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03 Nov 2025

Rap Is Back in Hot 100 Top 40 After Two-Week Absence, Thanks to Megan Thee Stallion

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For the back-to-back Billboard Hot 100 charts this year dated Oct. 25 and Nov. 1, no rap songs appeared in the top 40 — marking the first times since the Feb. 3, 1990 chart that the genre was totally absent from that region. That two-week drought comes to an end this week, thanks to Megan Thee Stallion.

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Megan’s new love song “Lover Girl” debuts at No. 38 on the Nov. 8 Hot 100, marking the first rap song (defined by Billboard as a song deemed eligible for ranking on our Hot Rap Songs listing) to reach the chart’s top 40 since Kendrick and SZA’s “Luther” spent its 44th (and to date, final) week on the listing dated Oct. 18. Following that chart, the song fell into recurrent status in the chart, as a result of recently introduced rules updating and speeding up the Hot 100’s recurrent policy.

“Lover Girl” bows with 8.5 million official U.S. streams, 1.5 million in radio airplay audience and 5,000 sold in the week ending Oct. 30, according to Luminate.

Billboard’s reporting last week about the top 40 being rap song-less for the first time in over 35 years set off major waves of discussion within the hip-hop and pop communities about rap’s current place in the popular music ecosystem. Such public figures as rapper-podcaster Joe Budden and producer The Alchemist weighed in with their feelings about the circumstances and meaning behind the temporary absence.

“Lover Girl” marks Megan Thee Stallion’s 21st song to reach the Hot 100’s top 40. Most recently, she visited the region on the chart dated Sept. 21, 2024 with two tracks: her RM team up “Neva Play,” which debuted at No. 36, and “Wanna Be,” with GloRilla, at No. 40 after reaching No. 11. Three of Megan’s songs have topped the chart: the Beyoncé-featuring “Savage” and the Cardi B-led “WAP” in 2020, and her unaccompanied “Hiss” in 2024.

While “Lover Girl” ends the top 40’s rap songs relative dry spell for the week, it might not yet be the start of another years-long streak for rap in the region. As is typical of much-anticipated songs following their second week of release, “Lover Girl” is likely to fall on the next Hot 100 — and there are no rap songs currently behind it on the chart that are zooming in to take its place.

Indeed, the next two highest-charting rap songs on the Hot 100 both fall from their previous week’s position: YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s “Shot Callin” (43-48) and BigXthaPlug’s Ella Langley-featuring “Hell at Night” (50-52). However, below that, Gunna’s Burna Boy-featuring “wgft” does have some forward momentum, rising 59-55, as does Cardi B’s “Safe,” featuring Kehlani, up 57-56 and gaining in airplay after debuting at its No. 26 peak last month.

03 Nov 2025

Offset Sued for Alleged Assault That Left Cannabis Dispensary Security Guard in ‘Severe Pain’

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Offset has been hit with new lawsuit claiming he attacked a security guard at a cannabis dispensary in Los Angeles after being asked to show his I.D.

The rapper (Kiari Cephus) faces civil assault and battery claims in a complaint filed last Wednesday (Oct. 29) by Jim Leobardo Sanchez, a security guard at the MedMen licensed recreational dispensary near Los Angeles International Airport.

Offset and a group of associates visited the dispensary on March 14 of this year, according to the lawsuit. Sanchez alleges that the rapper grew violent when he was asked to provide I.D. before entering the store.

“Without legal justification or provocation, defendant Cephus became hostile, verbally confrontational and physically attacked plaintiff by striking him in the face,” writes Sanchez’s attorney Michael Karikomi. “Several unidentified individuals who were accompanying defendant Cephus then proceeded to grab, push and further assault and batter plaintiff.”

Sanchez says he was in “immediate and severe pain” after the alleged attack, and was treated by paramedics at the scene before being transported by ambulance to the emergency room.

According to the lawsuit, Sanchez has continued to suffer due to Offset’s behavior — and he now wants financial compensation from the rapper.

