Recording Artists
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Source: BROWARD SHERIFF’S OFFICE / Broward Sheriff’s Office
Sean Kingston’s legal troubles continue to get worse. He has been put in jail for failing to put up the bond following his fraud conviction.
As spotted on HipHopDX, Sean Kingston is now sitting behind bars. Earlier this month, he and his mother Janice Turner were both found guilty on various charges relating to wire fraud. While his mother was immediately jailed following the results of the trial, Sean Kingston was given a bond offer that would allow him to be on house arrest while he awaits sentencing. On Thursday (April 10), he attended a hearing where he revealed to U.S. District Judge David S. Leibowitz that he failed to raised the funds from friends and family.
He was then taken into federal custody for not coming up with the $100,000. His offer required that he put up $200,000 in cash with an additional $500,000 in surety tied to his real estate properties. According to TMZ, he eventually posted the $100,000 on Wednesday (April 16). He has since been released from Federal Detention Center in Miami and will be required to stay at his residence and be monitored by GPS tracking. Additionally, he had to forfeit his passport to ensure he would not flee the country.
Sean Kingston and his mother are set to be sentenced on July 11. They could face up to 20 years if given the maximum.
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Donald Trump is arguably the most hated man in the world right now (Elon Musk is a close second), and though he has the support of some artists in the Hip-Hop community, Lizzo has just let it be known that she isn’t one of them.
On Saturday night (April 12), Lizzo was the musical guest star on Saturday Night Live and during her performance she threw a little shade at the tariff obsessed dictator and for that we love her that much more. During her musical set she performed “Love In Real Life” and “Still Bad” in a crop top with one simple word: “TARIFFIED,” a clever play on the word that’s been the topic of discussion for the past few weeks and how Americans (and the world) have been feeling in general ever since Trump took office. The shirt is an obvious jab at Donald Trump and his administration’s continuous assault on democracy and everything decent about America.
Though Trump’s back-and-forth decisions on his unnecessary tariffs on China and islands of penguins is being called “market manipulation” and has spurred allegations of insider trading by his inner circle, expect more of the same in the coming future as the 90-day pause on tariffs leaves much room and time for more chaotic “negotiation” methods on Trump’s behalf.
In other words, be “tariffied” of what’s to come as Donald Trump continues to do what he can to tank the American economy to enrich his millionaire and billionaire buddies.
Check out Lizzo perform in her clever shirt and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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New York rapper Ja Rule had some words for his longtime industry rival, 50 Cent, for the way the G-Unit founder mocked the death of Murder Inc. founder Irv Gotti, who passed away in February. Ja had reflected on his career and relationship with Gotti during a Hip Hop Wired exclusive discussion between the “Always On Time” rapper and New Orleans legend Juvenile.
During a recent appearance on The Breakfast Club, Ja went all the way in on 50, who posted on Instagram shortly after Gotti’s death was announced, “I’m smoking on dat Gotti pack, nah God bless him [white dove emoji] LOL.”
“I see some of the things that [50 Cent] gets involved in, feuds. ‘Grow up, my n***a.’ That’s what I be thinking to myself,” Ja told Breakfast Club hosts Charlamagne tha God, DJ Envy and Loren Lorosa.
Then he addressed Fif’s Instagram post.
“It’s goofy sh*t,” Ja said. “‘Cause I was hot. I was ready to go nuclear and sh*t … Preme said, ‘You know, Rule? Here’s what you gotta understand about who we are and what we are: We are the masters of self-defense.’ I said, ‘I love that,’ because I don’t want to start or make trouble with people, but if we gotta get into it … I’ll f**kin’ end it.
“That’s who we are as men,” he continued. “Here to protect our family, protect our home, defend our honor, our names, our reptuation. I’m not here to be a bully and bother people. That’s not what I’m here to do, but I am a master of self-defense.”
Ja, also addressed his 20-some-odd-year beef with the “In Da Club” rapper, who he claimed is largely responsible for the continuation of the rivalry, noting that he rarely even mentions 50, but will occasionally respond to his endless online “troll” behavior.
“He keeps it going,” Ja said. “I’ll go to the circus once in a while. I really like to stay clear of that sh*t …. I like to have fun sometimes. I poke jabs at him, too, but that’s all that really is. To me, it’s silly. We’re both successful Black men and I think the focus should be on continuing to make sure that we pay it forward.”
