celebrity news
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Westside Gunn is staying true to tradition of releasing a new project every Halloween. The MC says 11 is his most personal project ever.
It seems the Buffalo, N.Y., native is looking to close out 2024 strong. Every year his fans expect him to release something new on the spooky unofficial holiday, and he did not disappoint. 11 features five new tracks all produced by Denny Laflare. With no guest appearances from other rappers, this effort is all Gunn as he prepares this loyal fanbase for the release of his new album Still Praying, which is scheduled to drop Friday (Nov. 1). According to the press release, FLYGOD deems this project as his most personal yet. “11 is the most personal project I ever made, it’s dedicated to my brother who was killed in April, but narrated by my brother who has life in prison fighting to come home,” Gunn explains. “This is the reality for Westside Gunn.”
“Stone” opens things up with a drop from late great DJ Kay Slay and transitions to a slow but grim instrumental. Here Gunn catches up with his friend Donald “Sly” Green, who is serving four life sentences. From there we get a return to the classic Griselda sound with “Unkle Howdy” and “Cain Tejada.” Additionally, we get a verse from Griselda’s in-house poet Keisha Plum on “BIG DUMP BALLAD.” You can purchase and stream Westside Gunn’s 11 here.
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It seems Clipse fans will not have to wait much longer for their new project. The group has signed with Def Jam Records for their new album.
As reported by Hypebeast, the Virginia Beach, Va., duo are officially back. On Tuesday (Oct. 29), Malice took to social media to share the news in a tongue-in-cheek way. In the post we see the man born Eugene Thorton standing in front of a digital sign that says “DEF JAM WELCOMES CLIPSE.” The caption read, “A picture’s worth….” While the label has yet to formally confirm the signing, the move would make sense as his brother Pusha T is already signed to Def Jam Records as a solo artist. Additionally, King Push served as president of Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music, which is an imprint of the historic Rap label.
Originally announced in June during an interview with Vulture, the two blood brothers confirmed Pharrell Williams would be producing the entirety of Let God Sort Em Out. “Pharrell producing everything is also an ode to the type of music and the type of albums we want to make. We still want to make full bodies of work. These are movies, man. These aren’t just songs. This isn’t just a collection of joints we went in and banged out. This is tedious,” Pusha T said. Since then, Nas, John Legend and Stove God Cooks have also been confirmed as guest appearances.
Let God Sort Em Out marks the Clipse’s fourth album and first effort in over 15 years.
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Tekashi 6ix9ine is back behind the bars. The rapper turned federal informant has been arrested for violating the terms of his supervised release.
As spotted on TMZ, the Brooklyn, N.Y., native was taken into custody Tuesday (Oct. 29), in New York City. According to NBC News a warrant for his arrest was issued by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. While details of the paperwork have yet to be publicly disclosed, ABC News NY reports that authorities have confirmed that the “GOOBA” performer was detained because he traveled to Las Vegas without permission and missed his scheduled drug testing. He is also said to have tested positive for methamphetamine and arrived an hour late to his court hearing that same morning.
Tekashi 6ix9ine told the judge that he had just flown back to New York City from Florida and overslept. Additionally, he said that he traveled to Las Vegas to perform and thought he had permission to do since it allows him to earn a living as a music artist. In response to testing positive for methamphetamine the man born Daniel Hernandez says he takes Adderall, which contains methamphetamine. “I’m human,” he said to Judge Paul A. Engelmayer. “I’m human bro.”
The magistrate made it clear he was not pleased and said his behavior displays a “full spectrum disregard for the law” and promptly ordered he be arrested. Tekashi 6ix9ine is set to sit behind bars until his next hearing on Nov. 12.
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Nicky Jam, a popular Reggaeton artist, was one of many Donald Trump’s celebrity supporters who hit the stump with the presidential hopeful. After a series of tasteless jokes were delivered at a recent rally held by Donald Trump in New York, Nicky Jam is now walking back his endorsement of the former president.
Just last month, Nicky Jam was a proud Donald Trump supporter and appeared onstage with him while sporting a Make America Great Again cap. However, comedian Tony Hinchliffe unleashed jokes at the expense of Puerto Rico, referring to the island as “garbage” along with other racially charged barbs.
Taking to Instagram and speaking in Spanish, Nicky Jam denounced Hinchliffe’s insults then explained to his fans that he supported Trump due to concerns over the economy and thought as a businessman, he would improve conditions for all economically.
“I believed it was what’s best for the economy in the United States, where a lot of Latinos live [A] lot of immigrants that are suffering over the state of the economy,” Jam said. “With [Trump] being a businessman, I felt it was the right movement.”
Below, we’re sharing the video Nicky Jam posted to his Instagram page. The comments for the clip have been turned off, however, so we’re not certain how his statements were received among his 43.5 million followers.
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Metro Boomin is currently facing a lawsuit from a woman who claims that the producer allegedly raped and impregnated her in 2016 after meeting him on a chance meeting in Las Vegas. According to the attorney for Metro Boomin, this is nothing more than a money grab for the accuser.