“Plaintiff suffered physical injuries, emotional distress, incurred medical expenses, suffered lost income and continues to experience pain and discomfort,” reads the lawsuit, which asks for unspecified monetary damages.

Offset’s reps did not immediately return a request for comment on Monday (Nov. 3).

This isn’t the first time Offset has been accused of attacking a security guard. In 2023, he was sued for allegedly assaulting a guard at a convention put on by Complex Networks two years earlier. That lawsuit claimed Offset and fellow rapper YRN Murk got physical after being told the event was restricted.

The security guard in that case, Daveon Clark, has not yet managed to serve Offset with legal papers. The claim remains pending.

03 Nov 2025

R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Jai’Len Josey, Rozzzqween, Icewear Vezzo & More

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We’re currently focused on next year’s Super Bowl halftime show headliner, but the 2024 master of ceremonies is still at the center of the culture.

After the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays at the 2025 World Series on Saturday (Nov. 1), the City of Angeles reached for the only appropriate song for moments of total victory: Kendrick Lamar‘s “Not Like Us.” The baseball team’s official Instagram account shared a flick of the whole gang with the all-caps caption, “They still not like us,” a reference to both Lamar’s Grammy-winning Hot 100 chart-topper and their 2024 World Series triumph.

As is seemingly the order of things these days, when K.Dot gets some praise, a jab at Drake isn’t too far behind. To commemorate the Dodgers’ consecutive victories, the official ESPN X account posted a picture of the celebrating team in the style of Drake’s “Back to Back” single cover. Notably, this is a nod to a separate Drake beef — the Toronto MC’s 2015 back-and-forth with Meek Mill. Not only did Drizzy take an L by way of the Blue Jays’ loss, he also got slammed in a new lawsuit against Spotify, which alleged that the streamer used bots to generate “billions of fraudulent streams.”

Drake isn’t the only rapper whose beefs made headlines in the hip-hop world over the weekend. On Thursday (Oct. 30), NLE Choppa (who’s currently going by NLE the Great) shared his new “KO” single, which finds him rapping over the same Dennis Edwards “Don’t Look Any Further” sample that 2Pac flipped for “Hit Em Up,” his iconic Biggie diss track. The subject of NLE’s ire? None other than NBA YoungBoy, one of the few rappers with a song sitting just outside the Hot 100’s top 40, a news story that sent the hip-hop space into a tizzy last week.

On Wednesday (Oct. 29), Billboard reported that, for the first time since 1990, there were no rap songs in the Billboard Hot 100‘s top 40, after Kendrick Lamar and SZA‘s smash hit “Luther” was deemed recurrent and removed from the ranking due to recent changes to the chart’s methodology. Though those rule changes mostly explain what’s going on with hip-hop on the Hot 100, the shocking stat spurred heated debate across social media channels. Grammy-nominated producer The Alchemist chimed in on X, simply writing, “No rap in top 40 has nothing to do with the music being bad or good.” Click here for a full breakdown of the Hot 100’s new recurrent rules.

With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from a new Jai’Len Josey joint to Rozzzqween’s new single. Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.

Freshest Find: Jai’Len Josey, “Won’t Force You”

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For the latest taste of her forthcoming Serial Lover debut album, which will be executive-produced by five-time Grammy winner Tricky Stewart, Jai’Len Josey tapped into the warm acoustic guitar of mid-late 00s pop-facing R&B ballads. Out now via Def Jam, the evocative new single finds the Atlanta-based singer-songwriter-producer and former Broaway star parsing through the hurt and shame of unrequited love. “If you don’t want to be here, I won’t force you to love me,” she sings in the refrain, her tone pairing well with the delicate strings, ethereal guitar and lush background vocal arrangements that ground the track. — KYLE DENIS
Rozzzqween, “Family Ties”

