State Champ Radio Hip-Hop
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A Manhattan judge on Tuesday (June 20) sentenced rapper and podcaster Taxstone to 35 years in prison following his conviction earlier this year on manslaughter charges over his 2016 fatal shooting of rapper Troy Ave’s bodyguard during a T.I. concert at Irving Plaza.
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Taxstone, whose real name is Daryl Campbell, was convicted in March of shooting and killing 33-year-old Ronald “Banga” McPhatter and seriously injuring three others – a crime that prosecutors said stemmed from Taxstone’s longstanding feud with rapper Troy Ave, whose real name Roland Collins.
“Daryl Campbell used a firearm to target his rival, which led to loss of a life and serious injuries to innocent bystanders,” District Attorney Bragg said in a statement Tuesday. “Gun violence cannot be used as a way to address conflict. The toll of guns continues to be staggeringly high and it is horrific that a night out at a concert ended tragically.”
Campbell’s lawyer, Kenneth Montgomery, told Billboard in a brief statement that his client would be appealing the conviction: “Justice wasn’t served,” Montgomery said.
Prosecutors say that Campbell, best known for his Tax Season podcast, confronted Collins in the green room at Irving Plaza on May 25, 2016, shortly before Collins was set to open for T.I. He allegedly shot McPhatter in the chest, fatally wounding him, before shooting Collins in both legs during a struggle for the gun. A man and a woman were also allegedly hit, seriously wounding both.
According to prosecutors, the incident came after years of escalating feuding on social media and podcasts. “When I see you walking up with six dudes, bang-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba,” Campbell said of Collins. Collins responded with a diss track: “Twitter fingers, how many times ya gonna tweet me? I’m always on the flier, guess you too scared to meet me.”
Campbell was eventually arrested on federal guns charges in January 2017, after federal prosecutors said his DNA was found on a handgun that was used in the shooting. After he pleaded guilty to those charges, he was arrested by New York authorities in July 2017 and charged with the shooting itself.
In March, a New York jury found him guilty of manslaughter in the first degree, two counts of assault in the first degree, one count of assault in the second degree and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.
Avril Lavigne and Tyga have called it quits after their spring fling. Billboard confirmed reports on Tuesday (June 20) that the couple who began dating three months ago have broke up, with a source close to the two saying that they have “mutually decided to part ways” and remain “great friends.” Billboard has reached out to both artist’s teams for additional comment.
The 38-year-old “Sk8er Boi” singer and 33-year-old “Rack City” MC were first spotted together in February, just days before Lavigne ended her engagement to singer/producer Mod Sun after less than a year.
A short time later, Lavigne and Tyga (born Michael Ray Nguyen-Stevenson) were photographed on a Paris getaway during Paris Fashion Week, with People reporting at the time that Avril was rocking a custom $80,000, 50 carat black and white diamond necklace — with pink sapphires spelling out her name — that was a gift from the rapper.
Avril was seen kissing Tyga at the Mugler X Hunter Schafer party during Fashion week, not long after they were photographed eating dinner at Nobu in Malibu, California. Then, a few days later, they made it Instagram official with a series of pics from the City of Light in which they posed side-by-side in all black leather and dark shades.
The couple’s public debut seemed to catch former fiancé Mod Sun (born Derek Smith) by surprise.
“In 1 week my entire life completely changed…I just know there’s a plan for it all. I’ll keep my head up + always listen to my heart, even when it feels broken,” he wrote alongside a carousel of photos and videos posted to his Instagram feed on Feb. 28. And while his caption did not specifically mention Lavigne, Billboard confirmed at the time that he was referring to their split. “Being surrounded by love every night on tour has been an absolute blessing. I have the best friends in the entire world, thanks for always having my back. See you on stage.”
Lavigne, 38, announced her engagement to Mod Sun in an April 2022 Instagram post, revealing that he popped the question at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The “Bite Me” singer was previously married to Sum 41 singer/guitarist Deryck Whibley for three years and Nickelback singer Chad Kroeger for two years. Tyga, 33, has a child (King Cairo) with his ex, Blac Chyna, and has been linked to Kylie Jenner, Iggy Azalea, Bella Poarch and Amina Blue, among others.
A new song by XXXTentacion has officially dropped five years after the rapper’s death.
