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When it was announced that Kendrick Lamar would be headlining the next Super Bowl Halftime show in New Orleans, much of the Hip-Hop community was up in arms over the snub of Lil Wayne as many felt that the rap icon deserved to provide the entertainment segment of the big game in his hometown.
Interestingly enough, many of those screaming bloody murder turned out to be Drake fans who were still salty that the 6 Gawd took the massive L in his classic rap battle with Kung Fu Kenny and felt that Jay-Z was hating on Young Money artists in general with his choice. As it turns out it seems like Drake was actually given the opportunity to perform at a couple of Super Bowls over the years but turned the offer down each time.
In a recent interview on The Pivot Podcast, Steve Stoute touched on the topic of the artists chosen to perform at the Super Bowl during Jay-Z’s tenure with the NFL and revealed that though Hova and Drizzy have a small rivalry going on, Jay did offer the King of the North the opportunity to headline the big game not once, but twice, but Drake didn’t have any interest in taking on the task.
“I will confirm Drake was offered the Super Bowl twice. Drake did turn down the Super Bowl twice. And I’m sure if Drake would have said yes, he would have brought Lil Wayne out at some point,” Stoute said. “He probably would have brought out Nicki. Which is probably why she’s upset ’cause she’s not onstage. But Drake turned it down twice… He turned it down twice, which is fine. He didn’t want to do it. But nobody’s going to say, ‘Damn, why’d you turn it down? You could’ve got Lil Wayne on.’ Nobody’s going to connect that dot.”
Well, so much for that.
Drake headlining the Super Bowl would’ve been huge especially before the entire Kendrick Lamar rap battle that left him licking his wounds North of the border. Still, we’re sure he had his reasons as to why he didn’t want to accept the gig, and that’s his business.
As for people trying to slander Jay-Z for the acts he’s chosen over the years such as Rihanna and Usher, Steve Stoute isn’t here for the criticism Jay has to put up with as he feels that the rap legend is doing what someone in his position is supposed to do when having that much say-so in a board room.
“As far as I’m concerned, these artists are getting their flowers, and are getting their chance to perform on this stage — these Black artists, Hip-Hop and R&B artists — if it wasn’t for [Jay-Z], this wouldn’t be happening. So how could you come down and criticize this man like that?”
In the age of social media, nothing is ever good enough for everyone anymore. Just sayin’.
Check out Steve Stoute talk about the Super Bowl situation below, and let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
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Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson is one of the foremost minds when it comes to music history and will lend his expertise to bring attention to one of the greatest bands to ever exist. The Roots drummer, among other honorifics, was announced to direct a new documentary centered on the career of the legendary Earth Wind & Fire band.
Cleverly mentioning the new gig on the 21st of September, a callback to Earth Wind & Fire’s track that mentions the month, Questlove shared the message on his Instagram post that we’ll share below.
From IG:
Coming in 2025…..the definitive story of the elements…..
The story of how a band led by a genius from Chicago changed our way of thinking, our minds and our hearts
Having been baptized in the afrocentric joy river of this powerhouse unit, I’ve learned about them, I’ve learned about us & more importantly I’ve learned about and rediscovered myself in the process
I’m so excited to be directing a documentary preserving their positive but VERY vulnerable and real story of Soul, Self & Struggle
This is the story of joy, persistence, love, pain, magic and self discovery
This is Earth, Wind & Fire
According to a report from Variety, Earth Wind & Fire’s Philip Bailey, Verdine White, and Ralph Johnson shared in a statement, “We look forward to this in-depth journey of our band, and are so excited to have Questlove directing the documentary.”
This isn’t Questlove’s first time directing as he made his debut with the Academy Award-winning Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) film which also won a BAFTA Award, and the Sundance Grand Jury Prize among other honors.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: Halton Regional Police Service / Halton Regional Police Service
Days after Diddy was indicted for sex trafficking and is facing the possibility of life in prison, a rapper from Toronto has been hit with human trafficking charges and no, it’s not who you think it is.