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Co-written and co-produced by Rozzzqween (born Roselyn Mugabe) and Ilya Borodulin, “Family Ties” drapes raw vulnerability in sleek, moody production. The pulsing bassline helps the haunting reflection on inherited habits, generational pain, and the struggle to break free from cycles of addiction. Rozzzqween’s voice moves between confession and confrontation: “My daddy drinks and so do I,” she repeats, turning the phrase into both a curse and a confession. Lines like “Malbec in my backpack” and “Air Force 1’s cocaine whites” pair elegance with escapism, revealing how cycles of addiction often hide beneath aesthetic calm. It’s a sobering yet beautifully composed reflection on what we inherit, and what we choose to break. — CHRISTOPHER CLAXTON
Saint Harison, “Ghosted”

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Smartly timed to Halloween, Saint Harison’s new single tackles the uniquely spooky sensation of being ghosted — and being somewhat okay with that. A remarkably soulful number produced by Akeel Henry and John Fellner, “Ghosted” finds the Southampton singer-songwriter working through his frustrations with a lover who seems to only know how to make things difficult. “If it’s so hard just loving me, I’d much rather you ghosted me,” he croons in the chorus, his fluttery falsetto and always-impressive agility helping him weave through each phrase with the finesse of a star fighter. — K.D.
BJRNCK, “AGLM”

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BJRNCK stakes her claim with unapologetic confidence, backed by production from Slikk Muzik, Tiggi and Nico Baran that blends punchy trap percussion with shimmering piano accents. Co-written with several collaborators, “AGLM” pairs her assertive melodies with lyrics that double as a manifesto for self-worth: from “buss down Cartier” to a penthouse view, every indulgent image is a symbol of empowerment. The repeated line “You said you was okay wit’ it” cuts through the luxury flex, highlighting the tension between promises and follow-through, while BJRNCK’s delivery balances grit with poise. It’s a statement that demands attention, an anthem for anyone who refuses to settle and knows exactly what they deserve. — C.C.
Icewear Vezzo & 2 Chainz, “Status”

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Icewear Vezzo spent the last year recentering himself. After indulging in the lavishness of rap life, Vezzo found what he was yearning for back at home, with his wife and family. The Detroit native delivered his lean-splashed Purple Passion project last week, which finds him trading bars with ATL’s 2 Chainz on standout “Status.” Booming drums mixed with starry production serve as a cinematic canvas for the pair of veterans to paint a masterpiece: “I been quiet for some time and that was damage time/ I never jump right into nothing, I like to strategize/ From lean house to juice bars, I built an enterprise,” Vezzo raps. — MICHAEL SAPONARA

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03 Nov 2025

Jeezy Sets Guinness World Record With 101-Piece Orchestra in Vegas: ‘This One’s for the Books … Literally’

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Thought you’d seen it all? Not quite. Jeezy just proved that he’s always climbing to new heights after accomplishing something that’s never been done before, earning himself a place in the Guinness World Records.

On Saturday (Nov. 1), the trap-music tastemaker made history by performing with 101 orchestra musicians on stage at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, where Jeezy is currently in the middle of a brief residency. Thanks to the endeavor, he now holds the title for largest orchestra ever gathered for the purpose of a hip-hop music concert, as presented to him on stage by Guinness adjudicator Andy Glass.

Sharing his new world record on Instagram, Jeezy wrote, “It is always been my purpose to motivate and inspire my culture.”

“Thank you to everyone involved for believing in my vision,” he continued. “Couldn’t have done it without you. This one’s for the books … literally.”

The artist also posted of the feat on Sunday (Nov. 2), “A winner is a dreamer who never gave up.”

Night 2 of Jeezy’s residency had a masquerade theme, with the star and his sprawling band of classical musicians — comprised of members of The Color of Noize Orchestra — performing a program of original music composed by Derrick Hodge with musical direction from Adam Blackstone. World record aside, the event also marked the largest ever assembly of an orchestra for a concert in Las Vegas, hip-hop or otherwise.

Jeezy kicked off his first show in Vegas on Halloween. He’ll return to Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino for another two shows in December, which will have a Nutcracker theme.

