State Champ Radio Hip-Hop
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50 Cent is the latest artist to speak out about Kanye West’s recent spree of antisemitic hate speech. In an appearance on Hot 97’s Ebro in the Morning show on Tuesday (Oct. 19), Curtis said that Ye is flirting with treacherous territory with the comments the rapper/entrepreneur has made in a series of interviews in which he has repeatedly amplified antisemitic tropes.
“I think he’s in a dangerous area,” 50 said. “I forgive him for the things that he said, because I’ve already identified when something’s going on that I don’t understand.” 50 said that such outrageous, button-pushing behavior has become the norm for Ye, pointing to the provocative “White Lives Matter” shirt West has worn recently as another example of his desire to provoke.
“There’s nothing for me to say about it, though. I watch it take place and I just look and I go, ‘Okay… yeah,’ that’s just him doing what he does. What Kanye would do,” 50 said. “Even the original Trump support thing was a little out there for me. Everybody looks at things, they navigate things differently. One week it’s, ‘I don’t want my kids raised by a white woman,’ and the next week it’s ‘I wanna go home.’ So you don’t know exactly what he means… Crazy’s unpredictable, unpredictability’s entertaining.”
But, 50 added, when you start to get into “certain areas,” it become harder to have compassion for what Ye is saying, because “he’s not crazy where he doesn’t know what he’s saying. He knows exactly what he’s saying.” In July 2020 West’s ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, opened up about his struggle with bi-polar disorder in a series of lengthy Instagram Stories.
“He is a brilliant but complicated person who on top of the pressures of being an artist and a black man, who experienced the painful loss of his mother, has to deal with the pressure and isolation that is heightened by his bi-polar disorder,” she wrote, noting that it was the first time she had addressed how his bipolar disorder impacted their family life. “Those who are close with Kanye know his heart and understand his words some times do not align with his intentions.”
As someone who is known for speaking his mind very directly, 50 was asked how he handles his business when he feels wronged and considers burning everything to the ground to make a point. Curtis told the Ebro crew that he thinks what’s motivating Ye’s recent behavior is “coming from business. The Gap deal falling apart and him being angry with Adidas,” he said of two of Ye’s recent fashion collaborations melting down after disagreements over designs, business plans and West’s allegations that his Yeezy brand retail roll-out did not take place as expected.
If it was him, 50 said he’d work to reinvent those deals in a new way, instead of focusing on “venting.” Taking a step back, 50 speculated that Ye’s recent outbursts are in the vein of attention-seeking “look at me” behavior, before suggesting that West is also struggling to retain his music audience. “You can’t have [fame] forever. It’s hip-hop. You can have a moment, you can have a run. But you can’t have it forever. It’s not possible,” he said.
Ye’s antisemitic comment have been widely panned by a number of fellow artists, even as he is reportedly in talks to buy the conservative social media site Parler, a popular destination for supporters of former president Donald Trump and, according to NPR, “a hotbed of vaccine misinformation, bigotry and right-wing conspiracies.”
Watch 50’s interview below.
MOBO Award-winning artist Stefflon Don has entered into a global recording partnership with BMG, Billboard has learned exclusively.
The Jamaica-via-London MC will release her debut studio album, Island 54, in 2023.
Among the forthcoming album’s tracks will be “Clockwork” featuring dancehall superstar Spice. The single was produced by Grammy-winning Beam (Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, Pop Smoke), while its accompanying video counts five million views on YouTube.
In a statement announcing her new partnership, Stefflon Don said, “I’m excited about partnering with BMG because they trust my creativity. They have an amazing support team across the globe, and I am super excited to expand my fan base alongside my new family BMG.”
Tim Reid, BMG’s senior vp of repertoire & marketing, stated, “Stefflon Don is a unique artist who has already accomplished so much on a global scale, collaborating with some of the biggest names in music while gaining equal acclaim on her solo projects. We are incredibly excited to partner with her on the next chapter of her musical career.”
