djfrosty

Sneaker Destination Stadium Goods Is Closing Up Shop In New York City

HipHopWired Featured Video
Stadium Goods interior

Source: Stadium Goods / Stadium Goods

Bad news for sneaker hustlers as the resell game has taken yet another hit with the announcement that consignment store Stadium Goods is closing up shop at its New York City location.

According to Footwear News, one of the few secondary sneaker markets with an impeccable reputation for selling authentic sneakers has decided to close their doors in the Big Apple after almost 10 years in the game. Senior Vice President and General Manager, Michael Daniel, told Footwear News of their plan to close down their location in Lower Manhattan and focus more on the digital side of the game as he feels that’s where they get most of their business.

Footwear News reports:

“The lease term was coming up and we decided not to renew,” Daniel told FN. “Our business is primarily through digital channels, so that’s where Stadium Goods is focusing investment to drive growth. But in the meantime, we’re planning to transform our market center at 412 Broadway so that we can both intake new products from sellers and offer an elevated retail experience in the same space.”

The sneaker consignment company’s Howard Street store — which quickly became a haven for coveted and hard-to-find sneakers — is positioned in the heart of NYC’s SoHo neighborhood. The store opened for business on Oct. 16., 2015, and seven years later, Stadium Goods renovated the locationin February 2022. The updates included the addition of an entrance at 305 Canal St. and an expansion to 2,860 square feet of space for people to shop.

This is just more evidence that the sneaker resale game isn’t what it used to be just a few years ago. With all kinds of Nike and Jordan grails releasing only to brick upon arrival. Meanwhile, brands like Saucony, Hoka, New Balance, adidas and Samba’s are becoming the new go-to sneakers for the everyday person, investing in kicks isn’t the safe bet it used to be not too long ago. Heck, even Crocs seem to be more popular these days than the latest Nike SB Dunk releases.

What do y’all think about Stadium Goods closing up shop in NYC? Let us know in the comments section below.

Jim Jones Responds To 50 Cent Hinting He Was An Informant

HipHopWired Featured Video
Jim Jones

Source: Bernard Beanz Smalls / Bernard Beanz Smalls,

We are not even two weeks into 2025 and Jim Jones has already gone viral. Capo has responded to 50 Cent after the Queens rapper hinted he was an informant.

As spotted on HipHopDX the Harlem native has clapped back at 50 Cent after the G-Unit honcho took a jab at him. Earlier this week footage from Justin Laboy’s Respectfully podcast relaunch hit the internet. On this episode, Jim Jones had some choice words to say when asked about why he performed at a G-Unit show while Cam’ron and 50 Cent had Rap beef.

“Them n***as be on my d*ck,” Jim responded. “Them n***as ain’t got nothing else to think about but Capo. I did a lot for them n***as in their life, ya heard? Both of them. Pause, though. Get off my d*ck! It’s only space on there for baby girl. Come on, man. Tugging on my sh*t like that.”

Naturally, this landed on 50 Cent’s radar prompting him to respond in signature petty fashion.

On Thursday, Jan. 9 Curtis took to Instagram hinting that the “We Fly High” rapper played an informant role in the Tekashi 6ix9ne case. The post features a transcript of a conversation between Mel Matrix and Jim Jones (labeled “Individual 1”) as the two discuss how Tekashi should be reprimanded for betraying the Nine Trey Bloods set. In essence, 50 Cent is hinting that Jim Jones might have cooperated with the police since his name is in the paperwork but he was not sentenced to any jail time.

That same day Jim Jones posted a throwback photo of himself at the height of Byrd Gang era. “Why u keep on lying why u keep on lying ? lol I’m goin back to sleep ?

Free Mel matrix till it’s reversed” the caption read.

50 Cent has yet respond.

Timothée Chalamet to Pull Double Duty on ‘Saturday Night Live’ as Host & Musical Guest

Timothée Chalamet has hosted Saturday Night Live before, but for him, the musical guest slot has remained a complete unknown — until now.