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03 Nov 2025

Zohran Mamdani Dances to Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ During NYC Mayoral Campaign Event

Zohran Mamdani is a known Kendrick Lamar fan, and showed his support for the rapper over Halloween weekend.

With New York City’s mayoral election set for Tuesday (Nov. 4), Mamdani — who is running to lead the city — made campaign stops at various night clubs around the city over the weekend. One video making the roundson social media shows Mamdani dancing to K. Dot’s Grammy-winning Drake diss while grinning cheek to cheek. The club appearance was part of an event hosted by Bushwick Grand.

Mamdani spoke a bit about Kendrick and Drake’s 2024 feud in an interview with Pitchfork back in June, noting that Lamar “absolutely destroyed” Drizzy. He then tied in Lamar’s songwriting approach to the way he approaches his campaign’s focus on affordability in New York.

“At every juncture, he would bring it back to his central points, and I think that’s the key, is that you keep coming back to what your core message is,” Mamdani said at the time. “For me, it’s about the fact that New Yorkers can’t afford to live in the city they call home.”

Mamdani will face off against Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa for Mayor of New York City on Tuesday, with polls continuously showing a strong lead for Mamdani.

Lamar fans also trolled Drake over the weekend after the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.

After defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 on Saturday (Nov. 1), the Cali team shared a group photo of the players and staff wearing World Series Champions shirts. “THEY STILL NOT LIKE US,” the Dodgers wrote in the caption, quoting “Not Like Us” for all to see.

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03 Nov 2025

L.A. Dodgers Troll Drake With Kendrick Lamar Lyrics After Toronto Blue Jays Lose World Series

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Drake is almost definitely in his feelings following the conclusion of the 2025 World Series, which resulted in his home team losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who gladly took the opportunity to troll the rapper after their victory by using some Kendrick Lamar lyrics.

After triumphing over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 on Sunday (Nov. 2), the Cali team shared a group photo of the players and staff wearing “World Series Champions” shirts. “THEY STILL NOT LIKE US,” the Dodgers wrote in the caption, quoting Dot’s famous Billboard Hot 100-topping diss track against Drizzy.

The ribbing comes after Drake spent much of the World Series trolling the L.A. team’s star player, Shohei Ohtani, on social media. Following Game 5, the Toronto native had shared a picture on his Instagram Story of the pitcher wearing a sweater vest and wrote, “ONE MORE!!!!!!!,” after which he posted a photo the Jays’ Trey Yesavage striking out Ohtani and gloating: “Savage already [on the way] to the dugout boss lol.”

Drake was then in attendance at Game 6 on Friday (Oct. 31), which ended with a Dodgers win. After the team won again two days later, securing the World Series trophy, Champagne Papi shared a diplomatic post on Instagram, writing, “Congrats to the Jays for a dream season and a legendary World Series fight!!!”

The Dodgers, however, weren’t the only ones eager to tease Drake after their big victory. Nike also trolled the rapper post-game by sharing a cinematic montage of the L.A. team set to “Not Like Us,” while Fox Sports posted an edited photo of Lamar driving off with the World Series trophy, leaving a disappointed-looking Drake in the dust.

The repeated use of “Not Like Us” to drag Drake definitely adds insult to injury, as the musician’s headline-grabbing defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over the song’s lyrics was recently dismissed by a judge. At the end of October, however, Drizzy filed an appeal to revive the case.

The track has been haunting Drake since a certain Compton icon dropped it in May 2024, quickly becoming a cultural phenomenon. This past February, Lamar won both song and record of the year at the Grammys for “Not Like Us,” which he performed on the world’s biggest stage just one week later at the 2025 Super Bowl.

03 Nov 2025

Nicki Minaj Shares ‘Deep Sense of Gratitude’ to President Trump for Threatening Military Action in Nigeria

Nicki Minaj is standing with Donald Trump on the issue of alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

In response to the president’s recent threat to deploy military action in the West African country in the name of religious freedom, the rapper wrote in a Saturday (Nov. 1) post on X that she felt a “deep sense of gratitude” to be able to “freely worship God” in the United States and thanked Trump for “taking this seriously.”