You can check out the full interview below.
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One Young Thug fan has gone viral for all the wrong reasons. The rapper has reacted to one of his supporters inking the incorrect lyrics to “Digits.”
As spotted on HipHopDX a young man was inspired so much by Thugger’s music that he decided to permanently tattoo some on his skin. The fan got a rather large piece on his back that reads “Horses don’t stop, they keep going” as a nod to the popular single from Slime Season 3. It seems the gentleman must of misheard the song as the lyrics really say “Hustlers don’t stop, they keep going.” As expected the photo quickly made the rounds online and eventually landed on Young Thug’s radar.” And that’s y I’m talking with more clarity UY SCUTI… dam bro…” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Rolling Stone has since interviewed the fan in question and he maintains that he intentionally tattooed the incorrect lyrics. “Yes, I intentionally chose the wrong lyrics to match the theme of the tattoo. I have been wanting a horse piece for a couple years now” John Nelson said. “Many people online think that it’s simply just a Young Thug tattoo with no deeper meaning, but in 2022, a childhood friend of mine took his own life.” He went on to further detail what the piece means to him and how it came about. “For whatever reason, the beauty of these horses was oddly healing for me, so I wanted to get a tattoo that was horse-themed to kind of frame that memory. As for the other aspects of this tattoo, they were decided more impulsively.”
You can hear “Digits” below and decide for yourself.
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“Retirements” in Rap have a history of not lasting very long, but this one nevertheless will up the anxiety of true Hip-Hop heads. North Carolina duo Little Brother have announced that their last tour, Curtain Call, will be its last, and that “their work as Little Brother is done.”
On Monday (April 7), current members Phonte and Big Pooh revealed they would be going on a final tour later this year called Curtain Call. LB told AllHipHop that despite tour being their last, they’re still on the best of terms.
“I wante [sic] to let people know, me and Phonte, we super good,” Pooh told AllHipHop. “We had a chance to reconcile, come back and, I believe, put Little Brother to bed the proper way. We was able to do it the right way and I believe that’s one of the things we both thought was important—not that when we knew when that day would be, but it was still important to have that moment and allow our fans to have that moment, too.”
Added Phonte, “We came back after a decade and got our first No. 1 record, we did our own movie, we did our own block party and regained control of our catalog. Our work is complete. Our mission as Little Brother is complete. Pooh and I were really able to not just rebuild but also cement our brotherhood. That was the most important. That was the God of it. Our work as Little Brother is done. Our lives as Phonte and Thomas will go on forever.”
When Little Brother first arrived to critical renown, they were a trio that included producer 9th Wonder. The group’s 2003 debut, The Listening, on indie label ABB Records, was not a commercial behemoth. But the critical acclaim the project received earned them a record deal with Atlantic Records, which dropped their sophomore album, The Minstrel Show, to more praise in 2005, yet it also lacked commercial success. With 9th Wonder basically departing the group as his highly sought production talents kept him busy, LB would drop Getback and Leftback in 2007 and 2010, respectively. It would be another 9 years before their latest album, May The Lord Watch, was released, with the consensus being LB was back in vintage but progressive form.
In late 2023, the group released the documentary May The Lord Watch: The Little Brother Story which chronicled the group’s creation and path in the industry that almost saw the ruin of their friendship before Pooh and Phonte were able to reconcile (9th Wonder did not participate in the doc).
The Curtain Call tour kicks off May 24 in Baltimore and will hit cities including Atlanta, Chicago and Los Angeles before closing out on the Rock The Bells cruise from October 27 – October 31.
We’re hoping the historical failure of rap retirements eventually applies in this case. Peep more reactions to the news in the gallery.
5.
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After serving 13 years in prison (from a life sentence), Vybez Kartel was sprung from prison last year due to juror misconduct, and since then the Jamaican superstar has been making up for lost time and living his best life. Now that he’s got a bit more comfortable, the man has taken some time to give his fans something to rock to and we’re sure they’re more than grateful.
Dropping off some new visuals to “God Is The Greatest,” Vybez shows just how he’s been living his life as he’s been performing for sold out concerts, eating well with his friends and family and even hanging out with the likes of DJ Khaled who just seems to be in the most random places with your favorite artists. That man be everywhere.