As announced Friday (Jan. 10), the actor will return to 30 Rock on Jan. 25 for his third time hosting the NBC comedy series, this time serving as his own musical guest. Chalamet is fresh off portraying one of music’s greatest living legends, Bob Dylan, in James Mangold’s biopic of the folk-rock star, A Complete Unknown. The Dune actor did all of his own vocals for the project.

Chalamet first appeared on SNL in 2020. Three years later, he hosted the program again, spawning one particularly memorable sketch in which he portrayed Troye Sivan in the form of a sleep-paralysis hallucination.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The week prior to Chalamet’s upcoming hosting stint, GloRilla will make her musical guest debut on SNL‘s Jan. 18 episode. Dave Chappelle will helm the show that week, marking the stand-up comedian’s fourth time as host.

Trending on Billboard

The news comes almost three months after the release of the Memphis rapper’s debut solo album, Glorious, which reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200. The project spawned the single “TGIF,” which peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, Glo’s highest-reaching unaccompanied entry on the chart.

SNL is currently on its 50th season, with a special anniversary episode planned for Feb. 16. Ariana Grande, Charli XCX, John Mulaney, Chris Rock, Martin Short and more have also hosted episodes this season, while Hozier, Gracie Abrams, Stevie Nicks and more stars have served as musical guests.

‘Wicked’ Star Cynthia Erivo Says She Wants To Play Storm In The MCU’s ‘X-Men’

HipHopWired Featured Video
2025 National Board Of Review Gala

Source: TheStewartofNY / Getty

Even with all the hype behind Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, Marvel fans know we’re still a ways away from seeing the MCU version of the X-Men come to fruition, but already, up-and-coming movie star, Cynthia Erivo is campaigning for a big role in Marvel’s upcoming Mutant Saga.

According to Newsweek, the Wicked star is monitoring Marvel Studios’ new adaptation of your favorite superhero mutant team and has stated that she’d love nothing more than to play Ororo Monroe aka Storm and feels like she can add more depth to the character than we’ve seen in previous iterations of film. Telling the National Board of Review that she’d “really love to play Storm,” Erivo added that the Marvel character has more to offer than just controlling the weather and flying around in the sky.

Per Newsweek:

“I know it sounds frivolous but I don’t think we’ve uncovered how grand she is and all of the inner turmoil that she has. So I think there’s a world in which we could do something like that.”

Storm was last played by Alexandra Shipp in 2019’s X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Shipp’s unlikely to reprise the role, however, and that’s for several reasons. The film was a box office bomb, grossing just $252 million worldwide on a $200 million production budget and losing a reported $133 million, as per Deadline Hollywood. Mixed reviews didn’t help.

Yeah, those last few X-Men films were hella struggle. Even the makeup used to turn Jennifer Lawrence into Mystique seemed like something they picked up at Party City or something. Just horrible.

While we don’t know which actors will be tapped to take on the roles of your favorite mutants, it seems like a pretty safe bet that Ryan Reynolds will be returning as Deadpool for the Mutant Saga, and there’s word that Hugh Jackman will indeed be the MCU’s Wolverine for the foreseeable future as well. Age be damned!

Whether or not Channing Tatum is able to hold onto his role as Gambit is the big question mark here. Fans loved his take on the character in Deadpool & Wolverine, and there’s even rumors that he turned a few Marvel executives into believers as well.

Guess we’ll just have to wait and see what Marvel decides to do after Avengers: Secret Wars wraps up.

What do y’all think about Cynthia Erivo possibly being cast as Storm? Should someone else be considered? Let us know in the comments section below.

Kodak Black Thinks Rap Might Turn On Him: ‘They Gonna Try to Do Me Like Drake’

Kodak Black is worried rap fans will turn on him eventually.

During a recent Instagram Live session, the Florida rapper revealed that he feels a “Hate Kodak campaign” is in his future. “One day these n—s gon’ try to do me like Drake,” he said referring to the blowback the Toronto rapper has suffered since losing his battle with Kendrick Lamar. “Whole little hate Kodak campaign. Everybody who hate Kodak to the left. You see these n—s campaigning and sh—t.”

