State Champ Radio Hip Hop News
Page: 7
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Edward Berthelot / Getty
Any plans that Ye aka Kanye West might have on visiting Australia might be on hold as officials from that nation publicly suggest that he would be banned over his past anti-Semitic behavior.
According to reports, the artist has reportedly been eager to visit the country in recent days. The reasoning behind the potential trip is to visit the family of his new wife, Bianca Censori who grew up in Melbourne. This has sparked conversation among members of the government who have suggested that Ye would be denied entry due to his recent anti-Semitic comments.
Related Stories
“People like that who’ve applied for visas to get into Australia in the past have been rejected,” Minister for Education Jason Clare said in an interview with local network Channel Nine. “I expect that if he does apply he would have to go through the same process and answer the same questions that they did.” This was echoed by opposition leader Peter Dutton, who had been minister of immigration under the previous government. “His anti-Semitic comments are disgraceful, his conduct [and] his behavior are appalling,” Dutton told 3AW radio. “He’s not a person of good character and the minister has the ability to stop somebody coming into our country of bad character.”
Peter Wertheim, co-chief executive officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, met with the rest of the council members on Tuesday (Jan. 24th) to issue in writing their argument that they are opposed to Ye visiting. “We had a sympathetic hearing,” Wertheim said to reporters. “We’ve made the case that this particular individual does not meet the character test and that it would be in the national interest not to grant him a visa and we set out our reasons in some detail in that letter.”
There is precedent for Ye to be denied a visa by the Australian government over his comments and behavior, which falls under the purview of “good character”. Far-right figures have been denied visas, such as Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes who was banned in 2018 after a public outcry including a petition signed by 81,000 people. According to the Australian Citizenship Policy and the Migrant Act of 1958, “good character” is defined as behaving in an ethical manner and by the rules of the nation’s society once a visitor arrives and during their stay.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty
Dex, the son of pop star Cyndi Lauper, has announced an upcoming album with features from fellow rappers G-Eazy and Trippie Redd.
In an interview over the past weekend, the 25-year-old rapper spoke about the project while leaving Los Angeles International Airport for a promotional tour for the “F*** You Gumbo” cannabis brand that he’s involved with. He was asked about being perceived as a “nepo baby”, given that the pop legend Cyndi Lauper is his mother.
Related Stories
“If you know me personally, I grew up in Harlem bro. Me and my mom were split up when I was a kid. But we reconnected through music, which was kind of beautiful,” Dex responded casually. He continued: “I don’t complain about my story man. Everything is a blessing.” He was then asked if he’d ever do a track with the “Time After Time” singer. “I’ve got three or four records with my mom,” but demurred when asked if she’d be on his album. He did confirm that Trippie Redd and G-Eazy would be on his new project.
Dex revealed that his mom took him seriously as an artist when her label had worked to sign him onto the label without her having advance notice based on his previous appearances on G-Eazy’s Scary Nights album and being on tour with Sean Kingston. “From seeing that, she just went, ‘okay, he’s ready’”, he said. He’s also been highly protective of their relationship, exemplified in a post he made on his Instagram stories after appearing with her at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards with the caption: “Say what you want about me but keep my mother’s name out of your mouth. I couldn’t have asked god for a better mother.”
The rapper, also known as Declyn Lauper, had previously been in the news after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct last October in New York City. He was caught by police in a stolen Mercedes-Benz after leaving a memorial for a friend in Harlem in July. The dictates of the plea deal instructed him to complete five days of private community service and to remain out of trouble for a one-year period.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Shahar Azran / Getty
The Harlem Festival of Culture has released the details of their highly anticipated kickoff concert at the Apollo Theater with Lil Kim as the headliner.
On Thursday (Jan. 19), the festival board announced the details for “The Jump-Off With Lil Kim and Friends” concert. The show is slated to take place at the world-famous Apollo Theater Thursday, Jan. 26 coinciding with the legendary institution’s 89th anniversary. The event (named after one of her hit singles) will be Lil Kim’s first time as a headliner at The Apollo.
The bill will also feature Grammy Award-winning artist Ashanti, along with Remy Ma and Fivio Foreign, with more guests set to be announced later. “It’s going to be a night to remember to help kick off the Harlem Festival of Culture’s road to the Festival with some of my special friends,” the “Magic Stick” rapper said in the press release. “Apollo was like my backyard and I played there so much and every time it was always love. The crowd is always amazing!”
