Hip Hop News
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A few weeks ago Ice Spice fans began speculating that the Bronx rapper might’ve become the latest celebrity to hop on the Ozempic craze as he physical frame seemingly shrunk right before everyone’s eyes, but the “Deli” rapper is now pushing back against the allegations as they seem to have struck a cord with her.
This past Monday (Aug. 19), Ice Spice took to X Spaces to touch on the topic of her recent weight loss and seemed pretty annoyed that everyone assumed she was using the weight loss drug that is responsible for some of your favorite celebrities seeming leaner these days.
With everyone listening in on what she had to say, a audibly frustrated Ice Spice went right into the subject saying ““I actually came on here to talk about that real quick. I wish y’all never learned the word Ozempic. That’s one thing I wish. Oh my God! Like, what even is Ozempic? What the f*ck is that? Genuinely, what is that?”
Though we’re lowkey surprised she never heard of the popular prescription weight loss drug, Ice Spice credits her own personal lifestyle change for shedding pounds off her body saying “You lazy-a** b*tches never heard of a gym?” she asked. Continuing on she explained “It’s called the gym, it’s called eating healthy, it’s called being on tour. Like, what the hell? Maybe if I was sitting at home all f*cking day, it’d be easier to stay big.”
Yeah, Ice Spice doesn’t like being accused of cutting corners when it comes to getting into shape and we ain’t mad at that. When someone goes hard when working on body and become a better version of themselves, accusing them of taking the easy way out isn’t going to sit to well with them.
Still, we lowkey miss the thick as mofongo Ice Spice who could fill out a pair of sweat pants with no problem. Just sayin.’
What do y’all think? Is Ice Spice telling the truth about her recent physical downsizing or is she capping? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: Chloe Bailey Cover Story Page | iOne Editorial | 2024-08-07 / Ione Digital – cs
GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer-songwriter and NAACP Image Award-winning actress, Chlöe Bailey sat down with HelloBeautiful magazine for their digital cover to talk about her career–and the release of her sophomore album, Trouble In Paradise.
Bailey told Hello Beautiful the project was recorded and mastered in St. Lucia where she found solace, acceptance, and creativity.
“I can walk around with no makeup, I can walk around loving my body, I can go to the ocean, truly just pray to God and thank him for the blessings that I have. And it reminds me that life isn’t all about what my career is. It’s not about outer validation, but the inner peace,” said Bailey about recording on the island.
She added, “I just really wanted people to feel the peace and the love that this place has brought me, where it was able to open up my creative mind and my creative spirit to literally write my troubles away in paradise. And the album feels like what a summer fling feels like, the back and forth of it, the highs, the lows, the love.”
The 26-year-old star is also set to co-star in a new crime-drama coming to Peacock produced by Will Packer and Kevin Hart. Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist stars Samuel L. Jackson, Terrance Howard, Don Cheadle, and Taraji P. Henson.
In the limited series, Bailey plays Lena Mosley, a character she describes as sexy, but who still has a passion for “science, technology and engineering.” She said that she hopes the character reminds people that women are multifaceted.
“And what I’m really loving right now, I’m really loving Megan Thee Stallion, how she shares her love for the Japanese culture … and being a sexy Black girl who loves anime,” Bailey told HelloBeautiful. “I love – with even Doja. She’s sexy with curves, but she equally rocks her kitten heels … It’s like, yes, we can be sexy on stage, but we also have those cute little quirks that make us who we are. Who says we just have to be one thing? None of us are just one thing.”
“So when people try to get those viral tweets by saying, ‘Chlöe’s sex appeal is contrived because she’s this sweet nerdy girl,’ why can’t I be both? And it just kind of makes me giggle to myself because I’m like, you have no idea because you don’t know who I am as a person.”
Source: Dalvin Adams / for HelloBeautiful
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Source: YouTube / NPR
The LOX had their turn at a Tiny Desk Concert on NPR, and Hip-Hop fans are absolutely loving it if social media reactions are any indication.
The Yonkers’ three-headed rap monster of Jadakiss, Sheek Louch and Styles P performed with a live band, and there shouldn’t even be a question that it was fire (see: Verzuz). Over 30 years (y’all are old) in the game means that the former Bad Boy and Ruff Ryders MC’s are just as comfortable performing with live musicians as they are with their DJ, Technician The DJ, who was also on hand, too.
Our only beef was that the limited time meant a limited set list and the LOX have a deep catalog of hits, be they singles or fan-favorite albums. Nevertheless, they hit key joints, whether from the group proper (“Money, Power & Respect”) or their solo hits like “Good Times” and “We Gonna Make It” from Styles and Kiss, respectively. And nope, “The Benjamins” didn’t enter the chat, for obvious reasons.