On Sunday (June 18), Columbia Records released “I’m Not Human,” featuring Lil Uzi Vert, to mark the fifth anniversary of X’s murder on June 18, 2018. The somber track was previously teased in late January on what would’ve been his 25th birthday.
X’s longtime producer John Cunningham shared some touching words in conjunction with the release of “I’m Not Human.”
“When I was living with Jah in Florida in 2018 we would spend most days in his room, me playing guitar and him singing, and the day he first sang ‘I’m not human’ as I was playing that guitar part we both looked at each other and cracked a smile, knowing it was special,” Cunningham said in a statement.
“We listened back to the voice memo he recorded and talked about finishing it, but the few times that we tried recording vocals in the studio the feeling was never the same and he always preferred the original voice memo which is why we chose to keep it in the official version of the song.”
Cunningham continued, “The conversation with Uzi about finding the right time and the right song for a posthumous release with Jahseh dates back to late 2018 before the release of SKINS. Uzi came to Florida, played basketball with X’s little brother Aidan, listened to the album with Cleo and I, but eventually they felt it wasn’t the right time for a song and it was agreed that we would rather wait for something to feel right rather than force it. Year later I’m happy to say the right time and right song aligned after Cleo and Uzi reconnected in late 2022.”
XXXTentacion, born Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy, was fatally shot during an armed robbery in Deerfield Beach, Fla., at the age of 20. The MC rose to fame on SoundCloud and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with ?, was killed while in his sports car. In April 2023, three men were sentenced to life in prison for his murder.
“I met up with Uzi at the studio and after one of the few heartfelt conversations we’d have that night, I played the song — which hadn’t been touched since May of 2018 — and after seeing Uzi’s reaction to the song it felt as though the past few years of conversations and back-and-forth song ideas had all led up to this. That feeling was echoed after hearing Uzi and Jahseh’s voices together in a way that neither of them have ever sounded,” Cunningham noted.
“As complicated and conflicting as posthumous releases can be I feel I’ll hold this one in a special place due to the fact that I was able to have some small part in connecting two of the most pure and loving people I know.”
Listen to XXXTentacion’s “I’m Not Human” below.
A$AP Rocky gave a rare glimpse into his family life with Rihanna on Father’s Day. On Sunday (June 18), the rapper took to social media to share numerous adorable photos and videos featuring his 13-month-old son RZA and RiRi, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child. “EVERYDAY FATHERS DAY,” Rocky captioned the gallery on […]
Big Pokey has died, a representative for the Houston rapper confirms to Billboard. He was 45.
A mainstay on the local hip-hop scene in Houston, Big Pokey — whose real name is Milton Powell — collapsed on stage Saturday night (June 17) during a performance at Pour 09 Bar in Beaumont, Texas, according to local news stations. He was rushed to the hospital, where he passed away. His cause of death is pending.
An “in loving memory of” statement shared on Big Pokey’s official Instagram account Sunday night reads: “It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of our beloved Milton ‘Big Pokey’ Powell. Big Pokey passed away on June 18, 2023. He was well-loved by his family, his friends, and his loyal fans. In the coming days, we will release information about his celebration of life and how the public can pay their respects. We ask that you respect his family and their privacy during this difficult time. Big Pokey will forever be ‘The Hardest Pit in the Litter.’”
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Pour 09 Bar wrote in an update on Facebook, “We would like everyone to send their prayers to Big Pokey and his family. Out of respect for those involved we will not be commenting on the incident to allow his family and friends ample time to mourn and make a statement when they are ready. This is a tragedy that no one expected and only our prayers go out to his family and friends.”
Big Pokey dropped six full-length studio albums throughout his career, beginning with Hardest Pit in the Litter in 1999. His most recent album, Sensei, was released in 2021.
In 2005, the rapper joined Paul Wall on the single “Sittin’ Sidewayz,” which charted on the Billboard Hot 100.
“The City of Houston and I extend our prayers and condolences to our own Screwed Up Click legendary rapper #BigPokey family and friends,” Sylvester Turner, mayor of the city of Houston, tweeted on Sunday, referring to local hip-hop collective Screwed Up Click. “Though many called him ‘low key,’ his presence was larger than life in helping to catapult our hip hop scene nationally. We are grateful.”