The concert is also the first event to launch HFC’s partnership with The Apollo in advance of the venue hosting Festival events this coming July. “We are thrilled to be in support of the Harlem Festival of Culture, this is a moment that will not only celebrate our Culture but provide a time to engage our beloved Harlem Community and all that it has provided to Global Culture,” said Kamilah Forbes, Executive Producer at The Apollo in the press release.
INFINITI was also announced as a presenter of the concert. “INFINITI is proud to celebrate the commencement of the Harlem Festival of Culture at the Apollo during what is sure to be a memorable evening,” Group Vice President at INFINITI Americas, Craig Keeys said. The Harlem Festival of Culture was created in April 2022 to capture the vibrant spirit of Harlem, and to build upon the energy and creativity that was expressed in the iconic Harlem Cultural Festival that took place in 1969.
That festival, regarded as a landmark moment in Black History, was reintroduced through the Academy-Award-winning documentary Summer of Soul (…Or When the Revolution Could Not be Televised) produced by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson of The Roots. Since its inception, the Harlem Festival of Culture has welcomed partners such as AMC Networks and ALL ARTS, and seminal artists such as New Edition’s Michael Bivins and Wyclef Jean on its boards.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Prince Williams / Getty
Veteran rapper Bun B took time to reflect on Jay-Z’s apparent usage of his lyrics for one of his hits and on their relationship in an interview.
The “Still Trill” rapper sat down as the guest on the most recent episode of the People’s Party with Talib Kweli podcast. At about the halfway mark the discussion soon turned to his feelings about the revelation that the first four lines of the third verse of Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” were taken from Bun B’s verse from the UGK song “Touched.” The track was on their iconic 1996 album Ridin’ Dirty. “99 Problems” would go on to be one of the standout hits from The Black Album.
“I feel like enough people know,” the Port Arthur, Texas native said. “But I don’t feel like it’s that big of a deal. I would call it mutual respect. We do this a lot in Hip-Hop, right? Where we have artists who have said, ‘Fuck that was dope, the way he said that.’ And sometimes you wanna pay homage to that wordplay. How many songs, Kweli, have you listened to and been like, ‘I woulda rhymed that last part like this.’”
He continued plainly: And I think that’s what happens. I think you feel like, ‘This is a dope rhyme, I don’t think enough people heard this shit. I’m finna drop this shit in here.’ Sometimes you take a dope rhyme and make it a hook, and then people gotta go back and figure it out. But nah, I don’t think a lot of people know that. I don’t think it’s a big deal that they don’t know. Or a big deal if they do.”
The Trill Burgers founder has often spoken about his connection with Jay-Z, dating back to Pimp C’s guest verse on “Big Pimpin” from Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter. In the years since Pimp C’s passing, Bun B has shared that his UGK partner had initial misgivings about appearing on the track out of respect for the late 2Pac.
“So, 2Pac was not a Jay-Z fan, this is very well-known,” Bun B said in another podcast interview. “Jay-Z had been introduced to UGK by a big DJ in New York named Clark Kent. And he’s like, ‘I like these guys, I wanna work with them.’ And Pimp C did not want to fuck with people that 2Pac did not fuck with, because he thought 2Pac was the best judge of character.”
Check out the entire podcast episode below.
[embedded content]
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Roy Rochlin / Getty
Rapper Lil Tjay’s mission to support fellow rapper Ice Spice ended with him in handcuffs as he was arrested on the way to her video shoot.
According to reports, officers from the New York Police Department conducted a car stop of a black Cadillac Escalade on Monday afternoon (Jan. 16th) at West 183rd Street and Ryer Avenue in the Bronx around 4 P.M. They reported that five men including Lil Tjay were in the vehicle and that four handguns were recovered. A passerby took video footage of the encounter, which was later shared on Twitter. He was reportedly en route to film the video for “Gangster Boo” with Ice Spice.
Lil Tjay, aka Tione Jayden Merritt, was arrested and taken to a local precinct. Representatives for the NYPD stated that the 21-year-old was charged with criminal possession of a firearm, along with the other men in the car. They had pulled the SUV over because it lacked a front license plate and had tinted windows.
Fellow Bronx native Ice Spice was also involved in an encounter with police officers nearby when she was pulled over on Walton Avenue, according to sources. The “Munch” rapper was not charged with anything and freed to go on her way, but her passenger, Markus Grisham, was arrested for criminal possession of a weapon. It was reported that he allegedly had a 9-millimeter handgun on his person when detained at the traffic stop.