TMZ first reported about the lawsuit filed against Metro Boomin and the details are as follows. According to the filing, the woman says that she met Metro in Las Vegas while on a getaway vacation following the passing of her 9-month-old son.
According to the documents, a woman named Vanessa LeMaistre claims that she hung out with Metro at his recording studio in Los Angeles and said she allegedly saw the producer downing codeine. From what we understand of the report, LeMaistre says she was at the studio in September 2016 and took Xanax and a shot of alcohol but later said she lost consciousness.
LeMaistre added in her claim that when she awoke, she was in a bed with Metro allegedly raping her along with performing other sexual acts. LeMaistre says she passed out once more and was inside a Beverly Hills hotel room but didn’t remember how she managed to get inside the establishment. LeMaistre says she discovered that she was pregnant after the assault and said that Metro was the father but terminated the pregnancy in November 2016.
In an update to TMZ’s initial report, Metro Boomin’s attorney offered a statement on the lawsuit.
From TMZ:
According to Metro Boomin’s (real name Leland Wayne) lawyer Lawrence Hinkle II of Sanders Roberts LLP tells TMZ … “This is a pure shakedown. These are false accusations. Mr. Wayne refused to pay her months ago, and he refuses to pay her now. Mr. Wayne will defend himself in court. He will file a claim for malicious prosecution once he prevails.”
Metro Boomin has yet to respond publicly beyond this statement.
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Ray J, we’re to take Vince Staples‘ word for it, might be one of the most important figures within the culture although that is an arguable point. However, Ray J’s cache in the game almost took a literal hit after he allegedly almost got into some fisticuffs with three of Diddy‘s children with Chris Brown reportedly breaking up the beef.
According to a TMZ report, Ray J was in attendance at Tara Electra’s Unruly Agency Halloween party last weekend with King Combs aka Christian Combs, Justin Combs, and Quincy Brown.
Sources speaking directly with the outlet say that when the party was over, Ray J was making his exit to to the parking lot with an entourage that included Amber Rose and his manager David Weintraub. However, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sons allegedly stopped him in his tracks. Recent comments made by the “One Wish” singer regarding Diddy didn’t sit well with his sons and they allegedly surrounded him.
Of the three, Justin and King really wanted to get it on like Waingro in the parking lot but Chris Brown witnessed the argument from his vehicle then hopped out of his ride and helped settle things with Ray J’s manager.
Apparently, this isn’t the first time the Combs brothers tried to step to Ray’s business, and from the looks of things, it might not be the last.
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For all the noise and hoopla he’s made in the previous years, Kanye West has been keeping an uncharacteristic low profile in this election cycle, which has a few people wondering, “Where in the world is Kanye West?” (besides walking everywhere with his wife, mostly).
Well, according to TMZ, Yeezy can now be found in Beverly Hills. Looking for a fresh start after selling his Malibu estate for $21 million, Yeezy dropped a whopping $35 million on a home in the gated community of Beverly Park North. Keep in mind that Kanye dropped $57 million on the beachfront Malibu mansion only to strip it down and attempt to turn it into a bomb shelter. Ultimately, that didn’t happen, and Ye ended up taking a $36 million loss on the sale.
Luckily for him, he’s still pretty rich. So dropping another $35 million on a new home isn’t a problem for him.
Per TMZ:
Kanye’s new crib comes with all the bells and whistles … including an entertainment pavilion connected to the main house and a pool area that looks straight out of a resort … with cascading waterfalls and separate pools for swimming laps or soaking, plus a pool house and a gazebo.
There’s also a paddle tennis court on the grounds.
Yeezy may have gotten a sweet deal here … because Honey co-founder George Ruan paid $44 million last week for a property in the same neighborhood.
What’s the chances he strips this one down too only to sell it for less than what he bought it at some point in the future? We’d say a little likely, but hey, that’s just us.
What do y’all think of Kanye splurging on a brand new home in Beverly Hills? Let us know in the comments section below.
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For a man known to have taken nine shots to his body back in 2000, 50 Cent really dodged a bullet this past Sunday (Oct. 27).
With Donald Trump’s now-infamous Nazi rally in Madison Square Garden having made headlines for all the wrong (but expected) reasons, 50 Cent has revealed that the Trump campaign contacted him in an effort to have him perform at the controversial event. After the “attempted assassination” of Donald Trump back in July, the Trump campaign began to introduce Trump at events with 50 Cent’s “Many Men” playing in the background. Hoping to get 50 Cent to actually perform the song at the rally in New York City, Trump’s team offered 50 Cent a cool $3 million to sway him to partake in the hate rally.
Luckily for him, 50 Cent turned the offer down.
Talking to The Breakfast Club, 50 Cent said, “I didn’t even go far… I didn’t talk to them about that kinda stuff. I’m afraid about politics. You understand? I do not like no part about them.” Furthering expanding on his decision to stay away from the political spectrum of society, 50 said, “It’s because when you do get involved in it, no matter how you feel, some one passionately disagrees with you. That’s the formula for the confusion that sent Kanye to Japan… He said something about both of those things — and now he can only go to Japan.”
Wise choice.
