Hip Hop News
Page: 8
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]
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty
Snoop Dogg is embracing a new chapter in the journey of Death Row as he and the vaunted label launch a new strain of cannabis.
The launch of Death Row Cannabis was announced on social media Thursday (Dec. 29). In an Instagram post, the classic Death Row logo created by graffiti artist Eric Haze was animated by artist Mylaramen, this time with the prisoner having one hand freed up to take a pull on a heavy joint as his hood is pulled back further. The striking visuals were accompanied by a soundtrack by producer and longtime Death Row Records collaborator DJ Battlecat.
“Promising to return Death Row to its former glory, all elements of the former label are being refitted for today’s audience and their evolving tastes,” said the company in a press release. The launch also provided the public with a look at the first drop which will come in limited-edition metallic bags carrying the Death Row Cannabis logo featuring that same prisoner smoking up with a free hand. The cannabis strains that are anticipated to be in the initial drop include familiar ones such as the Runtz strain and Strawberry Gary.
As reported by High Times, the main cultivator behind the new cannabis brand is AK, who was hand-selected by Snoop Dogg himself.” AK is responsible for being a legacy cultivator of many premium brands of cannabis, launching the SMKRS platform. He is also the Vice President of Cultivation for TRP LLC, the cannabis retail and distribution company which is also a majority owner of the Cookies dispensary stores across the United States. This includes their growing facilities in Florida. The first drop is slated to occur Jan. 2, 2023, at Cookies California locations in Brentwood, San Diego and San Bernardino. Other locations and other states will be announced afterward.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Prince Williams / Getty
21 Savage received a great honor as the state of Georgia issued a proclamation officially giving him his own day while he was at a charity event.
On Wednesday (Dec. 21), the rapper was at the Wade Walker Family YMCA in Stone Mountain, Georgia for the fourth annual Grant-A-Wish event. The holiday function saw 100 local parents and their children attend, receiving gifts and snacks courtesy of the artist’s nonprofit Leading By Example Foundation. 21 Savage was surprised at the event by Georgia State Representative Billy Mitchell as part of a ceremony declaring Dec. 21 to be known as “21 Savage Day” going forward permanently in Georgia.
Related Stories
During the proclamation ceremony, which also had 21 Savage’s mother Heather Carmillia Joseph and other family members in attendance, Mitchell detailed how the “Rich Flex” artist has been an ardent supporter of the community for years.
Source: Prince Williams / Getty
“We have a very special honor. So special, it goes into the law books of Georgia,” Mitchell began. “It will be forever recognized in the annals of history of Georgia, and it starts out recognizing December 21, 2022 as 21 Savage Day… [We] will be proclaiming the date as 21 Savage Day in recognition of rapper Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph… and his extraordinary philanthropic efforts.”
The artist had recently created the “21 Savage Bank Account” campaign with the Get Schooled organization. The campaign was created to promote better financial literacy among young people by encouraging them to open bank accounts and save for college, which saw 21 scholarships of $1,000 each awarded to qualified students. The British-born star has also donated money to provide immigrants with legal counsel.
In addition, 21 Savage has also partnered with Chime through the Leading By Example Foundation last year to revitalize a basketball court at Parkway-Wabash Park in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood. That event also saw the rapper take part in a panel discussion about embracing financial literacy and gaining the tools necessary for better money management. The honor adds to the accolades that the 21’s been receiving of late, thanks to Her Loss, his recent collaboration album with.
Pre-trial hearings continue in Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Related Images:
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Mary DeCicco / Getty
Meek Mill announced that he plans to deactivate his Twitter account, and cited a need to find a new platform with “more good vibes.”
The “Dreams & Nightmares” rapper fired off his farewell on Sunday afternoon (Dec. 18), causing a number of fans to raise eyebrows at the move. In that last tweet, Meek explained his motivation to leave the platform. “Ima deactivate Twitter forever and go to a new social where it’s more good vibes based off building, creating and motivation,” he wrote. “Whoever run my shit turn this off forever … ima takeover my YouTube account to replace me interacting with supports! Too many bots and weird people.”
Related Stories
Shortly after the tweet was sent, the Philly native officially deactivated his account. He still has his YouTube account as well as his Instagram account to connect with the public. Currently, he has 23 million followers engaged with him on that social media platform.
Twitter has been in turmoil since tech billionaire Elon Musk acquired it for $44 billion in October. Meek Mill had notably made a public pitch to Musk to get a stake in the bid to buy the social media platform back in May. “Elon musk let us invest in Twitter with you ‘big homie,’” he wrote on May 5. The South African-born founder of Tesla, who is usually quick to reply on Twitter, didn’t answer Meek’s request. Diddy was later revealed to be one of the investors who helped the acquisition go through.
Meek Mill has also been vocal about his displeasure with Twitter and with Instagram in the past. The MMG artist expressed his frustration in August, claiming that Instagram was “shadow banning” his account in addition to controlling the amount of exposure his posts were getting. “Been on these apps 10 years 7 days a week … you can tell they being controlled,” he wrote at the time. “I could post 10 phones with different account won’t see my post until the next day what is that? And it’s on all my homies pages too?”