The arrest is the latest bit of trouble for Lil Tjay, who was shot multiple times in an attempted robbery at a shopping plaza in Edgewater, New Jersey last June. The “Run It Up” rapper had to undergo emergency surgery, with concerns that the damage he sustained was life-threatening. He made a significant recovery to the point that he recorded and released the track “Beat The Odds” from his hospital bed.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Michael Tullberg / Getty
Soulja Boy called out the rap community after seeing Megan Thee Stallion receive little to no support in her case against Tory Lanez – but others have called him out over his own alleged history of abuse.
The “Crank That” rapper spoke out about the Grammy Award-winner and how silent many were in relation to Lanez’s treatment of her and the ensuing trial on social media. “Yall ni**as out here shooting bi**hes and ain’t nobody gone say nothing? I’m the only ni**a in the whole rap game that’s gonna say something? Ok, cool,” he said in an Instagram Live session.
[embedded content]
He continued his tirade, directly addressing the Brampton, Canada artist. “You want to shoot bi**hes in the feet ni**a? Yous a pu**y ni**a and when you get from jail ni**a you know where I’m at. You got a problem ni**a I’ll beat your bi**h a** ni**a. Don’t never rap over none of my beats, don’t never freestyle over none of my beats. You trash ni**a, your music trash, your career trash, your whole life trash.”
Tory Lanez was found guilty of assault with a semiautomatic handgun, discharging a firearm with gross negligence, and carrying a loaded and unregistered weapon last December. The charges stemmed from Megan Thee Stallion being shot after a verbal and physical altercation between her, her former friend Kelsey Harris and Lanez. The “Sorry 4 What” artist is facing a sentence of over 20 years in prison and deportation back to Canada.
While the passion behind Soulja Boy’s words was evident, there were some who questioned his sincerity as well as the timing. One Twitter user asked plainly, “Where was this energy the whole time you was doing features with him last year?”
Another called out the rapper for being hypocritical in the wake of reports of him allegedly abusing his former girlfriend, Nia Riley. The revelation sparked a back-and-forth exchange between Soulja Boy and her father, R&B legend Teddy Riley. The rapper was also accused—by another woman who was a former personal assistant—of allegedly kidnapping her and beating her, leaving her with cracked ribs and a concussion.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: MEGA / Getty
Ye fka Kanye West is apparently out of hiding, having been spotted driving with a mystery woman recently over the weekend.
According to reports, the controversial artist was captured in public for the first time in several weeks on Sunday (Jan. 9th). Photographs captured Ye driving a Maybach automobile in Beverly Hills, California while in the company of an unidentified blonde woman. Both were then seen exiting the vehicle at the Waldorf Astoria hotel on Wilshire Boulevard. The rapper was also recently spotted attending a church in the area over the past weekend. He was apparently having a conversation with another church attendee, who was unidentified.
There was speculation about Ye’s whereabouts after his former business manager, Thomas St. John, declared that he had gone missing. St. John was looking for the 45-year-old because he intended to serve papers suing Ye for unpaid fees amounting to $4.5 million, but he didn’t have an address. He first attempted to serve the YEEZUS rapper in late December and was in court seeking an extension until March. Further revelations from the filing state that “we were advised about a new law firm for defendants, but not a specific point of contact.”
These sightings come as Ye is still mired in controversy over his string of antisemitic comments which began in October of last year. His spiral continued as he was seen in the company of white supremacist Nick Fuentes, leading to an infamous dinner with former President Donald Trump at his Mar-A-Lago estate in late November of last year. The dinner would later be described by Ye as “tense” because Trump made disparaging comments about Kim Kardashian, his ex-wife. Adding to that, Ye publicly declared an affinity for Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler while appearing on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ podcast a week later which drew more outrage.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Unique Nicole / Getty
With his release from prison on the horizon, 03 Greedo is in a celebratory mood as his latest mixtape hits the streets.
According to reporting, Jason Jackson aka 03 Greedo is set to be released from prison this week. The information was based on a filing by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which was shared by reporter Jeff Weiss on Twitter Sunday night (Jan. 8). Representatives for 03 Greedo were contacted by other press outlets with no official response returned.
The news comes as the Los Angeles, California rapper released a new mixtape entitled Free 03 at midnight Monday (Jan. 9). The 14-track project was produced by fellow LA native Mike Free and is his latest since Load It Up Vol. 01, which was done in collaboration with RONRONTHEPRODUCER and released in 2021.