“No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion,” Minaj continued, sharing a screenshot of one of the twice-impeached politician’s Truth Social posts about intervening in Nigeria. “We don’t have to share the same beliefs in order for us to respect each other.”

“Numerous countries all around the world are being affected by this horror & it’s dangerous to pretend we don’t notice,” she added. “God bless every persecuted Christian. Let’s remember to lift them up in prayer.”

Minaj’s post comes as the Trump administration has re-added Nigeria to its “Countries of Particular Concern” list, which also includes China, North Korea, Russia, Pakistan and several other nations that the White House has classified as having violated religious freedom. In another post on Truth Social, the president called Nigeria a “disgraced country” and promised that America’s military intervention would “be fast, vicious and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!”

But despite Trump’s claim that “radical Islamists” were murdering “thousands of Christians” in the region, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has rebuked the claims. “The characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians,” he said in a recent statement, according to Reuters.

Regardless of whether or not there’s truth to Trump’s remarks about Nigeria, some of Minaj’s fans have expressed disappointment in the hip-hop star for aligning herself with the polarizing politician in any capacity. One person, for instance, told Minaj on X that MAGA Republicans have been attempting to “weaponize religion so YOUR GAY FANS can be pushed into a corner and silenced,” to which the hitmaker reportedly had a biting reply.

“Imagine hearing that Christians are being MURDERED & making it about you being gay,” Minaj wrote in a since-deleted post, per The Independent.

Billboard has reached out to Minaj’s reps for comment.

02 Nov 2025

Cardi B Cheers On Boyfriend Stefon Diggs at Patriots-Falcons Game

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Cardi B made an appearance at Gillette Stadium on Sunday (Nov. 2), a month-and-a-half after revealing she’s expecting a baby with football player Stefon Diggs, wide receiver for the New England Patriots. The rapper was spotted seated next to Robert Kraft as the Patriots played the Atlanta Falcons in Foxborough, Mass.

In videos from the NFL game, Cardi’s seen standing at her seat and cheering, with a wide grin on her face — and looking chic in burgundy leather from Bottega.

Cardi and Diggs made their relationship Instagram official in June, and the Am I the Drama? artist announced her pregnancy in September while promoting her new album. The baby on the way is their first together, and joins Cardi’s children Kulture, Blossom and Wave (with her ex, Offset) and Diggs’ daughter Nova.

“I’m excited,” Cardi said on CBS Mornings. “I’m happy. I feel like I’m in a good space. I feel very strong. I feel very powerful that I’m doing all this work. But I’m doing all this work while I’m creating a baby, and me and my man, we’re very supportive of each other.”

On Friday (Oct. 31), she took a moment to address “hate coming from different angles” in her life, including from “partners that I dealt with.” Although she didn’t name Offset in her comment, he appeared to take a dig at Cardi and Diggs on his Haunted by Fame project, which was released on Halloween.

“One thing I notice, I swear to God, and it’s so real … anybody that messes with me while I’m at my most vulnerable — and my most vulnerable is always when I’m pregnant — God always punishes them,” she said Halloween morning. “Two, three years might pass … and God goes and punish them the worst way.”

See clips of Cardi at Sunday’s game shared by the official Patriots and NFL accounts on X below.

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31 Oct 2025

Here’s What The Alchemist Has to Say About No Rap Songs Being in Hot 100 Top 40 for First Time Since 1990

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The Alchemist has added his two cents on the topic that had Rap Twitter in a frenzy this week.

On Wednesday, Billboard reported that, for the first time since 1990 — when Biz Markie‘s signature song “Just a Friend” was at No. 41 on Feb. 2 — there were no rap songs in the Billboard Hot 100‘s top 40, after Kendrick Lamar and SZA‘s smash hit “Luther” was deemed recurrent and removed due to recent changes to the chart’s methodology, effectively ending a 35-year streak. Recurrent songs will now be removed if they’ve been on the chart for a certain amount of time while simultaneously falling under certain chart thresholds. “Luther” had fallen under No. 25 to No. 38 the previous week during its 46th week.