Added Thomas Scherer, BMG’s president of repertoire & marketing, Los Angeles and New York, said, “Stefflon Don is an artist who knows exactly what she wants to achieve, and we are happy to be part of her journey towards this. Our partnership expands on a string of recent BMG signings with artists who desire more control of their music with our global team fully supporting them in exceeding their goals.”
Prior to upcoming album Island 54, Stefflon Don released the mixtapes Real Ting and Secure. Breaking through in 2017 with the singles “16 Shots” and “Hurtin’ Me” featuring French Montana, she has since collaborated with a diverse array of artists, among them Future, Lil Baby, J Balvin, Mariah Carey, Halsey and DJ Khaled.
Stefflon Don’s more recent collaborations include DJ Frass’ “Sweet Bounce,” “Dip” with Ms Banks, “Amazing” with Vybz Kartel and Dunw3ll as well as Calvin Harris’ “Woman of the Year” with Chloe Bailey and Coi Leray.
The first British female rapper to be featured on Spotify’s Rap Caviar playlist, Stefflon Don also performed for the first-ever UEFA Women’s Euro Final show this year. Her other career milestones thus far also include being recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2019.
Nicki Minaj isn’t done lashing out at the Recording Academy for moving her hit “Super Freaky Girl” out of the Grammy’s rap category and placing it in a pop one. “The Grammys is having blogs post that Variety article to distract you from the fact that ‘SUPER FREAKY GIRL’ was unfairly moved from the rap category while other poppy rap songs remain in the RAP CATEGORY,” Minaj wrote in an Instagram Story on Tuesday morning (Oct. 18).
“They’re having blogs post that I pulled a ‘stunt’ and that it worked b/c ‘Do We Have a Problem’ is being submitted in rap categories,” she continued about the earlier single that debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in February. “But what does ‘SFG’ have to do with “DWHAP????” In an earlier slide in Tuesday’s Story, Minaj displayed what appeared to be a post from The Shade Room blog chronicling the first time Minaj called out the Grammys for moving the song, noting that “it looks like the stunt may have gotten their attention.”
The post then cited a recent Variety story that reported that Grammy voters who’ve received their ballots “reportedly say that Nicki is in contention in the best rap performance category for another song of hers.” Responding to that Shade Room post, Nicki wrote, “This is gaslighting @ it’s finest & even this post specifically, @theshaderoom is not posting that part of my live. This is done constantly to make ppl look ‘crazy.’”
At press time a spokesperson for the Recording Academy had not returned requests for comment on Minaj’s post.
A third slide found Minaj continuing her rant against the category switch, with the rapper writing, “It was done to decrease my chances of winning awards for ‘Super Freaky Girl.’ It was done to remove me from the category that they don’t want COMPETITION in!!!!!!! They are all scared to death of the success of that song & thought it would be super EASY for them (like it’s been for the last few years) but ‘SFG’ is such a global smash, certain members are AFRAID to keep it in the competition.”
Last week Minaj hit out at the Recording Academy after it was reported that “Super Freaky Girl” — which her team submitted to the Grammy’s rap categories — was moved to a pop one after the Recording Academy’s rap committee overturned the submission, according to a story in The Hollywood Reporter. “That group determined that Minaj’s playful and pop-sounding song sampling Rick James’ 1981 classic ‘Super Freak’ should compete for best pop solo performance instead of rap awards,” THR reported.
It’s worth noting that MC Hammer also sampled Rick James’ “Super Freak” for “U Can’t Touch This,” which won the best rap solo performance Grammy back in 1991.
“Super Freaky Girl” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in August and has spent eight weeks atop Billboard’s hot rap songs chart. Minaj has suggested that the category switch was part of a broader agenda to celebrate rising rap artists over veterans. In 2017, Drake’s “Hotline Bling” took best rap song and best rap/sung collaboration, Minaj pointed out, though even Drake himself admitted it was a pop number.