While Kodak was somewhat incoherent soon after, we were able to make out him saying, “I’m a great friend, but I ain’t friendly.” We’re not exactly sure what he was referring to, but Kodak has a history with both Lamar and Drake. Kodak was featured on the Compton MC’s 2022’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers as a narrator of sorts, something Kendrick was criticized for given Kodak’s long legal history, which includes a first-degree assault charge after an incident with a teenage girl in a hotel room in 2016.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Drake, on the other hand, has referred to Kodak as his favorite rapper, at least according to Kodak himself. This past December, during another IG Live, he said, “I’m Drake’s favorite rapper. He always says that. Even his people always say that,” as he paced around a living room. “It don’t make no sense how Kendrick Lamar beat you to it, you know what I mean,” he then said in reference to his appearance on Mr. Morale. Kodak then mentioned the $600,000 in Bitcoin Drake allegedly sent him. “I get why he sent all that money now. That’s why he sent that out of nowhere like that.”

Trending on Billboard

The “No Flockin’” rapper was also upset with Drake over 2022’s Her Loss because he decided to do the project with 21 Savage instead of him. “I had told Drake I ain’t wanna do no collab actually,” he revealed during yet another Instagram Live. “No songs or no album, ’cause we supposed to been did a whole album together before him and lil buddy did that sh—t.” Adding, “I had told him I wanted to wait, like 2023, after February.”

Lil Baby’s ‘My Turn’ is the Longest Charting Rap Album of the 2020s

HipHopWired Featured Video
Lil Baby's

Source: Prince Williams / Getty

WHAM keeps racking up them W’s. Lil Baby’s My Turn has officially earned the title of the longest-charting rap album of the 2020s, cementing its place in hip-hop history. Released on February 28, 2020, the album quickly became a cultural phenomenon, dominating the charts and capturing the essence of the era with its blend of hard-hitting rap and melodic flows. The album produced massive hits like “Woah,” “Sum 2 Prove,” and “The Bigger Picture,” which not only defined Baby’s career but also resonated deeply with fans during a turbulent time in the world.

Since its release, My Turn has remained a fixture on the Billboard 200, staying in the top 10 for over a year and charting for well over 100 weeks, a feat few rap albums can match. This level of longevity reflects its widespread appeal and the connection Lil Baby built with his audience through raw lyrics and relatable themes.

The success of My Turn is a testament to Lil Baby’s consistency and ability to create music that transcends time, touching on personal struggles, societal issues, and the hustle to make it out. As the longest-charting rap album of the 2020s, it solidifies Baby’s place as one of the biggest artists of his generation. Some other accolades the ATL rapper racked up were:

  • Longest charting rap album of the 2020s
  • Most weeks at #1 of any rap album in the 2020s
  • 19 songs charted on the Hot 100 simultaneously
  • Highest-selling rap album of the 2020s in the US
  • Only rap album to spend its first four years in the top 100 on Billboard
  • Most gold and platinum songs of ANY rap album in history (25)
  • Only rap album this decade to sell 2m+ copies in a single calendar year (2020)

Friday Dance Music Guide: The Week’s Best New Tracks From Anyma & Ellie Goulding, Tokimonsta & More

This week in dance music: We’re easing back into the year amid the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, taking a bit of comfort in music. These are the best new dance tracks of the week.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Anyma & Ellie Goulding, “Hypnotized”

Anyma clocked one of the splashiest new music rollouts in recent memory, with the Italian American producer debuting his latest track “Hypnotized” live during his Sphere residency on Dec. 29. Ellie Goulding captivated in the corresponding visuals, which also serve as the song’s music video, and appeared live at the Las Vegas venue to perform the song, an urgent dance-pop earworm with a chassis made from techno, which has long been Anyma’s core genre both in his solo work and with his output as one half of Tale of Us. Out via Interscope, the track, a press release states “marks the beginning of a new chapter for Anyma through numerous mediums and an array of special guests.” Anyma’s final shows at Sphere happen this weekend, Jan. 10-11.