This time around, the mixtape features include OHGeesy on “I Can’t Control Myself” and BlueBucksClan on “Pourin.” The mixtape even includes a verse from the late Drakeo The Ruler on the track “No Free Features.” It continues a long-time collaborative partnership and friendship. Drakeo’s death backstage at the Once Upon A Time in LA Festival in December 2021 affected Greedo deeply.
“I wake up every day wishing I made parole so I could convinced you to move out of LA with me and focus on the music,” he wrote on his Instagram account in January 2022.
03 Greedo has been serving a 20-year sentence on firearm and drug charges in Texas. In 2016, the rapper was stopped on a highway and his vehicle was searched, with deputies finding two stolen pistols and methamphetamines. Facing a 300-year sentence for possession of a controlled substance and weapons, Greedo took a plea deal.
His co-defendant, Justin Scott, received probation as his lawyers successfully argued that officers only found the drugs and weapons as an illegal stop-and-search. The original release date for 03 Greedo was set for 2038, with the earliest possibility of him receiving parole being the year 2026.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Jay L. Clendenin / Getty
The man alleged to have shot and killed Migos member Takeoff last November is now out of jail thanks to a hefty bond being posted.
According to reports, Patrick Xavier Clark was released from the Harris County jail on Wednesday (Jan. 4). His bond was set at $1 million. Clark is set to appear back in court March 9 to stand trial for the murder of Kirshnik Khari Ball, aka Takeoff, one-third of the Atlanta, Grammy Award-nominated group Migos.
The 33-year-old had initially received a bond of $2 million after his arrest by law enforcement Dec. 1. Clark’s lawyers, Letitia Quinones and Carl Moore argued that the bond amount was excessive and unconstitutional. Under the law in Texas, bond amounts are set to ensure that defendants make their date in court and not to confine them unnecessarily if they’re unable to financially post bail. Clark had also surrendered his passport, no longer making him a flight risk.
The conditions of Clark’s release according to court records stipulate that he remains on house arrest. He’s also mandated to wear a GPS monitor to track his movements and cannot have any contact with individuals involved with the shooting investigation. This includes veteran music executive J Prince and his family, along with the family of Takeoff. He is also barred from possessing deadly weapons.
Clark was arrested after Houston police determined he was the prime suspect due to surveillance footage from that night as well as other evidence including his fingerprints that were found on a bottle at the scene. The allegation against Clark is that he pulled out a gun and fired after an argument over a dice game that fellow Migos member (and Takeoff’s uncle) Quavo was involved in outside of a bowling alley. Takeoff was struck in the head and torso and died at the scene, with police deeming him an innocent bystander.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
Waka Flocka Flame opens up about the shooting death of TakeOff as well as his thoughts on YSL in an interview with Shannon Sharpe.
The veteran rapper sat down as a guest on the latest episode of the Club Shay Shay podcast hosted by the former National Football League Hall of Famer and spoke about his career and success. The conversation soon turned to the allegations of Gunna accepting a plea deal to be released from jail in relation to the case of racketeering brought against Young Thug and his YSL crew.
“We see Gunna is gonna get released, he pled to racketeering, gang charges. People say he snitched,” Sharpe began. That led Waka to shrug his shoulders and respond, “I don’t know.” Sharpe said, “but you know the feds” to which the Flockaveli rapper said, “I know of ’em.” He continued to talk about Young Thug and Gunna: “God bless their situation, man. I hope they learn from it. I hope they’ll be bigger and better people for it.”
The talk soon pivoted at the 35-minute mark to Sharpe asking Waka Flocka Flame about the rise in rap-related murders within the past few years. He mentioned several artists before mentioning Takeoff, the beloved member of the Migos group who was shot and killed outside of a bowling alley in downtown Houston, Texas last November.
“I can’t tell you why, and I never want to speak on nobody’s death, but I could tell you this: when God blesses you, you have to change your ways, you have to evolve — you have to,” Flocka stated. “I could just say wrong place, wrong time for these guys.”
Sharpe swiftly responded, “So, in other words, once you ascend to a certain level, you gotta leave that alone,” referencing the argument over the dice game Quavo was involved in which led to the shooting that claimed Takeoff’s life. “Oh yeah, I don’t roll dice,” Waka stated. “With all respect, why would I roll dice with somebody that ain’t in my tax bracket? It’s liable that some shit could happen.”
Check out the entire interview below.
[embedded content]