This news caused a stir on social media and predictably inspired takes from all corners of the Internet, and on Friday morning (Oct. 31), the legendary producer shared his thoughts on X.

“No rap in top 40 has nothing to do with the music being bad or good,” he wrote without any further elaboration.

Like ALC, others have also taken notice and have begun to sound the alarm when it comes to rap’s commercial dominance trending down in recent years. In 2023, there weren’t any rap albums to top the Billboard 200 or rap songs to top the Hot 100, until Lil Uzi Vert‘s third album the Pink Tape in July and Doja Cat‘s song “Paint the Town Red” in September, respectively. Right now, the highest-charting rap song is “Shot Callin” by NBA YoungBoy at No. 44, followed by Cardi B‘s “Safe” (featuring Kehlani) at No. 48 and BigXthaPlug’s “Hell at Night” (featuring Ella Langley) at No. 49.

The new parameters are a bit complicated; you can get a better understanding here.

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31 Oct 2025

Cash Money Tour Promoter Hits Hot Boy Turk With $12M Defamation Suit: ‘Childish and Petulant Antics’

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Former Hot Boys member Turk is being sued by a concert promoter over online threats that supposedly threatened to derail a Cash Money Records reunion tour this summer.

The $12 million breach of contract and defamation lawsuit, filed in New York federal court on Wednesday (Oct. 29), is the latest in a bitter legal salvo between Turk (Tab Virgil Jr.) and promoter Dope Shows over the Cash Money Millionaires 30th Anniversary Tour. Named in honor of a Cash Money Records supergroup from the ’90s, the ongoing reunion tour features Cash Money figures like Birdman, Juvenile and former Hot Boy B.G.

Turk originally signed onto the tour as well, but was kicked off the roster before his first performance this summer. The rapper subsequently sued Dope Shows for $340,000 in Florida last month, alleging he was removed from the tour because the promoter wasn’t selling enough tickets and ran out of money to pay him.

Now, Dope Shows is countering in its own lawsuit that money had nothing to do with Turk’s removal. Rather, the promoter says it had to boot Turk because he had been physically threatening B.G. on social media — leading venues to voice concerns about potential violence and risking disruptive intervention from B.G.’s probation officer.

Dope Shows alleges that in response, Turk began posting defamatory content on Instagram, spreading his false narrative that the promoter was struggling financially. Dope Shows claims Turk’s Florida case is a “sham lawsuit” that merely serves to amplify those falsehoods.

“Desperate to revive his flagging rap career, Turk is attempting to sabotage the tour through childish and petulant antics that he hopes will regain the public’s attention,” writes Dope Shows’ lawyer, Jeffrey Movit. “Turk’s publicity stunts are an abject failure, as they have done nothing to advance his career. Rather, through his malicious and misguided actions, Turk has created nothing more than massive legal liability for himself in this lawsuit”.

Dope Shows alleges that Turk owes $5 million for breach of contract and $7 million for defamation. According to the lawsuit, Turk’s conduct has deterred fans from attending the reunion tour and led other artists to doubt the promoter’s abilities.

Turk’s attorney, Paul Aloise, denied all of Dope Shows’ claims in a statement to Billboard on Friday (Oct. 31). Aloise says the new lawsuit is a “desperate attempt” by the promoter to “try and shift the blame away from their own unethical business practices and promotional failures.”

“While the complaint defames my client and says that he was attempting to sabotage the tour to try and revive his flagging rap career, the complaint conveniently leaves out the fact that on August 3, 2025, Turk, released his own album, JOSEPH, on iTunes, which peaked at #5 on the iTunes Hip-Hop Chart,” added Aloise. “Thus, my client has no intentions of trying to sabotage a tour he wants to be on, let alone to help his rap career.”

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Freshest Find: Jai’Len Josey, “Won’t Force You”

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BJRNCK, “AGLM”

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