Tokimonsta, “Feel It”

Trending on Billboard

After postponing the release date of her seventh studio album last fall, Tokimonsta has announced the project, Eternal Reverie, is now coming March 7 on her Young Art label. The news comes in tandem with the project’s latest single “Feel It,” a vibey collab with Los Angeles-based hip-hop trio grouptherapy which emanates the same deeply cool mood as the album’s previously released tracks.

Nora En Pure, “Protected”

Nora En Pure releases the sonic equivalent of a hug with her latest, “Protected.” The Swiss/South African producer has always had a special gift with making emotionally resonant music, with “Protected” offering a sense of both uplift, comfort and safety. The track is out on Enormous Tunes, and Nora En Pure is on tour in the U.S. now through the end of the month.

Damian Lazarus feat. Jem Cooke, “Searchin’”

Before his annual Day Zero festival starts in Tulum this weekend, Damian Lazarus releases his fifth studio album, Magickal. The eight-song project features collaborations with Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Fink and more, with ever-reliable British vocalist Jem Cooke guesting on the slinky “Searchin’.” Lazarus will play Day Zero on Jan. 11 alongside producers including Carlita, Major League DJz, DJ Harvey, Fatboy Slim, Dubfire and more.

deadmau5, “Jupiter”

Originally written in 2017, deadmau5’s “Jupiter” contains, as its name implies, a deep space quality, with the corresponding video featuring the song’s namesake planet (the biggest in the solar system) itself. The Canadian producer has quickly responded to the Los Angeles fires, today releasing a limited edition T-shirt in collaboration with Blackcraft Cult, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.

Donald Trump Officially The First Convicted Felon As POTUS

HipHopWired Featured Video
Donald Trump mug shot

Source: Fulton County Jail / Fulton County Sheriff’s Office

President-elect Donald Trump was officially sentenced in federal court to an unconditional discharge in New York, after the Supreme Court denied his last-ditch appeal.

On Friday morning (Jan. 10), Donald Trump became the first person to officially be a convicted felon who will serve as president of the United States. The president-elect was sentenced to an unconditional discharge by the U.S. District Court Judge Juan Merchan in New York City, having lost his emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court in a decision on Thursday night (Jan. 9). The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to deny Trump’s appeal, with Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Amy Coney Barrett, and Ketanji Brown Jackson composing the majority vote.

Trump and his lawyer, Todd Blanche, virtually attended the sentencing from Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.

Joshua Steinglass, a prosecutor with the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, reiterated the details of the conviction that Trump received last May in the “hush money” trial. Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to hide their affair. Steinglass blasted Trump for his stream of attacks, saying that he deems himself above the law. “This defendant has caused enduring damage to public perception of the criminal justice system and has placed officers of the court in harm’s way,” Steinglass stated.

Trump was allowed to speak, and as expected, he claimed he was unfairly convicted in a rambling speech for 10 minutes. “This has been a very terrible experience. I think it’s been a tremendous setback for the system and New York,” he began. He would go on to say that his winning the presidential election showed the conviction was unjust. “I was treated very, very unfairly, and I thank you very much,” he concluded. Judge Merchan then began to speak, laying out the reasons for his decision citing the “unique and remarkable set of circumstances.”

The judge noted that “Donald Trump the ordinary citizen, Donald Trump the criminal defendant” would not have had the same punishment and reminded him that his upcoming presidential term shielded him from the more serious consequences, which made Trump visibly wince according to reporting from the courtroom. He then issued the sentence of an unconditional discharge, meaning that Trump would not receive jail time or be fined, and wished him “Godspeed” before concluding the hearing.

Trump and Obama’s Conversation At Jimmy Carter’s Funeral Sparks Online Talk

HipHopWired Featured Video

CLOSE

State Funeral Held In Washington DC For Former President Jimmy Carter

Source: Chip Somodevilla / Getty

Footage of former President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump in conversation at the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter set social media buzzing, wondering about what took place.