Bun B, also based out of Houston and part of Screwed Up Click, paid tribute to Big Pokey on Instagram: “I wasn’t ready for this,” he said. “One of the most naturally talented artists in the city. Low key, humble mountain of a man who moved with honor and respect. He was easy to love and hard to hate. He’d pull up, do what he had to do and head home. One of the pillars of our city. If heart of gold was a person. Iconic member of the SUC. There will never be another and will be missed dearly. We love and honor you Sensei. Rest in heaven.”
In another post, Bun B encouraged others to listen to Big Pokey’s Sensei. “Let’s get on all the streaming platforms and make this the number one album in the country today. Jump on @youtube @spotify @applemusic @tidal @pandora and anywhere else for the legend @sucbigpokey today. Let’s send his family a message that we loved him! Long Live Big Pokey!”
The City of Houston and I extend our prayers and condolences to our own Screwed Up Click legendary rapper #BigPokey family and friends. Though many called him “low key”, his presence was larger than life in helping to catapult our hip hop scene nationally. We are grateful. st pic.twitter.com/5VI7nAL2V2— Sylvester Turner (@SylvesterTurner) June 18, 2023
Offset and Quavo are remembering their late Migos bandmate Takeoff on what would’ve been his 29th birthday. The rappers took to social media on Sunday (June 18) to celebrate the life of Takeoff, who was shot and killed while attending an afterparty at a Houston bowling alley in November 2022. “Happy birthday rocket man,” Offset […]
A man who was named by police as a person of interest in the 2021 murder of rapper/music exec Young Dolph has been killed. According to Memphis’ ABC 24, family members identified Joshua Taylor as the victim of a fatal shooting in the city on Wednesday afternoon. At press time it was reported that there […]
On Thursday (June 15), iHeartPodcasts and Will Packer Media announced the limited series IDEA GENERATION’S All Angles. The series’ two-part debut will give listeners an inside look at the rise of Steve Rifkind’s Loud Records, home to hip-hop icons including Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep and Big Pun.
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“There is a greater intensity in interest around not just the ‘who’ but the in-depth answers to the ‘why,’ ‘how’ and ‘when’ of American success stories,” says Will Packer, CEO of Will Packer Media. “This podcast gives listeners that specificity they crave.”
Centering on a conversation between IDEA GENERATION founder Noah Callahan-Bever and Rifkind, the episode delves into the trials and tribulations faced by the Loud Records team during their journey, and details exactly how the then-22-year-old entrepreneur jumpstarted his career and created a mega-label that broke some of the most influential acts to ever touch hip-hop, alongside co-founder Rich Isaacson, who also appears on the podcast.
The episode’s other interviews include A&R representatives Matt Life and Sean C, and Mobb Deep’s Havoc. In addition to Mobb Deep, the label also signed and broke the Wu-Tang Clan. During the episode, Isaacson and Rifkind recall the moment they realized the impact the group would have.
“We’re about three blocks away from Webster Hall, and all the streets are closed off,” Isaacson remembers. “We think there’s like a police issue, so we get out of the cab and we say let’s just walk because we’re going to be late for this [Wu-Tang] party. We come around the block and we see the line wrapping around the corner and look at each other and we’re like, holy shit. This is for our event.
“We’re just looking at each other in disbelief. We knew Wu Tang was happening, but we had no idea what a big sensation it was going to be until that night.”
The podcast also digs into Rifkind’s musical family history, including his father Jules Rifkind who founded Spring Records, a label that played an important role in the funk and soul movement of the 1970s, and the influence of his family’s legacy on his own path.
All Angles will be available on June 22 across platforms and on the iHeartRadio app, with new episodes airing every Thursday. The podcast joins iHeartMedia and Will Packer Media’s iHeartPodcast slate deal, which also includes the two recent seasons of the dark comedy, The Lower Bottoms.
Listen to the trailer below.
Kid Cudi has announced the lineup for his second annual Moon Man’s Landing festival in his hometown of Cleveland. In an announcement on Wednesday, the “Solo Dolo” rapper revealed that Lil Uzi Vert, Coi Leray, $uicideboy$, Bashfortheworld, Siena Bella and Chelsea Pastel will join him on August 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Fans can register […]
According to Memphis news reports, former Three 6 Mafia rapper Gangsta Boo‘s cause of death was an accidental overdose. The rapper (born Lola Mitchell) — who was found dead at age 43 on New Year’s Day at her home in Memphis — overdosed on fentanyl, cocaine and ethanol (alcohol), according to an autopsy report seen […]
