GALLERY
Page: 36
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Terence Crawford demonstrated Saturday night (July 29) why he has garnered heavy respect in the welterweight division after defeating Errol Spence Jr. in a unification bout. In the win, Terence Crawford became the first undisputed welterweight champion of the world since 1986.
In front of a sold-out crowd at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., Terence Crawford and Errol Spence finally got their moment after negotiations stalled late last year for a unification match. The long-awaited match didn’t have the explosive back-and-forth fight fans expected but highlighted why Crawford is considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the sport today.
Spence opened the fight in his usual fashion but from there, Crawford delivered crushing blows, flooring Spence in Round 2 and again in Round 7. Spence was never able to mount an offensive and each time he tried, Crawford was there to stop him.
In Round 9, Spence, already looking worse for wear, stopped throwing punches and Crawford unloaded big shots but the referee saw enough and stopped the match.
“Like I said before, I only dreamed of being a world champion,” said Crawford after the match as reported by ESPN. “I’m an overachiever. Nobody believed in me when I was coming up, but I made everybody a believer.”
Crawford walked to the ring with Eminem, who performed his massive hit “Lose Yourself” for the crowd. The tone was set early as the champion was beyond focused on his goal.
After the match, Spence congratulated his opponent and hoped they could run it back again. The pair also showed massive respect for one another in a moment of class from both fighters.
On X (formerly known as Twitter), fight fans reacted to Terence Crawford stopping Errol Spence Jr. in Las Vegas. Check out those reactions below.
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
UTOPIA, the latest studio album from Travis Scott, dropped Friday (July 28) and the early discussions online around the album were naturally centered on a particular feature. However, others are claiming that the Texas rapper has the best album to release in 2023, sparking a spirited online debate.
UTOPIA is getting a lot of burn on its first day of release due to the appearance of past collaborator Drake on the track “MELTDOWN” and the jabs made toward Pusha T and Pharrell Williams, although they weren’t mentioned by name.
Aside from Drake, UTOPIA has features from Beyoncé, Bon Iver, SZA, Young Thug, Playboi Carti, Future, 21 Savage, and more. Scott also lends his production to a bulk of the project working with the likes of Mike Dean, Hit-Boy, The Alchemist, Metro Boomin, WondaGurl, Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, James Blake, and more.
In our initial listen, the album borrows from some of the epic moments found on Scott’s previous studio album ASTROWORLD yet moves into the worlds of dance and electronic music without losing any of his usual punch.
It is too early for UTOPIA to claim the lofty title some are bestowing upon it, especially as some other heavy hitters are due to release albums this year including Drake.
For now, the chatter around the album is high as expected and we’ve got the reactions listed out below.
—
Photo: Alexander Tamargo / Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Drake and Pusha T‘s feud might not have the spotlight it once did but it appears to be far from over. The Canadian superstar took a light shot at King Push and Pharrell on Travis Scott’s new album UTOPIA, and fans have their thoughts per usual.
Travis Scott dropped UTOPIA on Friday (July 28) and so far the early returns on the album say that Cactus Jack has another one in the can. Among several standout features that include the likes of Beyoncé, 21 Savage, Future, SZA, Young Thug, Playboy Carti, and more, Drake is also part of that star-studded list. Drizzy shows up on the track “MELTDOWN” and the last few bars of his feature had the aforementioned targets.
From “MELTDOWN”:
My schedule is out, come spin us, for realMan, f*ck all that spinnin’ the narrative sh*tI melt down the chains that I bought from yo’ bossGive a f*ck about all of that heritage sh*tSince V not around, the members done hung up the Louis, they not even wearing that sh*tDon’t come to the boy ’bout repairing some sh*tDon’t come to the boy about sparing some sh*tYou lucky that Vogue was suing, ’cause I would’ve been with the Wassas in Paris and sh*t
As it stands, Drake is alerting his opposition that he’s on his “It’s All A Blur” tour and inviting the smoke in the first line of the lyrics quoted above. On Twitter and Genius alike, fans are noting that the “melt down the chains” line is directed towards Pharrell, who reportedly designed a series of chains the rapper wore in the “Jumbotron Sh*t Poppin” video from Her Loss, his collaborative album with 21 Savage.
The lyric that begins with “Since V not around” is a clear nod to the late Virgil Abloh, who was the artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear line, a role Pharrell now occupies.
On X (formerly known as Twitter), Drake, Pusha T, and Pharrell’s names are trending. We’ve got the best reactions below.
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Nelly is now a certified veteran in the Hip-Hop scene who continues to tour extensively while reaping the benefits of his still-prominent fame. The St. Louis star praised rising Memphis rapper NLE Choppa, who paid homage to Nelly by taking some fashion cues from him for an upcoming video.
NLE Choppa, 20, teased a new video that comes out this Friday (Friday 28) with a series of images of him decked out in classic 1990s style with baggy jeans, a sports team jersey, an oversized t-shirt, and Nelly’s signature band-aid under one of his eyes. From another post showing the video in motion, it appears that the name of the song is “It’s Getting Hot,” which samples a particular song from Nelly that shouldn’t be hard to guess.