But this isn’t the first time the Trump campaign has tried to get 50 Cent to join their team.
Back in 2017, when Donald Trump was about to be inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States, his team offered 50 a bag to perform at the inauguration ceremony. He turned it down but Chrisette Michele accepted the gig, and we all saw how well that went for her on social media. Then they tried to book the Get Rich or Die Tryin’ for this year’s Republican National Convention, and he once again said no.
Say what you want about 50 Cent, but at least he has the foresight to steer clear of controversial appearances in the political arena.
What do y’all think of 50 Cent not getting involved in politics? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Lil Durk, one of the more successful rappers to emerge from Chicago’s Drill scene, was arrested late last week in Florida and subsequently charged with murder for hire. In the days since Lil Durk’s arrest, details surrounding the case have emerged and what was revealed was shocking.
Lil Durk, real name Durk Devontay Banks, was arrested on October 24 by the U.S. Marshals Service while he was en route to board a plane that was heading to Italy. Local Miami outlet WSVN obtained a copy of the 11-page criminal complaint that lays out all of the details and allegations of the murder-for-hire plot that targeted rival rapper Quando Rondo but resulted in the death of Rondo’s cousin, Lul Pab.
With Durk singled out as the mastermind of the murder plot, the criminal complaint goes into greater detail about how the investigation developed and ensnared not only the rapper but also members of his Only The Family (OTF) collective.
According to the authorities, Lil Durk is allegedly the designated leader of OTF, which they say operated as a gang and carried out violent acts under his command. The complaint points back to the murder of Dayvon “King Von” Bennett, who was shot and killed on November 6, 2020, by an affiliate of Quando Rondo after an altercation went left.
The complaint states that Durk placed a bounty on Rondo around the time of Von’s passing. Durk reportedly worked alongside fellow suspects Kavon London Grant, Deandre Dontrell Wilson, Keith Jones, David Brian Lindsey, and Asa Houston, who all discovered that Rondo was housed at a Los Angeles hotel around August 18, 2022.
Grant used a card owned by Durk which was connected to the OTF record label operations, booking flights to California and obtaining rental cars. Durk wrote in a text exchange with Grant to not book any flights for anyone connected to the rapper. Durk and Grant flew into Los Angeles before the August 19, 2022 shooting of Lul Pab with Rondo being the chief target. The other suspects flew commercial from Chicago to Los Angeles.
Grant, Wilson, Jones, Lindsey, and Houston were arrested before Durk, which tipped the OTF honcho off to book a pair of international flights to Dubai and Switzerland, but Durk never appeared for those flights. The attempted flight to Italy from Miami is when the U.S. Marshals Service tracked Durk down and brought him in for booking.
In a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California via the Justice.gov website, authorities have placed their sights squarely on Durk and his co-defendants.
From Justice.gov:
“Mr. Banks is charged with orchestrating a cold-blooded murder that resulted in the death of a rival’s family member,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Not only that, the shooting occurred in the open, at a gas station at a busy intersection, endangering many others in the area. Violent gun crime of this sort is devastating to our community and we will have zero-tolerance for those who perpetrate such callous acts of violence.”
“The apprehension of Mr. Banks as he attempted to leave the United States is once again proof that the FBI and our extraordinary partners at the Los Angeles Police Department have a long reach” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “No excuse can justify this violent act and let me be clear: While you’re going about your life, thinking you ‘got away with it,’ the FBI is piecing together the facts that will serve as your undoing.”
Lil Durk will have a pre-detention hearing but the date has not been set.
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A$AP Rocky will have to fight for his freedom one more time. He is set to stand trail next year for allegedly shooting at A$AP Relli.
As reported by The Associated Press, the Harlem native will have to clear his name in a court of law. This week, it was confirmed his trial for allegedly shooting at his former collaborator and group member will start in 2025. A judge slotted Jan. 21 as to when the jury selection will commence. The proceedings were originally scheduled to start next month, but A$AP Rocky’s lawyer Joe Tacopina had requested it be postponed so the “Praise The Lord” rapper can perform at the Rolling Loud festival in Thailand. Judge Mark S. Arnold has also confirmed that the proceedings will be recorded by video cameras saying, “I believe that the public deserves to see what goes on in the courtroom.”
On Nov. 6, 2021 it is alleged that A$AP Rocky fired shots at Terell Ephron, aka A$AP Relli, in Hollywood, Calif. According to TMZ, Relli took the stand during a preliminary hearing regarding the alleged assault. He revealed the two were childhood friends, but their relationship started to strain once A$AP Rocky gained global popularity. He went on to admit that he started resenting the rapper after some broken promises were made to help his family. On the fateful day of Nov. 6, 2021, he says Rocky called him and asked to meet at a Los Angeles hotel. Relli thought the meet-up was a chance for them to put their differences behind them, but instead he says Pretty Flacko pulled up with several men and put a gun to his stomach saying, “I’ll kill you right now.” After separating Relli says several gunshots were fired his way with one of them striking his hand.
A$AP Rocky has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault with a firearm. You can watch surveillance footage from the incident below.