Check out reactions from fans and full concert in the gallery. This is a great way to start the weekend.
4. If it’s furnished, I’ma take it…
5. An Alchemist production…
6. Recognize
7. Full Episode
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Source: @spotify / Spotify
A new art exhibition in collaboration with Spotify highlighted women in Hip-Hop including Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, and GloRilla.
The enormous contribution of women to Hip-Hop culture is undeniable, and a new art exhibition in New York City put that on display. The Gold Standard is an exhibition of artwork by Manon Biernacki paying homage to the prominent women rappers of the day. The rappers featured are Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, GloRilla, Ice Spice, Latto, Doja Cat, the City Girls, Saweetie, Sexyy Red, and Flo Milli. Their countenances are portrayed in larger-than-life fashion in paintings imbued with Biernacki’s Renaissance-inspired vision. An Instagram post by the streaming platform’s Hip-Hop entity RapCaviar announced the exhibition earlier in July, proclaiming it was highlighting “the Golden Era of women in Hip-Hop.”
The Gold Standard was hosted in a one-day-only exhibition on Wednesday (July 31) at The Hole gallery space in the Lower East Side neighborhood of New York City. Visitors to the free exhibit were greeted with a lavish table set up for a feast as they walked in, with mirrors hanging on the wall to their right adorned with the words “Feelin’ Myself” where they could take selfies. Each female rapper was represented with a lush painting of themselves in the gallery, accompanied by a biography of their life and career.
The exhibit’s centerpiece was “The Cloud Room”, a separate area of the gallery covered in trimmings that resembled lush clouds that harkened back to the famous Sistine Chapel artwork of Michaelangelo with a painting featuring all of the artists seated together in the rear of the room. Guests could also take photos in that setting while seated in chairs fixed in front of that painting. They were also able to snag flyers with reprints of each artist’s painting which contained a code on the back that when scanned, took them to that artist’s playlist on Spotify.
For Biernacki, having the opportunity to contribute to the art comprising The Gold Standard is a realization of her inner passion. In a statement, the Mali-born artist who now resides in Vancouver, Canada said: “As an artist with a rich cultural background, I am passionate about celebrating the origins and stories of diverse female artists. Projects like The Gold Standard series allow me to honor and uplift voices that resonate with my own experiences and heritage.”
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Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty
After spending more than a decade behind bars, former Bad Boy recording artist, G-Dep has finally been released from prison, and the timing couldn’t be more ironic.
According to TMZ, G-Dep is officially a free man after doing a 13-year bid after he confessed to the unsolved murder of John Henkel that he says he committed in 1993. That man must’ve had a guilty conscious or really needed a good reason to get away from Diddy at the height of his Bad Boy career. Just sayin’.
G-Dep, born Trevell Coleman, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 15 years in prison in May 2012.
Now that Dep has done his time and is prepared to join society, his former boss, Diddy is staring at the possibility of doing his own prison bid as authorities continue to investigate claims of sex trafficking that have been lobbied at the Bad Boy Records founder.
Per TMZ:
Per court docs, the “Special Delivery” rapper — who’s now 49 — will have to check in with his parole officer, refrain from possessing weapons and drugs without medical authorization, and will have to get permission to leave the State of New York … pretty standard stuff for a newly released ex-con.
G. Dep documented his release on IG Thursday where he was flocked by friends and family who were all overjoyed to see him.
He earned an associate’s degree during his lockup and it’s clear he studied hard. Just get a load of his massive book collection … the prison library may need to restock ASAP!!!
Good for Dep!
G-Dep was granted clemency by Gov. Kathy Hochul in December 2023, which was approved by the original prosecutor of the case and the judge who oversaw it.
Only questions are, when will G-Dep get back in the studio and how long before he’s bombarded with questions about Diddy’s ways and actions?
We shall see.
What do y’all think of G-Dep being a free man? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Madlib has been a part of several projects as both a rapper and producer that Hip-Hop aficionados praise heavily but few have reached the critical heights of Madvillainy. On the 20th anniversary of the collaborative project featuring Madlib and the late MF DOOM, the Beat Konducta gave a strong salute to the masked supervillain.
Taking to Instagram, Madlib shared a clip of a video for Madvillainy standout cut “All Caps” and captioned the post with, “20 years. RIP to the Villain.”
