “LMAO. I got juice all over the place sucker!” Rule eventually tagged 50 on Twitter in response: “@50cent N***a you p*ssy shut up…”
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 06: Ja Rule attends the 2023 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards at LIV Nightclub at Fontainebleau Miami on September 06, 2023 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Ivan Apfel/Getty Images)
Ja Rule explained his situation in a lengthy post on Twitter on Tuesday, just days ahead of when the tour was scheduled to begin. “I’m so devastated I can’t believe the UK won’t let me in,” he wrote. “I’ve spent a half million dollars in production of my own money to put this tour together only to be denied entry DAYS before my shows this is not fair to me or my fans these venues are 85% sold and now I can’t come. The UK is one of the few European countries that restricts entry to people with criminal records. In general, you will likely be denied entry if you have been convicted of a crime punishable by 23 months or more under British law or served more than 12 months in prison.” Check out Rule’s response to 50 Cent below.
As of Wednesday, tickets for the tour are not available. It’s unclear if Rule will find a way to go ahead with the shows. Be on the lookout for further updates on Ja Rule and 50 Cent on HotNewHipHop.
A cryptic tweet from Angel Reese has led fans to deduce that she is preparing to announce whether she will return to LSU next year or declare for the WNBA. “Should I stay, should I go? I don’t know,” Reese tweeted over a tribute video posted about her upcoming senior day on March 3. The quote stems from the 1998 track “I Don’t Know” from Keb’ Mo’. Reese has one more year of college eligibility and is one of the nation’s top NIL earners.
In ESPN‘s most recent WNBA mock draft, Michael Voepel projected Reese going sixth overall to the Washington Mystics. This was a slight rise from the eighth overall pick Voepel originally had Reese at. However, this was less due to Reese’s play and more because of external factors. Reese, who has been playing well, was always going to rise after Paige Bueckers announced that she would remain at UConn next season.
Meanwhile, Angel Reese became the sixth LSU WBB player to score 2000 points as she surpassed the mark in a dominant win over Tennessee. Reese joined Joyce Walker, Seimone Augustus, Julie Gross, Cornelia Grayden, and Sylvia Fowles in the exclusive club. Reese began her career at Maryland, where she scored 719 points. However, she is now forever linked with the Tigers. Reese’s mark stands at 2006 after scoring 11 against the Volunteers.
Reese and LSU are second in the SEC. However, that is as close to a regular season title as they will get this season after South Carolina guaranteed themselves that honor with a win over Kentucky. Instead, Reese and company will look to finish out the season against Georgia and Kentucky before turning their attention to the SEC tournament and then, a March Madness tournament they will enter as defending champions. LSU is currently a four-seed in ESPN‘s latest bracketology.
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