On Thursday (January 9), the state funeral service for former President Jimmy Carter took place at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. As befitting the occasion, all of the former living presidents were in attendance including President-elect Donald Trump, who sat next to former President Barack Obama in the first two rows at the cathedral. Trump being near Obama caught the attention of many who tuned in to the broadcast of the funeral.

Observers noted that the two were cordial, with Obama listening to Trump and even cracking a smile here and there. It was a sight, considering the two have been publicly at odds with each other. In last year’s presidential campaign, when Obama was stumping for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, he famously attacked Trump in speeches at her rallies. Others noticed that former First Lady Michelle Obama was not at the service, while former First Lady Melania Trump sat to her husband’s left, visibly in a mood. Representatives for Mrs. Obama sent a statement saying: “Mrs. Obama sends her thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from the remarkable former president.”  They confirmed that she is in Hawai’i on an extended vacation, but did not offer insight on if she would be back to attend Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

The scene had many on social media in heightened conversation, with some belittling Obama for being cordial. Many more praised Obama for being the person deflecting Trump’s attention from everyone else who visibly did not want to speak to him – the most glaring example came as Trump greeted his former Vice President, Mike Pence, and his wife Karen Pence didn’t even move to greet him. Trump had attacked Pence in the hours before the January 6th attack on the Capitol building four years ago, where rioters had planned to hang Pence. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the “Wu-Tang Is For The Children” account noted how former President George W. Bush gave Obama a familial “belly tap” as he passed by to sit down next to him with former First Lady Laura Bush.

‘Billboard Unfiltered’: Drake’s ‘Fighting Irish’ Freestyle, Lil Baby’s ‘WHAM’ & LiAngelo Ball’s ‘Tweaker’

2025 is already off to a fast start in the hip-hop/R&B world and Billboard Unfiltered is tackling it all in a jam-packed first week of the year.

Drake seemingly laid out his issues with LeBron James on the “Fighting Irish” freestyle while Lil Baby’s WHAM album arrived. LiAngelo Ball makes his case for rapper of 2025 with the viral “Tweaker” and the fellas take a few guesses at what Beyoncé has up her sleeve on Jan. 14.

Staff Writer Kyle Denis was a fan of Drake’s latest work with Conductor Williams, which he labeled “some of the greatest rapping we’ve heard from him in recent months.” However, he doesn’t think playing the victim role and taking it toward LeBron was the right move.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“I wouldn’t waste this on LeBron James right now,” Denis said. “It just feels like there’s more important things he needs to be addressing culturally within himself which he does talk about a little bit throughout the song. But LeBron? He’s still tatted on you, bro.”

Trending on Billboard

Carl Lamarre speculated that Drake has denied olive branches extended from LeBron to have a conversation.

“It was the best-received Drake song in a long time,” Damien Scott said. “I think people are thirsty for the Drake they love.”

Lil Baby returned with his WHAM album in what’s set to be a loaded 2025 for the 4PF rapper, and while there’s been mixed reaction to the LP on social media, Damien Scott believes Baby delivered in a major way with his latest output.

“I think it’s a good album,” he said. “It’s not my high-water mark album for him. I think coming off his last project, I think this is very strong. I think he’s regaining his footing.” Scott also told a story about hearing the project everywhere in the Atlanta airport this week while traveling. “That’s all you hear,” he proclaimed.

Nobody had LiAngelo Ball delivering the first rap moment of 2025 with his viral “Tweaker” track infiltrating NBA and NFL locker rooms and racking up millions of views as fans “bend that corner.”

With the third Ball brother breaking through and earning a slot at Rolling Loud, it’s a matter of how far he can parlay this momentum. “Sources say he’s going to have a busy [NBA] All-Star Weekend as well,” Lamarre added.

Still, charts expert Trevor Anderson says it’s nearly impossible to predict the trajectory of “Tweaker.” “It’s hard to tell five days in how much longtail this has,” Anderson said. “We like to criticize some of the institutions for not jumping on things… Why wouldn’t you jump on this thing that clearly people are interested in?”

Watch the full episode below.