On the flip side, Minaj said last week that the same rules applied to Latto’s pop-leaning “Big Energy.” “Now, let’s say that ‘Super Freaky Girl’ is a pop song. Let’s just say that, right. What is ‘Big Energy?’ If ‘Super Freaky Girl’ is a pop song, what song is ‘Big Energy.’ What genre is ‘Big Energy?,’” Minaj tweeted.
“If you can’t tell by now that there is a concerted effort to give newer artists things that they really don’t deserve, over people who have been deserving for many years, then you’re not paying attention,” Minaj continued. “And soon female rap will really not have any black women. If you pay attention, you’ll see, you’ll understand.”
The Recording Academy doesn’t reveal reasons when its screening committees relocate tracks into categories other than those that eligible recordings were submitted in, THR noted. The general ballot, which can include thousands of submissions in a single category, isn’t released to the public.
Two people were shot and others were injured as they fled gunfire that broke out at a North Carolina college homecoming concert featuring rapper Asian Doll (also known as Asian Da Brat) on Saturday night (Oct. 15), officials said.
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Officers called to the campus of Livingstone College in Salisbury around 11 p.m. found two people shot and others who were hurt as attendees fled the gunfire, city officials said in a statement.
Video footage from the concert shows that a fight broke out while Asian Doll was on stage. One person, who isn’t a Livingstone student, then fired one or more shots, police and school officials said in a joint statement.
A male victim with a gunshot wound was flown to Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte, where he was in stable condition, and a female victim with a graze wound was treated at a local hospital and released, city spokesperson Linda McElroy said in a text on Sunday afternoon. She could not say whether the victims were adults.
No arrests had been made, McElroy said.
Livingstone, a private, historically Black school, is located in Salisbury, which is about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northeast of Charlotte.
The school’s priority is to ensure students’ mental health and evaluate public safety measures to create a safe environment, Livingstone President Dr. Anthony J. Davis said in a statement. The college is cooperating with police as they investigate, he said.
Live from New York, it’ll be Jack Harlow on Saturday Night Live on Oct. 29.
Harlow will serve as both host and musical guest, SNL announced during this weekend’s show.
“HOSTINGGGGGG SNL,” he wrote on Instagram, sharing the big news.
Harlow follows fellow artist Megan Thee Stallion in most recently pulling double duty as host and musical guest. You can see a roundup of the best of Meg’s SNL skits here, and her performances here.
Earlier this month, Harlow got some late-night television time in with Jimmy Fallon, co-hosting The Tonight Show.
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His Come Home the Kids Miss You album, released in May, reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and earned the Louisville rapper a No. 1 single with “First Class.”
Check out SNL‘s post announcing Harlow below.
Kanye West is stirring up more controversy with part three of his interview on Drinks Champs.
The 45-year-old fashion mogul and rapper, who now goes by Ye, spoke with hosts N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN about numerous topics during the nearly 45-minute conversation, including his theories about George Floyd’s death, how Jewish people control media and entertainment, Drake‘s success in hip-hop, and much more.
Ye, who recently attended the premiere of conservative commentator Candace Owens’ new film, The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM, said he believes Floyd’s death was caused by fentanyl and not by suffocation from a police officer’s knee.
“I watched the George Floyd documentary that Candace Owens put out. One of the things that his two roommates said was they want a tall guy like me, and the day that he died, he said a prayer for eight minutes,” the rapper said. “They hit him with the fentanyl. If you look, the guy’s knee wasn’t even on his neck like that.”
Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in May 2020 after he knelt on Floyd’s neck, which ultimately resulted in the man’s death.
Ye also compared Floyd to late fashion designer Virgil Abloh. “This white company Louis Vuitton is now making statues of him as a martyr, and we don’t know why exactly [he died], they said it was cancer,” he said.
The Drink Champs interview follows a whirlwind of controversy that Ye has faced in recent weeks, including his removal from Twitter and Instagram for a string of anti-Semitic posts, along with backlash from his “White Lives Matter” shirt at Paris Fashion Week.