It was remarkable considering the Oxnard, Calif. native isn’t on social media much at all. As it stands, Madvillainy is considered a modern-era classic and influenced several rappers such as many members of the Pro Era collective (Joey BadA$$, Chuck Strangers, Kirk Knight, etc.) and Yasiin Bey among others.
Peanut Butter Wolf, the founder of Stones Throw Records which put out the album, also chimed in on Complex Music’s post about Madvillainy and shared that it is the only album on the label to achieve gold status.
From IG:
Here’s some more facts. This was an album where Madlib chose to record the beats in my basement that we called The Bomb Shelter (it was a literally a concrete bomb shelter). DOOM recorded his vocals in my bedroom down the hall where we also had @ecoleye do a photo shoot that became the album cover. The LA release party was at The Fonda (a modest sized venue) and we stacked the bill w/ me, J Rocc, Madlib, Dilla, and Common, besides (the headliner) DOOM because we were afraid it wouldn’t sell out. We did a few more shows that month with the same lineup in a few major markets to small but very excited crowds. That was it in terms of promotion, besides doing 3 LOW BUDGET music videos (2 in the same day) that I convinced DOOM into reluctantly doing. It’s the first (and only) album on my 28 year old label to go gold.
The dense poetics of Madvillainy have never been replicated as MF DOOM had a style so unique to his vocal tone that it wouldn’t sound right coming from another artist. Adding to the lore, the production from The Bad Kid was performed on what some might consider simple equipment.
The bulk of the beats were made on a Boss Dr. Sample Sp-303 sampler, a tape deck, and a portable turntable with records discovered in Brazil and other travels. The mixing and mastering were overseen by Dave Cooley, who previously worked on records with J Dilla, Adrian Younge, and remastering projects from the late Isaac Hayes and more.
Check out Madvillainy below along with Madlib’s tribute to DOOM.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: Aaron J. Thornton / Getty / Sexxy Red
Popular NBA 2K and GTA V streamer Adin Ross is out here lying on his nuts, allegedly.
Sexxy Red viciously shut down a claim on X, formerly Twitter, that she had sex with streamer Adin Ross. Speaking with DJ Akademiks on Kick, Ross spilled the beans about the alleged sexual encounter.
“I wanna announce something, but I dunno if I should say it. I did f*** Sexyy Red. It was good. It was really good. She was kinda being the dominant one,” Ross said.
For whatever reason, Ross shared too much information regarding a moment he had while watching the “Pound Town” rapper’s “leaked” sex tape, revealing, “I jerked off to it, and that’s what made me hit her up. I’m being for real.”
Ummmmm, okay.
Getting wind of his comments, Sexxy Red, at first hilariously, confirmed the encounter, writing in her X post, “You paid me to take yo virginity & I did just that… next.”
But she wasn’t done. She immediately followed up with adamant denial the two had sex with each other, writing in another post, “SIKE you couldn’t touch me wit ah stick.”
What’s even more funny is now people don’t believe her and have been in her comments telling her it’s too late to take back her initial response.
Whatever the case, we will take Sexxy Red’s word on this, just on the account that men love to lie about this topic.
Adin Ross’ History Headass Behavior
Ross has been in the news a lot lately. After making some comments about the couple, he’s had to apologize to Kanye West and his wife, Bianca Censori.
Per HipHopDX:
“I have to apologize. This message is straight to Ye’s wife Bianca because I just got an email about it,” he said.
“When I said that I had money for Ye to come on stream from Kick and Stake, I wasn’t saying, ‘Nobody is throwing money these days,’ as far as like, nobody is paying him. Obviously, he’s Ye, one of the biggest artists of all time.
“But I mean streaming platforms. Nobody is throwing money to anyone these days. Except for Kick. That’s all I meant.”
He continued: “I would love to have Ye come on stream. The offer still stands. Kick said it. I spoke to them a week ago about it. And, I’m sorry. I’m sorry publicly, all right, Bianca? Mrs. West and Mr. West, I’m sorry. We would love to have you on Kick.”
Adin Ross is also associated with alleged sex trafficker and f**kboi Andrew Tate and, per NBC News reporting, helped get Tate arrested after blabbing out his location.
Welp.
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Source: Prince Williams / Getty / Megan Thee Stallion
Start working out, strengthen your knees, and order your outfits. Megan Thee Stallion is coming to a city near you.
That’s right hotties, this summer will be a hot one, and we’re not just talking about the heat. Megan Thee Stallion is hitting the road for a national/international tour.