Kevin Gates meanwhile seems to have left the thugged out attire in the past for a more sophisticated hitman look and in his Lingo assisted clip to “Therapy Sessions,” KG gets his John Wick on and throws on some slacks to terrorize a kidnapped man who obviously miscalculated the situation and ended up at the mercy of the Baton Rouge rapper.
Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from Curren$y and Harry Fraud featuring Fendi P, Wiz Khalifa, and more.
VYBEZ KARTEL – “GOD IS THE GREATEST”
KEVIN GATES FT. LINGO – “THERAPY SESSIONS”
CURREN$Y & HARRY FRAUD FT. FENDI P – “NO WRINKLES”
WIZ KHALIFA – “LAUGH OUT LOUD”
DJ PAUL – “UNHAULIN”
CHELSEA PASTEL FT. JANELLE MACK – “NOT THE SAME”
GASHI FT. KIMI BANKS – “HALOS & DRACOS”
BANDZONE QUEZZ – “31”
DON Q – “LET ME PREACH”
BIG $LUG – “MISUSED”
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Source: @speedymorman / x
Sorry fellas but it looks like GloRilla is officially off the market.
Months after GloRilla and Speedy Morman had the internet buzzing with rumors that they might be an item after a flirtatious interview, the two apparently went Instagram official (kinda) earlier this week, and we’re low-key loving it.
On April 1 (April Fools Day), Speedy curiously posted a tweet on X stating “I am single now” to which GloRilla retweeted and replied “You show out too much Ian with dat internet sh*t.” Again, playing with their followers and having them wonder if there was a little something-something between them, Speedy blew up the spot later that day when he posted a selfie of the two together at a college basketball game with a caption that read “April Fool’s [couple emoji] Us never them!!”
We actually like these two as a couple… if that’s what they are. These days people will hook up, spend months together, share an apartment and still say things like “We’re not putting a label on our relationship.” What the hell, man?!
As we said, the pic comes after months of speculation that GloRilla and Speedy might’ve been a thing after the two showed some interest in each other during their interview last October. Since then, GloRilla had no problem stating her single status and even tweeted that she would remain celibate until “God send me my husband.” Gotta love a woman who stands on moral business.
Still, that might’ve been a ploy to throw everyone off Speedy’s scent as rumors of the two dating had been running rampant on social media.
Now that it seems like they’ve made things “official” (but not really), we just wonder if GloRilla’s vow to remain celibate until she’s married is still in effect or if having a “husband” was meant to be taken a bit more lightly. Either way, we’re happy to see these two enjoying each other’s company.
What do y’all think about GloRilla and Speedy Morman apparently being in a relationship? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Earlier this month, former En Vogue singer Dawn Robinson revealed that she’d be living out of her car for the past three years and while many assumed that she was going through hard times and was unhoused, she says that’s not the case at all.
According to People, Robinson is responding to her fans who worried that the “Hold On” singer was down and out and assuring them that she’s actually fine and is choosing to live life out on the road as a personal journey in growth. In a personal statement to People, Robinson cleared up her current situation saying, “I want to make it clear: I am not homeless. I am temporarily choosing car life as part of my journey of healing and self-discovery.”
While it’s hard for some to comprehend that sometimes people will choose to disconnect with what’s familiar in order to find some balance in their own personal lives (especially when the person is a celebrity), the 58-year-old artist is taking the time to explain herself and also warned people to look out for scammers as some people are looking to exploit her situation for their own financial gain.
Per People:
“I took a risk and jumped headfirst into this lifestyle, and WOW, what a crazy, fun, sometimes scary ride it’s been,” continued Robinson’s statement. “For me, failure is NOT an option. Being vulnerable sucks, but here I GROW. This is about embracing freedom, trusting the process, and finding strength in the unexpected.”
The “Free Your Mind” singer also issued a warning to fans looking to support her. “I’ve been made aware that some individuals may be requesting funds on my behalf through platforms like Cash App, GoFundMe or other means,” she said. “I want to be clear: I have not authorized any fundraising campaigns, and I do not want anyone—especially my loyal fans—to be scammed or taken advantage of.”
As for the outpouring of support and genuine worry that many people expressed when she first announced her situation, Ms. Robinson said if she wanted to she could get herself an apartment, but would rather live life on the road for the time being saying she’s “proud of what I’ve accomplished out here.”