Elsewhere in the lengthy chat, Ye argued that he’s not anti-Semitic because he’s also a Jew as the “blood of Christ.” He also went off on Jewish people controlling the media and entertainment, and blamed “Jewish Zionists” for sensational articles about his ex-wife Kim Kardashian and her former boyfriend Pete Davidson.
“Jewish people have owned the Black voice,” Ye said. “Either it’s through us wearing the Ralph Lauren shirt, or it’s all of us being signed to a record label, or having a Jewish manager, or being signed to a Jewish basketball team, or doing a movie on a Jewish platform like Disney. I respect what the Jewish people have done, and how they brought their people together.”
The rapper also claimed that four concerts he had scheduled at Los Angeles’ So-Fi Stadium were canceled by stadium owners after his “Death Con 3” tweet.
“They been f—ing with me for too long,” Ye said. “They put the crazy narrative out there.” He added, “Paparazzi taking a photo of you, you ain’t getting no money off of it. You’re used to getting screwed by the Jewish media.”
Ye also touched on Drake’s successful career in hip-hop, calling the Canadian MC “the greatest rapper ever. “I don’t apologize about it,” said the rapper, who was previously beefing Drizzy.
Watch Ye’s Drink Champs interview on Revolt TV’s website.
Megan Thee Stallion showcased her comedy skills while pulling double duty as host and musical guest during Saturday Night Live on Oct. 15.
The 27-year-old Houston rapper opened the iconic NBC sketch comedy show with a fiery monologue in which she addressed all of her various monikers. “If you know me, then you know I go by more than one name,” Meg said, rattling off titles like Tina Snow, the Hot Girl Coach and the H-Town Hottie. “And if you’re one of my many, many haters, I’m probably, ugh, ‘That B—-.’”
She also playfully bragged about being a good actress and even demonstrated her best British accent. “Alright, check this out. Put me in Bridgerton, b—-,” said the rapper, who recently made a cameo in the Disney+ show She Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Elsewhere on SNL, Megan appeared in numerous hilarious sketches, ranging from a dismissive nurse in a hospital dedicated to “bad b—es” (the rapper actually received a health administration degree in in 2021) to a twerking workout coach helping those who haven’t been “butt blessed.” She also appeared in a pre-recorded musical sketch where three strangers awkwardly get stuck together in a club.
In between skits, Meg delivered three tracks from her August-released sophomore album, Traumazine, which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. She started by channeling a beauty pageant with “Anxiety,” and followed with rocked-up versions of “NDA” and “Plan B.”
Though this marked Meg’s first time hosting SNL, she previously appeared on sketch comedy program as a musical guest in 2020 to perform her hit songs “Savage” and “Don’t Stop.”
Jack Harlow will be the next artist to pull double duty as host and musical guest when he takes over SNL on Oct. 29.
Watch some of Megan Thee Stallion’s best moments while hosting SNL below, and see the full episode on Hulu here. The streaming service is currently offering a 30-day free trial, which you can sign up for here. The show is also live streamed on Peacock.
Megan Thee Stallion Monologue
“Hot Girl Hospital”
“We Got Brought”
“Workout Class”
“Women’s Charity”
“Deer”
“Girl Talk”
“Classroom”
Megan Thee Stallion expertly delivered songs from her latest album while pulling double duty as host and musical guest during Saturday Night Live on Oct. 15.
In between her hilarious sketches, the 27-year-old superstar rapper performed three tracks from her August-released sophomore album, Traumazine, which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200.
For her first song, with an introduction by SNL cast member Bowen Yang, Meg channeled a beauty pageant while performing “Anxiety.” With a large tiara set as the backdrop, the rapper donned a beautiful red sequence dress while wearing a white sash that read “Miss Anxiety.” She was backed by numerous dancers who also wore sashes with such messages as “Overworked,” “Underpaid,” “Insecure,” “Overwhelmed” and “Overlooked.”