The summer tour announcement comes after the Houston rapper hinted that she was prepping for it. In a post on Instagram featuring a photo of Thee Stallion in a platinum thong bikini, the tour, which begins “mid May 2024,” will hit Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, and other US cities before heading across the pond to Glasgow, Manchester, Paris and more.
“HOTTIESSS GET READY TO COME HAVE SOME FUN WITH ME AT THEE HOT GIRL SUMMER TOUR.Get your outfits ready nowww! We getting started this MAY. I told you what cities today to get yall prepared! Check back in on thee 20th for official dates im so exciteddddd,” the caption for the IG post reads.
Megan Thee Stallion Is Booked & Busy
Megan Thee Stallion has been very busy. After reaching an agreement to part ways with 1501 Certified Entertainment, she secured a historic distribution deal with Warner Music Group and retained her masters.
She has also released two records: “Cobra,” in which she allegedly blasted her ex, Pardison Fontaine, for cheating, and “Hiss,” which caused Nicki Minaj and her extremely loyal fanbase to react epically.
Minaj responded with numerous rants on social media and her “Big Foot” diss record, which many considered a dud.
We’re just reporting here.
Megan Thee Stallion has also been a part of two major motion picture releases with Dicks and Mean Girls The All-New Movie.
Earlier this month, her blerd dreams came true when she went to Japan to host the Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
It will truly be the Hot Girl Summer the hotties have deserved for years, and we’re here for it.
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YesJulz is currently embroiled in a public back-and-forth with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, after being fired by the Chicago producer for reportedly violating an NDA agreement. YesJulz took to social media to share her side of the story along with sharing messages between her and YZY Chief of Staff Milo Yiannopoulos.
YesJulz, real name Julieanna Goddard, took to Twitter to share the story from her side after Ye announced her firing via Instagram with a post reading, “We have decided to no longer have YesJulz involved in the roll out of Vultures. All the activity on her page and with our fans in the past few days has been unauthorized.”
Adding to this, an email from Yiannopoulos announcing the firing and the issuance of a $7.7 million fine leaked to X, formerly Twitter, which sparked a flurry of comments from the popular influencer.
All of this seemingly stemmed from a Twitter Spaces chat Ms. Goddard held with fans of Ye and threw out some ideas that would operate under the YZY banner and further the brand’s reach. It appeared to be received well but things have changed in the days since the chat.
In a tweet responding to a tweet calling her firing unjust but also understandable considering the man behind the intellectual property, YesJulz made the first of many defenses of her actions.
From X:
Ye is up against the system
Having the discussion with fans
in an open forum setting was unconventional,
but it allowed for inclusivity
& open visibility
for an entire fan base to opt in,
give feedback, be heard, connect with one another to combine efforts
Which is what i feel is needed
For Ye to stay on top for these next two runs.
I was also given specific direction
to “rally” the fans, let them each lead their own chapters, activate within their locations- etc.
This was MY way of doing so.
I am not a conventional woman
& this is why i worked at the company i worked at in the first place.
I never wanted work done for free
I wanted to help the fans present
their work to Ye
So that he could hire them
Instead of stale ass losers who dont know the slightest thing about culture
like Ben Priest & Milo Pedofilist
To build his company for him
Anyone who has ever been in contact with me for as little as 5 minutes knows
The last thing id ever need to steal,
Is an idea.
I’d actually pay to have less as the amount of ideas i have overwhelm me daily.
Refer to my February tweets about hiring fans
Listen to the space.
Its very clear who i am
and what i stand for.
Goddard then went on a leaking spree, sharing internal messages from Yiannopoulos, who had some unsavory things to say. Check out the string of messages in the tweet below.
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Photo: Getty
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OJ da Juiceman, a past member of the XXL Freshmen class, was arrested earlier month in his home state of Georgia and subsequently arrested. Police found drugs and a handgun after pulling over OJ da Juiceman for speeding.
TMZ reports that OJ da Juiceman, 42, was pulled over for speeding in Coweta County, Ga. After giving a brief chase in his 2024 Ford Expedition, OJ, real name Otis Williams Jr., pulled off to the side where the discovery of cocaine and a 9mm handgun was made.
Along with the cocaine and other drugs charges, OJ also faces charges of fleeing cops, firearm possession, and failure to maintain his lane.
OJ was part of the 2010 XXL Freshmen class along with Nipsey Hu$$le, Wiz Khalifa, Pill, J. Cole, Freddie Gibbs, Jay Rock, Fashawn, Donnis, and Big Sean. He was once linked with Gucci Mane and his 1017 Brick Squad imprint before creating his independent label situation.
A court date has yet to be announced.
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Photo: Getty