According to CTV News, up and coming rapper Lady SB and five others have been taken into custody and charged for their roles in a human trafficking ring that was operating out of the Greater Toronto Area. Along with Lady SB (Sabrina Leite-Moniz), police also arrested Prince Munroe, aka “Casino Barnes,” Jamie Munroe, Jonathan Bennett and Shuwayne Mitchell. Along with human trafficking, Lady SB, Prince Munroe and Jamie Munroe have been hit with knowingly advertising sexual services, assault and other charges.
Both Bennett and Mitchell have been charged with one count of “procuring—exercise control.”
CTV News reports:
Halton Regional Police allege from September 2019 to September 2024, the accused coerced, deceived, manipulated, and used physical violence and psychological harm to “maintain control, direction of influence over the victims.” Officers did not specify how many victims were involved.
Following a five-month joint investigation with various services across the GTA, police identified five suspects and conducted five search warrants on Tuesday at various homes in Brampton and Toronto.
As a result, police arrested five suspects and seized a “large sum of cash,” a loaded firearm with ammunition and a prohibited magazine, a vehicle and victim identifying documents.
The suspects range in age from 25 to 35, and come from Brampton, Mississauga, Shelburne, Ont., and Courtice, Ont.
No word on how long Lady SB and her cohorts are facing behind bars, but if Diddy’s facing up to life in prison we can only assume they’ll be facing a long bid behind bars.
What do y’all think about this latest Hip-Hop related human trafficking bust? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Nelly burst onto the scene in 2000 with his debut album Country Grammar and rolled with the St. Lunatics group comprised of his childhood friends from his hometown of St. Louis. Nelly now faces a lawsuit alleging that he failed to credit the St. Lunatics for their hand in crafting his debut album.
As reported by Variety, Nelly, real name Cornell Haynes, is facing a copyright infringement for what the St. Lunatics say is uncredited and unpaid work that went into the making of Country Grammar.
The St. Lunatics collective includes Ali (Ali Jones), Murphy Lee (Torhi Harper), Kyjuan (Robert Kyjuan), and City Spud (Lavell Webb). The group filed the lawsuit earlier this week in New York federal court.
The outlet overlooked the lawsuit which said that Nelly and the St. Lunatics were friends since grade school and began writing songs together in the 1990s. They then signed separately to deals at Universal Music Group and the lawsuit claims that the St. Lunatics contributed heavily to Country Grammar. Their side said they tried to negotiate with Nelly regarding the crediting and were allegedly told things would move forward but in 2020, they discovered they were duped and that he took full credit for their work.
The St. Lunatics said they learned of their missing credits after Willie Woods Jr. filed a lawsuit in 2020 demanding royalties for his contributions to the hit single “Ride Wit Me” which opened the door for the latest legal actions. It appears that Nelly himself didn’t shoot down the St. Lunatics but instead, his legal representatives, which promoted the group to assert that the rapper never intended to give them proper credit.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty
It seems like Lil Reese just can’t help but attract legal troubles. The Chicago rapper is once again in hot water after allegedly putting hands on a woman.
Two months after the “Distance” rapper was booked on suspicion of rape in Los Angeles, TMZ is reporting that an arrest warrant has been issued for Lil Reese after he allegedly punched and choked his ex-girlfriend at a Texas strip club last week. The alleged assault took place at the Pinkhouse fka Barbie Nightclub around 6:30 a.m. when the woman in question was making her way out of the nightclub as Reese was entering the establishment.
Though the two had dated in the past, the woman wasn’t interested in rekindling the relationship as Reese apparently approached her in an amorous manner. That’s when things allegedly went left.
Per TMZ:
The woman claims she and Reese ended their relationship a month ago … after dating over a period of 2 months, and says she rejected him several times as he attempted to kiss her flirtatiously.According to the docs, the woman says Reese grew enraged once he realized his charm wasn’t working — and when the woman began to disengage from the situation, Reese allegedly punched her in the right cheek and applied pressure to her neck with both arms.The woman told cops she “was gasping for air” and was in fear for her life.
It wasn’t until a friend of hers saw what was going on and flagged security to intervene that the situation came to an end. After officers noticed the “fingernail scratches and redness along the victim’s throat,” an arrest warrant was issued for the “Come Outside” rapper.
TMZ reached out to Lil Reese’s attorney for comment but have yet to hear anything as of press time.