Well, we’re just glad that Ms. Robinson isn’t unhoused, technically, and we totally support whatever steps she feels she needs to take to get the clarity she’s currently searching for.
What do y’all think about Dawn Robinson’s choice to live on the move? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Ye fka Kanye West has been tripling down on his antisemitism lately, and once again it’s leading to more business and personal L’s. After some nazi-friendly rants that caused his X account to get deactivated, the “Power” rapper has since been sued by an employee, scolded by veteran music industry exec Lyor Cohen and had his Shopify account deaded, and that’s just this week.
But hey, it’s only Wednesday. You could say that the latest batch of struggle for Ye began with his stunt at the Grammy Awards red carpet where his alleged wife Biance Censori wore a see-through dress that basically had her butt naked for the world to see. But it’s the online activity that really got Ye back in hot water.
As you may recall, back in 2022, Ye dropped an antisemetic message on what was then still known as Twitter, typing that he would be “going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,” after he got some sleep, though. That eventually led to adidas dropping Ye and the rapper taking a hit financially.
Nevertheless, Ye never stopped saying flagrant commentary and now in 2025, Ye is back to dropping incendiary commentary and is also claiming that he actually has autism and is not bipolar. Worth noting is that Ye’s X account was reportedly deactivated after he shared porn, because apparently antisemitism gets a pass.
Back fully on his Nazi wave check out what some of the immediate backlash in the gallery.
1. Lyor Cohen does not approve
Source:Getty
Lyor Cohen made his chops in the music industry helping to make Def Jam Records an iconic Hip-Hop record label. YouTube’s current global head of music is also Jewish and from Isreal. Recently, he penned an open letter calling out Ye for his antisemitism, asking him to be “more sensitive to the pain your words inflict on Jewish communities and all those who stand against hate.” We doubt Ye will take much heed, but ya never know.
2. Shopify Out
Ye finessed a Yeezy.com commercial, in certain markets, during the Super Bowl. It didn’t go over well on social media since it was him in a dentist office, but the uproar was swift when people realized the only thing the site was selling was a t-shirt with a swastika on it. Turns out Ye was getting his orders fulfilled by Shopify, which quickly cut ties.
3. Hail Ye
Source:Getty
You may have heard this before, Kanye West is getting sued by a former employee. Variety reports that on Tuesday, February 11, a former Ye staffer accused him of texting her “Hail Hitler,” She is Jewish and claims that Ye was heavy on the antisemitism at work in 2024. Sounds familiar.
4. Dropped
Daniel McCartney of 33&West, Ye’s agent, took to social media so say is no longer repping the multihyphenate “due to his recent harmful and hateful remarks.” One, how tough it THAT job?! Two, recent?
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Back in August, rapper Nelly was arrested in the St. Louis area and was facing charges that included possession of ecstasy. Well, now it looks like the “Country Grammar” artist is out of legal harm’s way as a spokesperson for St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office told TMZ Hip Hop, “We don’t believe the facts in this case warrant the issuing of charges.”
As previously reported, Nelly, born Cornell Haynes II, was arrested at the Hollywood Casino in St. Charles by Missouri State Highway Patrol’s gaming division troopers who had asked him to produce his ID, which revealed a 2018 warrant for failure to appear in court. According to TMZ, the arrest occurred moments after the 49-year-old hit $50K on a slot machine — which is just rotten luck for someone who had just gotten lucky AF. After detaining Nelly, officers allegedly found four ecstasy pills in his possession.
At the time, Nelly’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, said his client was “targeted by an overzealous, out of line officer,” and complained about the “Hot In Herre” rapper being paraded around in handcuffs. In the wake of his client avoiding the charges he faced, Rosenblum explained that, upon closer investigation, prosecutors found pursuing charges was unnecessary.
“Wesley Bell, the prosecuting attorney, and his office looked at all the circumstances and after a fair and impartial review of the evidence, declined to prosecute,” Rosenblum told TMZ.
Honestly, the wildest thing about this story is that people are still getting popped for ecstasy possession in 2024. It’s like an early 2000s drug-related crisis making a comeback two decades later.
Anyway, fortunately for Nelly, he was able to get out of the arrest without catching charges. (One can’t help but wonder if he was still able to cash in on that $50K though.)
Stay safe out there, folks.