The “Hot In Herre” artist caught wind of NLE Choppa’s posts and saluted his younger counterpart by writing, “Go Up Nephew” complete with fire emojis with NLE Choppa responding with, “Nelly approved.”
It isn’t known what project the new song and video are attached to but comes after NLE Choppa’s second studio album, Cottonwood 2, which dropped this past April. Choppa made his official studio album debut back in 2020 with Top Shotta, which was preceded by a handful of mixtapes and an EP dating back to 2018.
On X (formerly known as Twitter), fans are reacting to the NLE Choppa mimicking the sound of Nelly. Check out those reactions below.
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Jason Aldean got involved in America’s silly culture war after Country Music Television removed the video for his controversial song “Try That In A Small Town” from its platform. Because the MAGA Nuts and the “Respect My Rights” crowd are sensitive little cherubs, they’re complaining about the takedown while dragging Garth Brooks into the beef.
Let’s take our time with this one.
Jason Aldean, a popular country music star who once notched a big hit with Ludacris, has gone on to sell millions of for Nashville, Tenn’s Broken Bow Records. His latest single, “Try That In A Small Town,” pretends to be a song about the resilience of working-class America but the video makes no secret of its nefarious aims. It is a vehicle to take shots at the perceived lawlessness in big cities, most especially protests against police and public demonstrations decrying racism.
We usually don’t center tweets from goofballs in the body of a story but here’s an example of what the minds of proud Americans are focused on instead of, we don’t know, human decency and common sense, maybe?
Here are the lyrics and hook for “Try That In A Small Town”:
Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalkCarjack an old lady at a red lightPull a gun on the owner of a liquor storeYa think it’s cool, well, act a fool if ya like
Cuss out a cop, spit in his faceStomp on the flag and light it upYeah, ya think you’re tough
Well, try that in a small townSee how far ya make it down the roadAround here, we take care of our ownYou cross that line, it won’t take longFor you to find out, I recommend you don’tTry that in a small town
It is clear what Aldean is communicating and the video, reportedly shot in front of a former site where lynchings took place, speaks to the fragility of white conservative America and the silly attack on the “Woke Left” or whatever else these nutballs come up with.
Tacked onto Aldean’s controversy is some discussion from the MAGA weirdos about Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood. Over a year ago, Brooks and Yearwood made a public appeal to help refugees caught up in the ravages of war in Ukraine. That video was resurfaced and the strawman arguments have only intensified.
Adding to this, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made an explosive goof even by his lowly standards after sharing an article from the satirical website Dunning-Kruger-Times (which should’ve been a dead giveaway but here we are). The article was about a fictional moment featuring Brooks being booed offstage for supporting Bud Light. Before deleting the tweet, Gov. Abbott used the tired phrase “Go Woke. Go Broke.”
On Twitter, the dumbassery of MAGA is on full display over Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, and all things ‘MURRICA. Check out the reactions below.
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Drake is an artist that has just as many fans as he does folks who can’t stand him, and that was made clear after a new image surfaced on social media last night (July 18). The image in question featured Drake and rising rapper Sexyy Red with the Canadian superstar saying he just met his “rightful wife.”
Drake is currently in New York City on a seven-show run that kicked off on July 17 at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. During the run, Drizzy has already coaxed stars such as Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry alongside his wife, Ayesha Curry among other notables. Lil Yachty was also in tow and was introduced to the crowd by the OVO Sound honcho.
However, what has the attention of the people is a photo Drake shared on his Instagram story feed cozied up backstage with Sexyy Red, with the “Pound Town” rapper getting a loving smooch. The caption within the photo reads, “Just met my rightful wife” and that was all Twitter needed to get the discussion trending in all kinds of directions.
Drake is known for keeping his ear to the street and has collaborated in the past with a number of rising rappers who caught a wave while boosting their profile. Some online assume that the Toronto superstar is eyeing a collaboration with his St. Louis counterpart while others are assuming that love is on the horizon, which is just speculative at this point.
Check out the reactions from all sides below.
—
Photo: @champagnepapi / Instagram
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Jason Luv is currently enjoying a level of notoriety that he was always on the cusp of but boosted by his controversial adult film scene with Lena The Plug, the wife of Adam22. In subsequent interviews, video calls, and social media chatter, Jason Luv hasn’t exactly been humble about handling Adam22’s lightwork in the bedroom and it looks like they’re a beef battle on the horizon.
Because this whole debacle is getting a little long in the tooth, we’ll be brief. Adam22 and his wife Lena The Plug are adult entertainers themselves, having engaged in wild onscreen romps with guests on Lena The Plug’s podcast, Plug Talk, among other zany adventures.
However, Jason Luv was the first man Lena has slept with in the past seven years since being married to Adam22, real name Adam Grandmaison. And for those who have witnessed the scene, Luv put in a level of pipework that had Lena blushing in her recaps in front of her husband.
It should be noted that it appears that Adam22 and Lena specifically selected Luv for the task due to his specific looks, talent, and fanbase. Lena, a marketing genius like her husband, teased the big scene, which was released last week. In the details that have emerged, Adam22 paid more than double Luv’s usual rate for performance.