When will men learn that no means no? SMH.
What do y’all think about Lil Reese’s latest setback in life? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz
2024 has been a busy year for the toxic king, Future, as he not only helped kick off the battle between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, but also dropped two entire albums just weeks apart in the process.
Looking to keep his 2024 rolling, last week, Future announced that he’d be releasing a new mixtape dubbed Pluto near the end of September. Now, he’s dropped the track list for said project on social media. On Wednesday (Sept. 18), Future Hendrix took to Instagram and revealed the titles of his 17-deep project, and though it didn’t reveal any featured guest, you can bet you’ll be hearing from a few of his Hip-Hop peers joining come Sept. 20 when Pluto drops.
While we don’t expect anyone else suddenly starting off a classic rap battle based off of a guest appearance on Future’s mixtape, we’re sure whoever pops up will be bringing their “A” game on the upcoming project, which has some pretty interesting titles such as “Ready To Cook Up,” “Oath,” and “MJ.”
01. Teflon Don
02. Lil Demon
03. Ski
04. Ready To Cook Up
05. Plutoski
06. Too Fast
07. Ocean
08. Press The Button
09. MJ
10. Brazzier
11. South of France
12. Surfing A Tsunami
13. Made My Hoe Faint
14. Told My
15. Oath
16. Lost My Dog
17. Aye Say Gang
Should be interesting to see what kind of waves Future makes with his latest piece of work. Will he continue to take subliminal jabs at his rap rivals to get social media speculating? Will he play it cool and go about his business? Guess we’ll find out soon enough.
What will you be expecting from Future’s latest mixtape? Let us know in the comments section below.
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After much speculation, we now know who chose Kendrick Lamar for the Super Bowl Halftime Show. The show’s producer confirmed it was Jay-Z’s decision.
As spotted on Rap-Up, the culture now has better clarity on how the Compton, California, talent became the Super Bowl LIX headliner. This week, Variety spoke to event producer Jesse Collins, and the entertainment executive provided more context regarding the decision and why was Lil Wayne not chosen to perform in his hometown. “We love Wayne,” he said. “There’s always Vegas odds on who’s going to get to perform it. But I think we’re going to do an amazing show with Kendrick, and I think everybody’s going to love the halftime show. I know Kendrick is going to work exceptionally hard to deliver an amazing show.”
Collins went on to say that HOV ultimately gave the greenlight to book K. Dot. “It’s a decision that Jay makes. Since we’ve been on board with that show, he’s made it every year, and it’s been amazing. He’s always picked right,” he added. Soon after the announcement confirming that the “Not Like Us” MC would take the slot there was an outcry questioning why Lil Wayne was not chosen to perform. Days later, Weezy released a video revealing that he was hurt by the snub, but the outcry of support was humbling.
“It broke me, and I’m just trying to put me back together,” he explained. “But my God, have you all helped me. Thanks to all of my peers, my friends, my family, my homies on the sports television and everybody repping me. I really appreciate that, I really do. I feel like I let all of y’all down by not getting that opportunity, but I’m working on me and I’m working.”
Super Bowl LIX will be taking place Sunday, Feb. 9, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
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Actress Garcelle Beauvais released a video in response to the defamation of Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, by Republicans and others.
The recent false claims about Haitian Immigrants eating dogs and cats perpetuated by Republican politicians including former President Donald Trump have put that community at high risk. Veteran actress Garcelle Beauvais, who is of Haitian descent, took to social media to make a plea for the attacks to stop. She released a video on her Instagram account Monday, Sept. 16, writing in the caption: “I have been holding this in for a week, hoping, praying it would go away, but it hasn’t!!! Anyone who knows me, knows that I speak my mind! This madness has got to stop.”
“Staying silent in the face of racism and hate is something that I refuse to do,” The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star began. “This past week, the lies that have been spewed about the Haitian community — about my community — have been disgusting, deeply hurtful, and dangerous. Now, this is not about politics. It’s about humanity. We must condemn this kind of hatred, this kind of racism, for anyone,” Beauvais continued. “And I will not sit by and let people talk about my community in any way they want for their own gain.”