Megan returned later in the show, this time introduced by SNL‘s Kenan Thompson, for a medley of “NDA” and “Plan B.” The in-your-face performance launched with an arena-rock intro from a full band as Megan addressed her “SNL Hotties” and “Hotties at home” before blasting through the opening lines of “NDA.” Dressed in all black and sporting a pair of dark sunglasses, the rapper later transitioned into a rocked-up version of “Plan B.”
Though this marked Meg’s first time hosting SNL, she previously appeared on sketch comedy program as a musical guest in 2020 to perform her hit songs “Savage” and “Don’t Stop.”
A day before her SNL appearance, Megan noted on social media that she would be taking some time off after the show. TMZ reported that the rapper’s Los Angeles home was broken into and more than $300,000 worth of personal property was stolen. “Hotties im really sorry but after SNL I really gotta take a break I’m so tired, physically and emotionally,” she wrote on Twitter.
Watch Megan Thee Stallion’s SNL performances below, and see the full episode on Hulu here. The streaming service is currently offering a 30-day free trial, which you can sign up for here. The show is also live streamed on Peacock.
Beyoncé sent a beautiful birthday card and gift to Cardi B, who celebrated her 30th birthday this week.
Cardi B shared a look at some pretty flowers to her Instagram Stories on Friday (Oct. 14), a few days after her Oct. 11 birthday. On top of the gift was a card opened to reveal a sweet message inside, which Beyoncé simply signed with “B.”
Bey’s note on the card said: “Cardi, Happy Birthday! I hope you had a beautiful day. All my love. God Bless, B.”
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“B—!!! Thank you @beyonce,” wrote Cardi, who rang in her 30th on Tuesday night with a burlesque-themed party at Los Angeles. Husband Offset, Tiffany Haddish, Chloe and Halle Bailey and Jamie Foxx were among the stars who took part in the festivities.
Offset gifted his wife a rare Richard Mille watch.
“Made it to 30 with 2 cribs, 6 whips, multiple properties and bless kids,” she said earlier this week.
Last month, Beyoncé sent Cardi a handwritten note across the top of a vinyl copy of her Renaissance album. Cardi said she was going to preserve it “in a glass frame with laser beams on it.”
“To: Cardi B,” Bey had written. “Hard working, beautiful and talented queen, thank you for always supporting me. Sending so much love to you and yours. Respect, Beyoncé.”
Check out Cardi’s latest Instagram Story about Beyoncé here, and see the clip embedded in the fan tweet below.
Beyoncé sent Cardi B flowers for her Birthday❤️“Happy Birthday! I hope you had a beautiful day. All my love. God bless, B” pic.twitter.com/ZrgxZBkYKq— Cardi B Updates (@BardiGangUpdate) October 15, 2022
Megan Thee Stallion is “excited AF” for her SNL gig, but planning to take some time off after it’s done.
The rapper is in New York City, pulling double duty as host and musical guest on Saturday night’s (Oct. 15) episode. The day before, TMZ reported that her Los Angeles home was broken into and more than $300,000 worth of personal property was stolen.
“Wow,” she wrote on Twitter Friday night, presumably responding to the alleged burglary. “Material things can be replaced but I’m glad everyone is safe.”“Hotties im really sorry but after SNL I really gotta take a break I’m so tired, physically and emotionally,” she said in her next tweet.
Saturday night will be Meg’s first time hosting SNL, but second time appearing as the official musical guest. As the musical guest in 2020, she performed her hits “Savage” and “Don’t Stop.” This time around, she’s expected to play songs from her sophomore album, 2022’s Traumazine, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200.
See Megan’s latest tweets below and a series of hot pink “SNL DAY” photos on Instagram here.
Material things can be replaced but I’m glad everyone is safe 💙🙏🏾— TINA SNOW (@theestallion) October 14, 2022
Hotties im really sorry but after SNL I really gotta take a break I’m so tired, physically and emotionally— TINA SNOW (@theestallion) October 14, 2022