Luv was recently a guest on The Fan Van and while he was candid in a three-way video call with Adam and Lena, Luv went all the way left in this particular chat. Without getting into the gory details, words like “stretched” and he “hit her with all his best moves” which included ending the moment where it began, if you can catch our drift.
This week, Adam22 issued a warning towards Luv, citing that he’s had enough of the disrespect and that he didn’t appreciate having his member being compared to Luv in a disparaging way. Yeah, it’s really a lot.
We’re erring on the side of caution and not posting The Fan Van interview with Jason directly in the body of the text but you can find a snippet of what you’re looking for here.
For what it’s worth, we’re beginning to think this is just one long and uncomfortable joke.
—
Photo: @iamjasonluv / Instagram
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Carlee Russell, a 25-year-old Black woman from Alabama who was reported missing late last week, has been found alive and currently receiving treatment at a local hospital for evaluation. Carlee Russell was first reported missing last Thursday (July 13) but was found and returned home Saturday evening (July 15).
As reported by local news outlet WVTM, Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell reportedly made a 911 call saying that she saw a toddler wandering near a local interstate exit on her way home from her job at a nearby day spa. Russell was said to have stopped to speak to the child after speaking with her family who then lost contact with her. Russell’s car later was found intact at the site of the reported missing child but neither she nor the child was located.
Alarms were raised because many online noted that a common tactic used by human traffickers is to have a child or person looking lost in a remote or unoccupied area as bait. A trucker also told authorities they saw Russell’s car and that a grey vehicle pulled up in front of it.
A report from AL.com adds that Russell returned home Saturday to her family’s home in Hoover, Ala., and she was then taken to a hospital for treatment. It isn’t known where Russell was or what occurred in the time two days that she was reported missing. Russell was apparently on the phone with her brother’s girlfriend when she reportedly spotted the toddler near I-459.
On Twitter, speculation over the case of Carlee Russell prompted a number of responses ranging from concern and then skepticism. There were even some believing the incident was a hoax.
If further details are revealed to the public, we will update this post. For now, please see some of the reactions from Twitter.
—
Photo:
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Moriah Mills is back in the headlines this week after being suspended on Twitter for abusing the terms and conditions of the site while centering her former romantic partner, Zion Williamson. In a new social media clip, Moriah Mills claimed that Williamson physically abused her but Twitter is casting some doubt on her accusation.
Moriah Mills took to her TikTok page on Friday (July 15) to share a video explaining that Williamson allegedly paid her hush money to keep details of the physical abuse she claims to have suffered from the public view. It is the first time Mills has made such a claim, this after she has maintained a hot and cold stance on the 22-year-old New Orleans Pelicans star.
Via her now-suspended Twitter account, Mills shared intimate details of her relationship with Williamson after the player and the mother of his child did a public gender reveal via social media. Mills says she was blindsided by the news and aired out Williamson’s dirty laundry while also attacking Concrete Rose, the woman carrying their daughter.
With the TikTok video making its rounds on social media, folks are calling into question the timing of Mills’ message, who also says she’s expecting a child with Williamson. While domestic violence claims are never a laughing matter and should be investigated as the crime that it is, many on Twitter think this is a ploy on the part of Mills to shame Williamson into taking responsibility for reportedly wronging her and misrepresenting their romantic connection.
On Twitter, folks are reacting to the new Moriah Mills video claiming that Zion Williamson physically abused her. We’ve got the reactions below.
—
Photo: @thisismoriahmills / Instagram
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
LeBron James, in the eyes of many, will go down as one of the best basketball players to ever lace them up and the accolades are numerous. Still, King James cast doubt if he’d return to the court for his 21st NBA season but that chatter was silenced at this year’s ESPYS Award ceremony.
LeBron James, 38, received the Best Record-Breaking Performance ESPY award Wednesday night (July 12) but before he went to deliver his moving acceptance speech, James’ wife, Savannah James introduced her husband to the Dolby Theatre crowd in Los Angeles in humorous fashion. Mrs. James was flanked by their three children, sons Bronny and Bryce, and daughter Zhuri.
James showed all of the poise of a veteran as he took the stage and thanked his supporters while taking note of his long list of detractors. In his speech, James told the crowd that his devotion to the game is still strong as it ever was and despite his advanced age, he still has a lot left to give. And it was in this speech that the kid from Akron, Ohio let the world know that he was running it back.
“I don’t care how many more points I score or what I can or cannot do on the floor,” James said. “The real question for me is, ‘Can I play without cheating this game?’ The day I can’t give everything on the floor is the day I’ll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today.”
Among the attendees were some of James’ former teammates such as Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and others. James’ speech was met with approving nods and applause from the crowd, and the news certainly delighted Lakers Nation who all assumed that after the team was swept by the Denver Nuggets in this year’s Western Conference playoffs, James would retire.
On Twitter, LeBron James saw his name trending with people celebrating the news along with some requisite hate, something James mentioned in his speech. We’ve got reactions from all sides below.
[embedded content]
—
Photo: Gilbert Flores / Getty