She ended the video by imploring her followers to vote, reiterating the message in Haitian Creole. “The power we have is the power to vote, to register and vote and stop this madness, this chaos. I am not going to sit by. It’s just not okay to treat people like this. We’re supposed to be uplifting each other, from our leaders to our neighbors. This has got to stop, and we have to do something about it.”
Beauvais has always been proud of her heritage. The actress, who was born in Saint-Marc, Haiti, made her debut in the classic film Coming To America in 1988. Since then, she has built a strong career with prime roles in The Jamie Foxx Show and NYPD Blue, in addition to being a sought-after fashion model and the author of a 2022 memoir, Love Me As I Am: My Journey from Haiti to Hollywood to Happiness. “I love my country and I’ve always been proud to say I’m Haitian,” she said in an earlier interview with the Grio. Even when there were negative connotations back in the day, I never shied away from saying where I’m from and being proud of it.”
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Source: AWA / AWA
Two years ago, Charlamagne Tha God revealed that he would be delving into the world of comic books by collaborating with AWA Studios to develop some new graphic novels. Now, The Breakfast Club co-host will be continuing his work in that field as he will be adding his touch to the upcoming fantasy thriller graphic novel ILLuminati.
Variety is reporting that Tha God will once again be teaming with artists, writers and artisans for their upcoming graphic novel, which will be “playing into the whole Illuminati Secret Society of the of the music industry.” To help fund the project AWA will be utilizing a Kickstarter campaign to get the ball rolling. With the recent Diddy indictment it will be interesting to see if the illuminati angle of the story will help garner that much more interest amongst readers given the rumors that the secret society plays a big part behind the scenes in the Hip-Hop industry.
Variety reports:
Charlamagne helped create “ILLuminati” in collaboration with a group of seasoned comic creatives including Bryan Edward Hill, Denys Cowan, Bill Siekiewicz and Sanford Greene. The plan is for Charlamagne to curate five custom covers for “ILLuminati” that will pay tribute to classic hip hop albums. The Kickstarter campaign launches today and runs through Oct. 22.
He thinks the novel’s twisty story about the death of a young female hip hop star and her psychic twin sister who comes to Los Angeles to find out what happened. It’s billed as following “a dark conspiracy that snakes its way through the pillars of power, fame, and popular culture.”
“Nobody even does satire anymore because there’s nothing satirical about life. Reality is just the most strange thing,” Charlamagne said. “A lot of these stories are just exaggerated things that have already happened, or, you know, our take on things that have already happened. So it’s just interesting to kind of bring that to life in comic books.”
Aside from being a part of the project’s creation, Charlamagne will also be tasked with curating five variant covers for ILLuminati, which will pay homage to some of Hip-Hop’s classic albums. Which albums will be chosen for inspiration remains to be seen, but we can’t wait to see what Tha God has up his sleeve when it’s all said and done.
Will you be picking up ILLuminati when it hits shelves? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Pharrell Williams launched his popular Something In The Water music festival in 2019 and it swiftly became one of the most anticipated events of the sort. Fans expecting the Something In The Water festival’s return to Virginia this fall will have to wait until next year after Pharrell Williams announced that he is no longer moving ahead with the event.
Using the Something In The Water X account, Pharrell Williams issued a statement regarding the cancellation of the October festival, promising that it will return after his internal team makes its tweaks.
A portion of the full statement is posted below:
Virginia doesn’t deserve better, Virginia deserves THE BEST.
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SOMETHING IN THE WATER has to match that. It just isn’t ready yet. That’s why we as a team have decided we must postpone this year’s SOMETHING IN THE WATER festival that was due to take place in October.
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I am so grateful to our amazing sponsors and the city for their continued support and trust in us to get this right, and that time is April 2025. This has to be EPIC, and trust me, after this long wait, it will be. Thank you for your support, love and understanding.
Something In The Water has gone through its motions since launching in 2019, which includes a cancellation in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a move to Washington, D.C. in 2022 before returning to Virginia the following year.
Dearest Virginia, you deserve THE BEST. I promise it will be worth the wait. See you in April. All my love – P pic.twitter.com/X5z2fX1WcO
— SOMETHING IN THE WATER (@sitw) September 13, 2024
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Photo: The Washington Post / Getty