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Now that the world is about to see A$AP Rocky get his acting on alongside Denzel Washington in Spike Lee’s upcoming joint Highest 2 Lowest, we’re learning that the Harlem rapper has been trying to break through on the cinema scene for quite some time, and he tried to enter the world of Star Wars not too long ago by auditioning for the role of a fan favorite character.
In a new interview with Variety, the “RIOT” rapper revealed that he’d been trying to break through in Hollywood for quite some time. Though he was a standout character in the underrated 2015 film, DOPE, A$AP tried to get in front of a bigger audience when it came time to cast the role of Lando Calrissian for Disney’s Star Wars spinoff, Solo: A Star Wars Story. But even Rocky admits that when it came time to show casting what he was made of, he just didn’t have it that day.
Per Variety:
I auditioned for “Star Wars” — for Lando — and my audition was trash. I was trash that day. My man Childish Gambino [Donald Glover] was a way better Lando than I would’ve provided at that time. And I think he looked a little more like [Billy Dee Williams] than me.
Would you do it again? Do you dream of wielding a lightsaber?
Hell, yeah.
Who knows, maybe Disney will decide to explore the origins of Jedi master, Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) and A$AP could audition for that role if anything. We wouldn’t be mad at that.
Approaching his acting gigs like a true professional, A$AP Rocky seems determined to be taken seriously as an actor and explained that he considers himself a method actor who embodies whatever characteristics his role calls for even if it means taking that persona back home at the end of the day.
From Variety:
“It’s being alone in your trailer, looking in the mirror, embodying that person. When you’re not on the set, or when you clock out, you’re still embodying that character. Around the beginning of shooting, my family was still in California, so I got to really be this guy and go home [as him]. When my family finally came to New York in late May, we were almost wrapped, and I had to be in daddy mode. I had to shift back and forth.”
We’re not sure if the Star Wars universe is prepared for its first Jedi with gold fronts, but we know we are. Heck, we’ve been ready for such a character since the 90s. George Lucas really dropped the ball on that one. Then again, there were rumors that Tupac Shakur was supposed to be cast as Mace Windu in Star Wars: Episode 1 before his untimely death, so we can’t be too mad at George Lucas for trying.
What do y’all think of A$AP Rocky maybe one day being a part of the Star Wars universe? What color lightsaber would y’all like to see him rock? Let us know in the comments section below.
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We get it, Kanye West is a proud antisemite. The Chicago multihyphenate dropped a video for a song called “Heil Hitler” which will be reportedly on a forthcoming new album called Cuck.
Ye already caused controversy when he recently released a song called “Cousins,” where he detailed engaging in sexual relations with a male cousin, which is reportedly from the same aforementioned album.
As for his latest tune, “Man these people took my kids from me, then they closed my bank account / I got so much anger in me got no way to take it out,” is how Ye kicks things off on the track, and that’s about as good as it gets.
The visual features Black guy outfitted in furs and animal costumes as they chant “N*gga Heil Hitler, they don’t understand the things I say on Twitter.”
Sure. This is where we point out that as the leader of Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler killed over 6 millions Jews as well as homosexuals, people with disabilities and political foes. And Hitler definitely wasn’t a fan of Black people. But yeah, this is who Kanye West is idolizing.
There is art and then there’s kitsch. This is the latter.
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For the past few weeks Kanye West has been doing interviews and making appearances in the most random livestreams and ultimately found himself alongside right-wing favorite journalist, Piers Morgan, but unfortunately for Piers, it was a short-lived interview.
Sitting alongside his new buddy, Sneako, Kanye West agreed to be interviewed by the British media personality only for things to go left after Morgan not only called him by his original name instead of “Ye,” but even dared to miscount the number of followers Kanye has on his social media pages.
After going on a quick back-and-forth about Kanye being at peace in his life as opposed to the anger he displays on X formerly known as Twitter towards, well, everyone, Kanye took issue with Piers stating that he had 32 million followers saying he was taking “inches off my d*ck.”
Morgan then went on to correct himself by saying it was 33 million (big difference), Kanye decided to Kanye and went on a mini rant about how impactful his music has been on the lives of everyone (including Piers) and accused the media (again, including Piers) of hating on people who “put out love” which prompted Piers to ask “What are you talking about?!”
After Morgan asked the question that was basically on everyone’s mind at that point, Ye bowed out of the interview and said he’d return when Morgan was able to count.
End scene.
Even Sneako was left bewildered by what just happened before having to do a little impromptu interview with Morgan himself and tried to clean up the mess that Ye left behind telling Piers “You know what you were doing” suggesting that Morgan was purposely patronizing Kanye by calling him “Kanye” and misrepresenting the number of social media followers he had.
Morgan responded by saying that the duo “d*cked us around” before the interview and called it a waste of time and money. Taking his aim (and anger) towards an unsuspecting Sneako, Morgan asked him how he feels hanging around a pro-Nazi and antisemitic Kanye West. Sneako tried his best to deflect, but to no avail as Morgan came with receipts (X posts) and left Sneako reaching for answers to questions that he wasn’t prepared for.
After the two argued and spoke over each other throughout the remainder of the interview, Morgan called Kanye an antisemite and “sniveling little coward” before Sneako walked off on the interview himself.
As crazy as this interview was, we have to admit it was pretty hilarious all things considered.
Check out the trainwreck of an interview between Piers Morgan, Kanye West and Sneako below and let us know your thoughts about it in the comments section.
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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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CLOSE
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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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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.